Ritter v. State

Fletcher, Presiding Justice.

In this death penalty case, Hughey Edward Ritter is charged with the murder of Jack Stuart Barnhill by beating him with a stick. The trial court granted Ritter’s motion for a mistrial based on the state’s improper questioning of its first witness. Ritter sought to prevent a retrial, and the state sought recusal of the trial judge. We affirm the trial court’s denial of Ritter’s plea in bar because there is no evidence that the state intended to cause the mistrial and dismiss the state’s appeal because it does not have a statutory right of direct appeal from a…