State v. Doyle

OPINION

Opinion by Justice YÁÑEZ.

The State appeals from the trial court’s grant of defendant/appellee’s motion for mistrial. In two issues, the State contends the trial court abused its discretion by: (1) granting a motion for new trial absent a written and filed motion; and (2) granting a new trial solely because the defendant’s trial counsel died shortly after the jury returned a guilty verdict and before punishment phase began. We affirm.

I. Background

A jury found appellee George Doyle guilty of murder on September 10, 2003. 1 Shortly after the jury delivered its verdict, his court-appointed…