Texas Woman’s Execution Halted

Just less than five hours before a Dallas County woman was to be put to death, a state judge decided to halt the scheduled Tuesday evening execution.

McCarthy,Kimberly

51-year-old Kimberley McCarthy would have been the first woman put to death in the U.S. since 2010.

State District Judge Larry Mitchell issued the reprieve for McCarthy less than five hours before she could have been taken to the death chamber for the 1997 slaying of a neighbor.

Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Shelly Yeatts says McCarthy's execution date now is April 3.

McCarthy's lawyers contend the jury that convicted her of murder was improperly selected on the basis of race. McCarthy is black. Her jury was made up of 11 whites and one black person.