William Dean Maynard, Appellant v. the State of Texas, Appellee

Summary

The Court of Criminal Appeals reversed William Dean Maynard's burglary conviction and remanded for a new trial, holding that the trial court erred in admitting marijuana and a switchblade knife evidence as extraneous offenses and that the error was not harmless. The Court also clarified that an objection made outside the jury's presence preserves error and that a defendant does not waive such an objection by later testifying about the same facts. Additionally, the Court overruled prior authority that treated such testimony as a waiver. The decision was rendered after discretionary review of the trial and appellate courts' rulings.