Donell Okeith Jackson, Appellant v. the State of Texas

Summary

The Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas affirmed the capital murder conviction and death sentence, rejecting all twenty‑six points of error raised by appellant, including his claims for a state‑funded polygraph examiner, a lesser‑included offense instruction, post‑trial juror subpoenas, and various punishment‑phase evidentiary issues. The Court held that indigent defendants are not entitled to polygraph experts, that extraneous offense evidence and victim‑impact testimony are admissible, and that the trial court did not err in its discretionary rulings. Two concurring opinions were filed, one addressing the admissibility of victim‑impact evidence and the other emphasizing the lack of a constitutional right to a polygraph examiner.