Prosecutors seek to recuse judge accused of bias in case of death row inmate who killed ex's family

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Prosecutors in Harris County are looking to recuse Judge Natalia Cornelio from the case of death row inmate Ronald Haskell. In a situation that's pretty unusual, prosecutors accused Cornelio of being biased in favor of the man who murdered a couple and their four children.

Haskell was given the death penalty in 2019. He was convicted of capital murder in the 2014 shooting deaths of his family members in their Spring home. The question of recusal now centers on Haskell's appeals, as they work through the legal process.

Among the witnesses in Tuesday's hearing was Harris County DA's first assistant David Mitcham, who testified about Cornelio being opposed to the death penalty.

Court records also show that on June 27, 2024, Judge Cornelio issued a bench warrant for Haskell to appear in her courtroom a month later at midnight. However, the Harris County District Attorney's Office said that never happened, and they had no idea Haskell had been moved from TDCJ custody.

During his nearly three-week stay at the Harris County Jail, Haskell was able to call his mom and even acknowledged the alleged secretive nature of this during one call, calling it "cloak and dagger," according to a jail transcript.

He was also reportedly taken to a private imaging clinic near the Texas Medical Center for a scan, as seen in still images from the body camera that were filed with the court. According to one of the witnesses, a Harris County Sheriff's Office transport deputy who took Haskell to his MRI testified that at one point, Haskell, as a death row inmate, was restrained only with plastic zip ties, and his shackles had been removed. In addition, the transport worker said Haskell was in a yellow jumpsuit, which indicates "high risk," but the transport deputy didn't know Haskell was a death row inmate.

This led the DA's office to file a motion for Cornelio to recuse herself, alleging that she was biased in his favor.

Attorney Brian Wice, who is not involved in this case, gave his opinion, calling this situation an "outlier."

"In a typical recusal hearing, it's over like that. Because motions are filed by the defense. Most are frivolous. This hearing is an outlier. A motion filed by the state, almost half a dozen witnesses and more likely to follow, " Wice said.

Testimony will resume another day, but a date has not been set yet.