Dallas, TX
Texas Seven prison escapee will get new Dallas trial in killing of Irving police officer, court rules
Texas Seven prison escapee Randy Halprin will get a new trial in Dallas County because the judge at his 2003 capital murder trial harbored antisemitic views, the state’s highest criminal court ruled Wednesday.
Halprin, who is Jewish, is one of seven inmates who escaped from the John B. Connally Unit near Kenedy in December 2000 before fatally shooting Irving police Officer Aubrey Hawkins during a Christmas Eve robbery. Halprin was convicted and sentenced to death for his role in Hawkins’ killing, but he has denied being one of the men who shot the officer.
Texas’ Court of Criminal Appeals previously halted his execution because of allegations former state District Judge Vickers Cunningham who presided over Halprin’s trial was prejudiced against him.
The ruling takes a step toward “broader trust in the criminal law by throwing out a hopelessly tainted death judgment handed down by a bigoted and biased judge,” Halprin’s attorney Tivon Schardl said in a statement.
“By upholding the Constitution’s requirement of fair and equal treatment, the Court of Criminal Appeals promoted faith in the criminal law,” he said. “It also reminded Texans that religious bigotry has no place in our courts.”
When reached over text Wednesday afternoon, Cunningham said “I’m in court right now.” An employee at his law office declined to comment and said Cunningham would have no comment. Cunningham has previously denied the allegation, saying the accusations were “lies from my estranged brother and his friends.”
In their 5-4 opinion, the justices found Cunningham had a history of using derogatory language toward Jewish people; made “offensive, antisemitic remarks” about Halprin during his trial; and ridiculed Jewish donors to his failed campaign for district attorney.
“The uncontradicted evidence supports a finding that Cunningham formed an opinion about Halprin that derived from an extrajudicial factor — Cunningham’s poisonous antisemitism,” the ruling reads.
In a concurring opinion, Judge Bert Richardson said the case isn’t just one where the action of a trial judge may look bad or there’s the appearance of impropriety. “This is a case,” he wrote, “where a person’s lifelong hatred and prejudice against Jews made him unfit to preside over this case.”
Cunningham’s brother, Bill Cunningham, told The Dallas Morning News in 2018 that Vic Cunningham was a lifelong racist. The then-judge said he wasn’t a bigot but confirmed a trust fund set up for his children has a stipulation that includes rewards for marrying a person who is white, Christian and the opposite sex.
Since Halprin’s execution was stayed, another district judge reviewed and weighed in on the case, recommending his conviction and death sentence should be tossed. After a three-day hearing, Tarrant County prosecutors also agreed Halprin’s right to a fair trial was violated. Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot recused his office from the case.
A spokeswoman for the Dallas County district attorney’s office declined to comment. The Tarrant County DA’s office did not immediately respond to an email.
“It is indeed unfortunate that Aubrey Hawkins’ family, our officers, our department, and our city will have to endure the reopening of old wounds and relive the horrors of what transpired,” Irving police Chief Derick Miller said in statement. “Waiting almost 24 years for justice has already been a long and difficult journey, and it appears that we must now prepare to wait a bit longer.”
The chief added: “We remain steadfast in our commitment to seeking justice for Aubrey Hawkins and his loved ones, and we hope that the legal process will ultimately lead to a resolution that honors his memory and the sacrifices made by all involved.”
All members of the Texas Seven were sentenced to death except for Larry Harper, who died by suicide to avoid capture. Four were executed. Patrick Murphy remains on death row.
Before the escape, Halprin was serving a 30-year sentence for beating a child in Tarrant County.
Schardl, Halprin’s lawyer, said Halprin will likely be sent to Dallas for the proceedings in the 283rd District Court. Creuzot has not sought the death penalty since taking office in 2019.
Editor’s note: See World Cup standings and scenarios updated in real time
The Socceroos live on at the 2026 World Cup.
Australia and Paraguay played to a 0-0 draw on Thursday night, which was good enough for Australia to secure second place in Group D and advance to the knockout stage of the tournament. Paraguay is likely to advance as a high-ranking third place team, but nothing is confirmed at the moment.
SHOP: Australia round of 32 World Cup tickets
Australia will head to Dallas where they will play their first elimination match on Friday, July 3 against the second-place team from Group G.
While we don’t yet know Australia’s opponent, we know the location, date and time of the match, which means tickets are already available. Here is everything you need to know in order to buy Australia World Cup tickets in Dallas.
