Collins v. State

I concur in the opinion of this Court because the rule is now well established in Texas that a conviction cannot stand where jury discussion of parole denies the accused a fair and impartial trial.

The appellate courts of this State have failed, however, to apply a consistent standard in determining how extensive the jury’s discussion must be, or what impact the discussion must have, before a defendant is denied a fair and impartial trial. Munroe v. State, 637 S.W.2d 475 (Tex.Cr.App.1982). In seeking to clarify the conflicting standards, the Court of Criminal Appeals in Munroe held that a…