Opinion ID: 1353139
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: Hearing Concerning Effect of Woodall Case

Text: Appellant next claims the trial court erred in denying a motion by which he requested a hearing to consider the effect a trial in a nearby county might have on his sentencing proceedings. Appellant alleges that the capital murder trial of Robert Keith Woodall, which began shortly after Appellant's penalty phase proceedings, was so sensational and shocking that the trial court should have conducted a hearing to determine if that matter would affect Appellant's sentencing trial. We find no merit to this argument. The motion presented to the trial court did not allege that Appellant would be prejudiced by the Woodall trial in some way; rather, it discussed the conflicts that existed because defense counsel was assigned to both trials. The motion was denied, and we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in doing so.