Michael Lynn Riley, Appellant v. the State of Texas, Appellee

Summary

The Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas reversed Michael Lynn Riley's capital murder conviction, holding that the trial court erred in excluding venireperson Bulah Brown for cause because her death‑penalty views did not substantially impair her ability to follow the law, and it denied the State's motion for rehearing. The majority overruled its prior decisions in Farris and Gunter, emphasizing that a juror who can set aside personal objections and answer the special issues based on the evidence is not disqualified.