Jerry Lane Jurek, Appellant v. the State of Texas, Appellee

Summary

The Court affirmed the conviction, holding that Texas statutes Article 1257 and Article 37.071 provide sufficient guidance to juries and therefore do not violate the Eighth or Fourteenth Amendments, that the indictment was not duplicitous, and that the appellant's confessions were voluntary and admissible. The majority also concluded that the death‑penalty scheme satisfies Furman’s requirements. Justice Roberts dissented, arguing that Article 37.071(b)(2) is unconstitutionally vague, and Judge Odom concurred in part but would reform the judgment to life imprisonment.