D.A. Hawk reads opening statements at murder trial

Wednesday was the first day in the murder trial of a North Texas man accused of stabbing his girlfriend almost 40 times.

Dallas County's top law enforcement official, District Attorney Susan Hawk, was one of the people sitting at the prosecutor's table. Hawk read the charges and conducted opening statements.

The case involves 29-year-old Quavize Jones in the brutal stabbing death of his girlfriend, 24-year-old Marietta Shaw.

Young children were in the apartment at the time of Shaw’s death about a year ago.

Court testimony centered around a toxic domestic relationship of almost constant verbal and physical abuse that culminated in the ultimate violent death.

Hawk’s appearance at the prosecutor’s table comes after a brief disappearance and then a couple of months getting help battling depression. A lawsuit is calling for her dismissal from office.

Hawk has said in the past she'd get back in the trenches and in the courtroom and try cases early on, and that her appearance was more about keeping that promise than it was showing she has the chops to be the district attorney.