Wood County District Attorney Angela Albers and District Court Judge Jeff Fletcher have recused themselves from the murder case involving a 15-year old juvenile. The juvenile is accused of the murder of Deliahiah Cooksey, the fiancé of Quitman attorney Mark Breding, during an altercation at the Breding home in June. Cooksey was stabbed to death and Breding was hospitalized with stabbing injuries.

Wood County District Attorney Angela Albers explained her recusal. “I felt like the just and right thing to do was for me to step back and then to get somebody from the attorney general’s office who does not know anything about any of the participants, victims or the suspect involved,” Albers said. “Because of that I think the law kind of requires us to request a recusal if there was anything that would look improper. Someone from the AG’s office who doesn’t know anything about this case will give the appearance of fairness which is required. Another good thing is it doesn’t cost the public any money. DA’s across the state of Texas often have to recuse for various reasons, and the law now requires that the attorney general or another prosecutor from another county steps in to handle the case and they are not compensated, so it won’t cost Wood County taxpayers any additional funds.”

District Judge Jeff Fletcher echoed Albers assessment. “Having known Mark (Breding) personally and professionally for 20 years, in order to remove any appearance of any kind of impropriety one way or the other, I just felt like it was the best thing to do,” Fletcher noted. “If I’m the judge, either way it goes, there would be some question about how it came out. In order to remove the aspect about any impropriety, I thought it best to recuse.”

At this time, no one has been appointed to prosecute the case, but Albers is expecting to hear from the attorney general’s office this month.