William D. Nilsson, Appellant v. the State of Texas, Appellee

Summary

The Court affirmed the conviction for rape, holding that the circumstantial evidence proved penetration beyond a reasonable doubt, that the trial court correctly placed the burden of proving insanity on the defendant, that the untimely objection to the trial judge’s comment was waived, and that the trial judge properly excluded the photographs of the defendant’s prior injuries. The opinion also distinguished prior Texas cases and explained that federal insanity‑burden rules are not constitutionally required.