John Fearance, Jr., Appellant v. the State of Texas, Appellee

Summary

The Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas affirmed John Fearance, Jr.'s capital murder conviction and death sentence, rejecting his arguments that the merger doctrine barred the conviction, that the statute of limitations applied, that jury‑selection errors were reversible, that the warrantless arrest and search were unlawful, and that the indictment's second paragraph was defective. The majority relied on Texas precedent and U.S. Supreme Court cases to hold the indictment valid, the evidence admissible, and the trial court's rulings proper.