– won handily. She faced no Republican opponent in the general election. She took office in January 2009 and is the first woman district attorney in Travis County history. In 2010, Earle ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Texas, using the campaign to promote his criminal justice reform agenda. Later life Earle retired in Austin and remained active in criminal justice reform efforts. He died in Austin, Texas on April 5, 2020 from complications of COVID-19, exacerbated by a long illness. He was 78 years old. Major Public Integrity Investigations Conducted by Earle Through the Travis County Public Integrity Unit, Earle prosecuted politicians, including Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, United States House Majority Leader Tom Delay, Texas State Representative Mike Martin, and Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox. Defendants often accused Earle of partisanship, which he dismissed by pointing out that the prosecuted those in power, and that the bulk of prosecutions during his career had been brought against fellow Democrats. Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Yarbrough In 1978, Earle accused Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Yarbrough, a Democrat, of forgery, aggravated perjury, and failure to appear. Travis County Commissioner Bob Honts In 1979, he accused Travis County Commissioner Bob Honts, a Democrat, of official misconduct and bribery. Commissioner Honts pled guilty to a misdemeanor, "misapplying county property", in 1984. He was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine. Texas State Senator Gene Jones In 1980, Earle accused Texas State Senator Eugene 'Gene' Jones, a Democrat from Houston, of using a state computer to prepare campaign mailings. Jones pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of official misconduct, paid $2,000 fine and $10,000 in restitution. Indictment of State Rep. Mike Martin On July 31, 1981 during the First Called Session of the Sixty-seventh Texas Legislature, Republican Representative Mike Martin, a Republican then of Longview, was shot in the left arm outside his trailer in Austin with 00-buckshot. Soon after the shooting, unidentified spokespeople from Earle's office released information to the Austin American Statesman that they felt Martin was telling inconsistent stories to the police. They claimed he first said he had no idea who did it; later he said it was a Satanic cult; in the end, he accused his political enemies. Martin responded to the leaks by saying he was asked to give police all possibilities and said he had no idea why the district attorney's office would be