Randall v. Beto

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

WILLIAM M. TAYLOR, Jr., Chief Judge.

A Texas State Court jury convicted Herman Randall of murder with malice on August 5, 1969, and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed,1 citing two State cases as authority.2 That Court held — correctly, in my view — that whatever Miranda3 or State law4 imperfections there may or may not have been in Randall’s written confession that was introduced at his trial, he was doomed not by that statement but rather by his own testimony. Taking the stand in flagrant disregard of his counsel’s…