Opinion

Sellars v. State

  • 401 S.W.2d 835
  • 1966 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1053
Court
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
Filed
Mar 9, 1966
Status
Published
Author
Woodley
On the bench
Dice, Woodley
Cited by
10 cases
Authority
More cited than 10.9%

The opinion

WOODLEY, Judge

(dissenting).

The writer is in full accord with that portion of appellant’s brief wherein his able counsel contends that the majority opinion in Joseph v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 367 S.W.2d 330 , and the opinion in Brown v. State, 171 Tex.Cr.R. 167 , 346 S.W.2d 842 , “are so farfetched and so lacking in logic, that this Honorable Court should immediately correct the erroneous rule established by said decisions” and “said decisions constitute legislation by this Honorable Court and we can all agree that this Honorable Court is a judicial body, not a legislative body.”

*837 If the punishment for a second or subsequent burglary of a private residence at night is “absolutely fixed by law to some particular penalty,” so as to render it unnecessary under Art. 693 C.C.P. that the jury assess the punishment, the law “absolutely fixing” such punishment at 99 years was not an act of the legislature but an incorrect decision of this Court.

If the majority insist upon reaffirming the rule in Brown v. State, they should no longer delay relief to those serving longer terms than 99 years which, under their rule, are excessive.

The writer’s views are expressed in his dissents in Joseph v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 367 S.W.2d 330 , and Madeley v. State, Tex.Cr. App., 388 S.W.2d 187 , cited in the majority opinion.

I respectfully dissent.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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