Intro: The Dallas Examiner’s exclusive feature We Examine, looks at the career of Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins.
DE: In your short two years in office, you have not only become a Texas public figure, you have gained national notoriety. Are you surprised by the amount of media attention you have received? Do you think it is tied to the fact that you are the first African American district attorney in a state not known for racial advancements?
Watkins: I think initially it wouldn’t have surprised me that we would have gotten this attention for a short time because of the fact I’m African American. But after almost three years, the fact that we’re still on the national radar screen is a bit surprising to me. But I think it’s a result of the progressive policies we’ve put in place, especially dealing with the wrongfully convicted, which tends to cause the national folks to continue to pay attention. It is a bit surprising, but I’m grateful for it because it gives us the opportunity to spread the word on how law enforcement should be dispensed and the hope is that other agencies throughout the country will take note and do the same thing.
