Roberson was convicted in the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in 2002 under the since-disputed shaken baby syndrome theory. The theory has since been discredited by many scientists, and in 2013, Texas became the first state to pass legislation allowing people convicted under the theory to challenge the validity of their cases.

After a roughly 20-minute hearing, Judge Austin Reeve Jackson rejected arguments by Roberson's attorney that his execution should be further delayed because of a pending appeal to the state's highest criminal court.