# Ripkowski v. State

> Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas · November 7, 2001 · 61 S.W.3d 378

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9656743

## Case

- **Full name:** Britt Allen RIPKOWSKI, Appellant, v. the STATE of Texas
- **Court:** Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
- **Decided:** November 7, 2001
- **Citations:** 61 S.W.3d 378; 2001 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 98; 2001 WL 1360126
- **Precedential status:** Published
- **Opinion:** Dissent by Meyers
- **Judges:** Keller, Meyers, Keasler, Hervey, Holcomb, Cochran, Womack, Price, Johnson
- **Cited by:** 210 later opinions in the Frix Law Library

## Citator (automated)

- No negative treatment found by the automated citator. That is not the same as a confirmation that the case is good law; read the citing cases.
- Full citator and citing cases: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9656743

## How later opinions describe it (automated extraction)

- holding that, when law enforcement officials testified appellant appeared to comprehend warnings and questions, trial court did not abuse discretion in concluding appellant not intoxicated and waiver of Miranda rights not involuntary.
- finding that a photograph of an organ that had been removed from the victim’s body, depicting bruising that Ripkowski inflicted during the offense, was not unduly prejudicial and was highly relevant to the manner of death
- stating that photographs were highly relevant to the manner of death because they showed bruising or other damage that was attributable to the defendant=s actions but not externally visible
- noting that determination regarding whether questioning constituted custodial interrogation is mixed question of law and fact, that appellate courts defer to trial court findings turning on evaluation of credibility and demeanor, and that appellate courts review de novo applic…
- holding videotape of recovery of victim’s body was not cumulative of photographs because “videotape offer[ed] a panoramic view of the scene that still photographs often do not offer”

## Opinion text

MEYERS, J.
filed a dissenting opinion,
joined by PRICE and JOHNSON, JJ.

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9656743. Public record. Not legal advice.