Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
The State of Texas ex rel. Charles A. Rosenthal, Jr. v. the Honorable…
February 12, 20032003 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 37
Summary
The Court conditionally granted the relator’s writ of mandamus, holding that the plain language of Article 36.22 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure unequivocally prohibits videotaping jury deliberations, and therefore the trial judge’s order authorizing such filming must be vacated. The decision is supported by a plain‑meaning construction of the statute and the longstanding common‑law principle that jury deliberations must remain secret.