District judge questions assistant DA's credibility
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State District Judge Charlie Beard threw out a case after he found Assistant District Attorney Stephanie McFarland's testimony in court was not credible.
Former university student Danish Shiekh is now free of charges after he was convicted of aggravated assault in 2006.
McFarland also prosecuted the case of Laura Hall. A higher court ordered the sentencing portion of that trial to be reheard in district court.
Hall was sentenced to five years in prison for tampering with evidence and helping cover up Jennifer Cave's 2005 murder in West Campus.
A higher court ordered the sentencing portion of that trial be reheard in district court on June 28.
Tuesday, Hall's defense attorney Joe James Sawyer said McFarland's judicial conduct may impact a number of criminal cases and believes McFarland should be removed from prosecuting cases.
"I'm going to suggest to our local association, Austin Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, that any time that woman appears in court, we should file a motion that it be recused on the basis that she cannot be believed. Anything she does might be deceitful," Sawyer said.
Sawyer will ask 147th District Judge Wilford Flowers to have McFarland removed from Hall's upcoming sentencing trial.