Joe Wayne Langston v. W. J. Estelle, Jr., Director, Texas Department of Corrections, Respondent

Joe Wayne Langston, appellant, is serving a life sentence as a result of a 1966 Texas conviction for murder with malice. He seeks a writ of habeas corpus, complaining that evidence of a “void conviction” and products of an invalid 1962 probation revocation were used to impeach his testimony at trial.

Langston testified on his own behalf at the murder trial. He asserted that his killing of the victim was in self defense. The prosecutor cross-examined:

“Q You are the same Joe Wayne Langston that on January the 30th, 1962, that pled guilty to the offense of passing a forged instrument and forging…