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Australia round of 32 World Cup tickets
As of publication, the cheapest round of 32 ticket to see Australia in Dallas on Friday, July 3 is $937. Any ticket for less than $1,000 at this point in the tournament is a steal considering most other prices.
Australia Round of 32 opponent
As the runner-up of Group D, Australia will take on the second-place finisher from Group G. Australia’s opponent will be finalized on Friday, but given the current standings it could be any of the following four teams:
- Egypt
- Iran
- Belgium
- New Zealand
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Australia World Cup schedule
- Australia vs. Turkey – WIN 2-0
- Australia vs. United States – LOSS 2-0
- Australia vs. Paraguay – DRAW 1-1
- Friday, July 3 – Australia vs. Group G runner up at AT&T Stadium in Dallas (round of 32) – Shop tickets
World Cup Group D Standings
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Editor’s note: See World Cup standings and scenarios updated in real time
Ivory Coast is headed to the knockout round at the 2026 World Cup.
With everything on the line Thursday afternoon, the Ivory Coast played perhaps its best match of the tournament so far to lock down second place in Group E and advance to the knockout stage of the tournament. Ivory Coast will head to Dallas where they will play their first elimination match on Tuesday, June 30 against the second-place team from Group I.
SHOP: Ivory Coast round of 32 World Cup tickets in Dallas
While we don’t yet know Ivory Coast’s opponent, we do know that it will either be France or Norway, meaning either way the African squad will have to defend against one of the best goal scorers in the world.
Here is everything you need to know in order to buy Ivory Coast World Cup tickets in Dallas.
Shop Ivory Coast Round of 32 tickets
Ivory Coast round of 32 World Cup tickets
As of publication, the cheapest round of 32 ticket to see Ivory Coast in Dallas on Tuesday, June 30 is $895, making this one of the cheapest tickets for the round of 32.
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Ivory Coast Round of 32 opponent
As the runner-up of Group E, Ivory Coast will take on the second-place finisher from Group I. Ivory Coast’s opponent will be finalized on Friday, but given the current standings it will be either France or Norway.
Shop Ivory Coast Round of 32 tickets
Ivory Coast World Cup schedule
- Sunday, June 14 – Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador – WIN 1-0
- Saturday, June 20 – Ivory Coast vs. Germany – LOSS 2-1
- Thursday, June 25 – Ivory Coast vs. Curacao – WIN 2-0
- Tuesday, June 30 (Round of 32) – Ivory Coast vs. Group I runner up at AT&T Stadium in Dallas – Shop tickets
World Cup Group E standings
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Oftentimes, it’s a good idea to extend players early. The Dallas Cowboys have learned this the hard way as they’ve allowed negotiations with key contributors such as Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons to get out of hand.
Prescott was able to use his leverage to land a contract worth $60 million per season, which was a record at the time. Lamb held out during that same offseason, eventually landing a deal worth $34 million annually, whereas Parsons forced his way out after his negotiations stalled.
To their credit, the Cowboys might have tried to avoid more issues by signing a few players early. That includes guard Tyler Smith, who landed a four-year, $96 million extension in 2025. That has proven to be a home run, but the same can’t be said for another one of their big extensions.
Dallas decided to lock up cornerback DaRon Bland, signing the former fifth-round pick to a four-year, $92 million extension. This was a surprise move from the Cowboys since Bland was coming off a frustrating season, which was marred by a foot injury. The Cowboys were banking on Bland returning to the form we saw in 2023, but that wasn’t the case.
Bland continued to struggle with durability and wasn’t the impact player we saw during his breakout season when he was on the field. Now, he enters his fifth season in the league with a hefty price tag, and there are questions about his long-term status with the team.
DaRon Bland’s cap hit in 2026 is a problem
According to Over The Cap, Bland has the fifth-highest cap hit on the team this season. Bland, who is earning an annual average salary of $23 million, has a hit of $17 million this year.
The good news for the Cowboys is that they seemed to protect themselves slightly with this deal. While they can’t feasibly move on in 2026, even if Bland loses his starting job, they do have a way out of his deal next year.
Dallas can release Bland ahead of the 2027 season while absorbing a dead cap hit of $12.941 million. That would essentially make his deal a two-year contract for $36.355 million. That’s still not an ideal situation for the Cowboys, but that’s also what happens when the front office rolls the dice.
It’s also an unfortunate trend, as the Cowboys decided to extend Michael Gallup and Terence Steele while coming off injury-plagued seasons, and the results weren’t much better.
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