Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas - January 2005 Opinion Summaries

ESTRADA v. STATE

Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence
Defendant's drug conviction is affirmed where the trial court properly found that exigent circumstances were present, and therefore, it did not err in...

GETTS v. STATE

Criminal Law & Procedure
Plaintiff's two previous DWI convictions are insufficient to elevate a third DWI committed in 2002 to a third-degree felony.

OCHOA v. STATE

Criminal Law & Procedure, Sentencing
Death row inmate raises five meritless points of error on direct appeal.

SALES v. STATE

Criminal Law & Procedure, Sentencing
Death row inmate raises seven meritless points of error on direct appeal.

DEARS v. STATE

Criminal Law & Procedure
Dismissal of plaintiff's appeal of her guilty plea is reversed where the trial court improperly concluded that the case fell within the rule...

DANG v. STATE

Criminal Law & Procedure
The trial court abused its discretion by limiting closing argument to twenty minutes and by denying defense counsel's request for an additional three...

PRIBLE v. STATE

Criminal Law & Procedure, Sentencing
Death row inmate raises eight meritless points of error on direct appeal.

EX PARTE THOMPSON

Criminal Law & Procedure, Habeas Corpus
Habeas corpus relief is granted where newly discovered evidence shows that defendant is actually innocent.

MAURICIO v. STATE OF TEXAS

Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence
The trial court did not abuse its discretion by permitting a "jury view" consisting of a trip to the trial court's parking lot to observe how...

STATE OF TEXAS v. MECHLER

Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence
The trial court abused its discretion in suppressing defendant's intoxilyzer results where it misapplied Texas Rule of Evidence 403.