Court Opinion

ID: 9761858
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 01:57:08.895021+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:27.163785
License: Public Domain

GREEN, Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent because I believe the definitional instruction on reasonable doubt required by Geesa to be submitted to the jury in all criminal cases applies only to the guilt/innocence phase of a trial and not to the punishment phase. See Geesa v. State, 820 S.W.2d 154, 162 (Tex.Crim.App.1991). In reading the adopted instruction set out in *743Geesa, it plainly refers to the constitutional protections afforded to the accused that their guilt be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The same constitutional protections do not apply after the accused has been found guilty.