s.

Several attorneys and witnesses, including Rossi, prosecutors John Jordan and Ryan Trask, and defense attorney Rick DeToto, were excused from the courtroom after being subpoenaed and before the first witness testified.

Defense attorney Chris Collins remained in the courtroom after prosecutors questioned whether he was a witness or part of the defense team. McCann confirmed Collins was part of the defense team.

The hearing does not automatically mean Armstrong will receive a new trial. The judge must consider whether the requested information should have been disclosed and whether the alleged failure to disclose it could have affected the outcome of his conviction.

9:35 a.m. - Second witness JL Carpenter called to the stand

9:16 a.m. - First witness called to the stand, Civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen

Kallinen was the first witness called. He testified that he received a complaint against blood spatter expert Celestina Rossi from forensic expert Dr. Robert Collins on Aug. 17, 2023, after the jury returned its verdict in A.J. Armstrong's third trial.

Kallinen said he believed the complaint was important for Armstrong's criminal defense team to know about and emailed it to the team.

Under questioning from prosecutors, Kallinen acknowledged he did not watch the public recording of the Texas Forensic Science Commission discussing the complaint or review documents submitted by the Montgomery County Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors also questioned how thoroughly Kallinen vetted Collins before relying on the complaint. Kallinen said Collins provided his résumé and that he reviewed his credentials.

Kallinen maintained that he knew the commission did not form an investigative panel because he received a letter stating that. He could not recall whether the letter explained why the complaint was dismissed.

During redirect, Kallinen said he has handled more than 200 civil rights cases and believed he had previously worked with forensic witnesses.

At 9:33 a.m., the witness was dismissed.

Background

Armstrong was 16 when his parents, former NFL player Antonio Armstrong Sr. and Dawn Armstrong, were shot and killed inside their southwest Houston home in 2016.

His first two capital murder trials ended with hung juries. In 2023, a third jury convicted him and sentenced him to 40 years in prison.

Armstrong's attorneys have argued that prosecutors should have disclosed information about the complaint involving Rossi before the third trial.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office has maintained that Armstrong was properly convicted. Prosecutors previously argued the complaint was publicly available years before the 2023 trial and was irrelevant and inadmissible.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals recently rejected the state's attempt to stop the proceedings, allowing the hearing to move forward.