Willis Louis Griffin, Appellant v. the State of Texas, Appellee

Summary

The Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas reversed the Beaumont Court of Appeals and affirmed the trial court's conviction for attempted capital murder, holding that the defendant's exculpatory testimony was effectively withdrawn and therefore did not require a sua sponte withdrawal of his guilty plea. The Court also clarified the criteria for when a guilty plea must be withdrawn based on evidence that reasonably and fairly raises an issue of innocence.