Court Opinion

ID: 9772619
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 17:24:02.47759+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:43:42.928718
License: Public Domain

MALONEY, Judge,
concurring.
I join the opinion of the Court with the following note.
The law at the time of the offense required that before a court could assess the death penalty a jury and only a jury must have submitted to it for its answer an issue requiring them to find that the conduct was “delib*319erate.” This is statutorily required. Tex. Code Crim.Proc.Ann. art. 37.071(b)(1).
The law prohibits a defendant from waiving trial by jury in a capital case where the State is seeking the death penalty. This too is statutory. Tex.Code Crim.Proc.Ann. art. 1.14(a).
For us to hold otherwise would require us to act as legislators rather than judges.