The ongoing saga surrounding Ronald Haskell's death row case has seen a new development as Harris County prosecutors once again push for the removal of Judge Natalia Cornelio. According to The Houston Chronicle, the bid for recusal stems from Cornelio's unauthorized action to arrange an off-book MRI for Haskell, who is convicted of killing six members of his ex-wife's family in 2014.
Haskell, once a FedEx driver, triggered shockwaves, after it emerged that he was whisked away from death row in July under cover of darkness to an undisclosed medical facility, clad in a yellow jumpsuit and shackles. In what some have perceived as a clandestine move, Judge Cornelio signed a bench warrant to ensure Haskell's transfer, which took place without the knowledge of prosecutors and the victims' families, as "a cloak and dagger" mission—words Haskell used himself in jailhouse calls.
"It is mind blowing that it is possible for someone who has been sentenced to death and is in solitary confinement to be brought into Houston and walked into a normal regular doctor’s office where normal regular civilians are going about their normal regular day," Drue Lyon, whose sister was among the victims, told The Houston Chronicle. Joshua Reiss, a division chief in the Harris County District Attorney's Office, has expressed concerns that victims' rights were not taken into account, reflecting on his filings to attempt Cornelio's recusal.
Meanwhile, Judge Cornelio's position remains secure as she runs unopposed for another term, a point noted by Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers during an interview with FOX 26 Houston. Kahan raised concerns about the lack of transparency, with the only parties aware of Haskell's temporary transfer supposedly being Cornelio and his appellate attorney. He mentioned in a taped conversation with his mother, even Haskell was puzzled by the secretive nature of the operation, fearing for his safety as he almost got put in the general population, as relayed by Reiss.
The latest motion for Judge Cornelio's recusal is set for an evidentiary hearing on Oct. 29, where the decision could potentially re-assign Haskell’s case to another court. In the meantime, allegations of Cornelio potentially facing charges for tampering with a government record loom over the proceedings.
