David Renteria, Appellant v. the State of Texas

Summary

The Court affirmed the conviction but reversed the death sentence, holding that the trial court erred by excluding the appellant's out‑of‑court remorse statements, which constituted constitutionally relevant mitigating evidence, and remanded for a new punishment hearing. The Court also affirmed the trial court's discretionary rulings on continuance, search‑warrant evidence, and victim‑impact testimony. Justice Keller dissented, arguing the remorse statement was inadmissible hearsay and that its exclusion did not affect the sentencing outcome.