Judge Sued Over Death Sentence Appeal

The wife of a man executed in September sued a judge who prevented his state appeal from being filed by not extending the office hours of Texas' highest criminal court on the day he died.

The federal lawsuit by Marsha Richard against Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, filed Wednesday in Houston, accuses Keller of violating the rights of Michael Richard by preventing his attorneys from filing an appeal hours before his execution.

Keller refused to allow the court to stay open past 5 p.m. on Sept. 25, even though attorneys for Richard had called and asked for extra time to file their appeal.