A 1986 graduate of David West. Carter High School of Dallas, Watkins graduated from in 1990 with a bachelor"s degree in political science and was part of the 1994 inaugural graduating class of the Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. He is also a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
He became the first elected African American district attorney in Texas after he was elected in 2006. Three times the Dallas County District Attorney"s office rejected Watkins"s bids to be a prosecutor. Watkins thus began his legal career working in the offices of the Dallas city attorney and public defender and later went into private practice as an attorney and was a licensed bail bondsman.
In 2002, Watkins ran for district attorney against incumbent Republican Bill Hill and lost.
The official biography of Watkins written by his office writes that Watkins has secured a 99.4% conviction rate and has focused on prosecuting cases of child sexual abuse. Watkins has worked to resolve cases of wrongful conviction through the use of deoxyribonucleic acid testing and the review of evidence illegally withheld from defense attorneys.
On January 4, 2011, Ray Suarez interviewed Watkins live on the Public Broadcasting Service NewsHour for the exoneration by Watkins"s office of Cornelius Dupree from Dupree"s armed robbery conviction. The Dallas Morning News selected Watkins as its 2008 Texan of the Year.
Public records indicate that Watkins" yearly salary as of May 2012 was $125,000.
In the 2014 election, Watkins was defeated by former Judge Susan Hawk.
He is also a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
