Former Dallas County DA Craig Watkins dies at 56

DALLAS — Craig Watkins, who was district attorney for Dallas County from 2007 to 2015, died on Monday, his colleagues confirmed. He was 56. 

Watkins was the first elected Black district attorney in Texas.

“I am saddened to learn of the passing of my former colleague Craig Watkins. Craig was bright and ambitious and for his life to end so prematurely is a tragedy, however, he leaves behind a powerful legacy,” Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot wrote in a statement.

According to his biography, Watkins graduated from Prairie View A&M University in 1990 with a degree in political science. He received his Juris Doctor from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in 1994.

“He made history as the first elected African American district attorney for Texas. His fierce focus on the prosecution of child abuse cases and his creation of the first Conviction Integrity Unit in the nation are testaments to his vision and ability to effect change,” Creuzot wrote.

Watkins worked in the Dallas city attorney office and the Dallas County Public Defender’s office before going into private practice. He ran for district attorney in 2002 but lost. In 2006, he won.

Watkins’ office said he had a 99.4% conviction rate.

“Craig was perfectly human, and those who knew him are better for it,” Creuzot wrote. “I am proud to have known him, to have worked with him, and to have been elected to the same office he held. He will be missed.”

Watkins and his wife had three children.