Dallas County's first black district attorney has died.
KERA's Paul DeBenedetto reports Craig Watkins passed away in his home at 56.
Craig Watkins became district attorney in Dallas County in 2006.
He was a long-shot candidate elected at a time when Republicans dominated local politics and many Democrats had decided to sit out the election.
Watkins earned a national reputation by making good on promises to free wrongfully convicted prisoners exonerated with DNA evidence.
He created a conviction integrity unit that focused on identifying defendants unjustly sent to prison.
But his reputation also took some hits because of several controversies during his tenure.
That included accusations that he tried to shut down a county investigation of two constables who ultimately faced criminal charges.