The action by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals was taken to reconsider a decision the court made and didn't have anything to do with the affair, The Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday.

At issue is the court's rejection in January 2007 of a request that Hood be given a new sentencing trial because jurors were given contradictory instructions on how to consider mitigating circumstances such as family background or child abuse when weighing a death sentence.

The Morning News says at almost the same time the court was issuing a stay to reconsider jury instructions, Hood's defense team was asking Gov. Rick Perry for a reprieve because the relationship between the judge and prosecutor may have affected the fairness of Hood's trial.

Hood was convicted of a 1989 double killing and scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. CDT Wednesday.