Franklin Joseph Ransonette, Appellant v. the State of Texas, Appellee

Summary

The Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas affirmed the conviction of Franklin Joseph Ransonette, holding that the trial court did not err on any of the eight grounds of error raised, including the denial of an in‑camera inspection, the refusal to give a circumstantial‑evidence instruction, and the sufficiency of the evidence. The majority found the evidence sufficient and the jury instruction on principals adequate. Two dissenting opinions argued that a circumstantial‑evidence charge was required and that the error was not harmless.