The State of Texas v. Mark Twain Simpson, Appellee

Summary

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the Dallas Court of Appeals' reversal of the trial court's grant of a new trial on the ground that the defendant's Eighth Amendment gross disproportionality claim was not substantiated by the record. The court held that the proper standard of review for such a grant is abuse of discretion and that the trial court abused that discretion by acting without guiding principles.