Texas Halts Death-Penalty Trial

It looks like a Texas district attorney’s refusal to participate in a trial on the constitutionality of the death penalty may have worked after all: An appeals court has halted the trial and given both sides 15 days to respond and file briefs. The Harris County District Attorney’s office accuses the judge presiding over the initial trial of overstepping his boundaries; the DA’s lawyers refused to participate in the trial, “standing mute” instead.