Willie Marcel Shannon, Appellant v. the State of Texas, Appellee

Summary

The Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas affirmed the death sentence of Willie Marcel Shannon, holding that the trial court did not err in refusing parole‑eligibility instructions, juror note‑taking, or the constitutionality of Article 37.071, and rejected all of appellant's sixteen points of error. The majority relied on Texas precedent and U.S. Supreme Court decisions such as Penry and Gregg. A dissent (Judge Overstreet) argued that the jury should have been instructed on parole ineligibility, and a concurrence (Judge Baird) joined only the judgment, disagreeing with the majority’s treatment of point twelve.