6.27.2012

News From The Texas Court Of Criminal Appeals This Morning



The highest criminal court in Texas has refused to hear the appeal of the murder conviction of Jose Angel Sarmiento in the death of Bettie Walker in Wise County, Texas.

Also, the court decided not to hear the Wise County case of Michael Anthony Almendarez who was convicted of Indecency With a Child and Sexual Assault of a Child.

Both cases had previously been affirmed by the lower court of appeals in Fort Worth.

Orders.

On a note unrelated to Wise County, the all Republican and coservative court held that police may detain a person for simply pulling off to the side of the road on the basis they may need assistance. Think about that for a moment. Talk about a police state! Talk about big government! As the dissent said, "The officer was investigating to see what Appellant was doing, without any reason to think that there was something wrong. That, quite obviously, is a violation of the Fourth Amendment. The majority sets a dangerous precedent here by basically saying that an officer may investigate a person's harmless activities without observing any danger or distress." Preach on.