Edward Watkins v. W. J. Estelle, Jr., Director, Texas Department of Corrections

Petitioner was convicted upon his plea of guilty of murder with malice in Texas state court and received a fifty-year sentence. Before seeking relief in Federal court, petitioner sought habeas corpus before the Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas. In state court, petitioner alleged that before a guilty plea could be accepted the district attorney had to affirmatively state in writing that the prosecution would not seek the death penalty. Contending that no such written notice was filed in his case, petitioner argued solely that his guilty plea should be vacated under state law. The state court…