Trial Motions

• Author: Robert Gill/Mark G. Daniel
• Pages: 91-228

15-1

CHAPTER 15

TRIAL MOTIONS

I. Waiver of Jury Trial

§15:01 Statutory Law

§15:02 Right to Waive Trial by Jury

§15:03 Waiver May Be Withdrawn

II. Waiver of Indictment

§15:10 Statutory Law

§15:11 Waiver Must Be Intentional

III. Competency of Defendant

§15:20 Statutory Law

§15:21 Incompetent Person Is Not Subject to Trial

§15:22 Trial Court Must Inquire into Competence

§15:23 Mentally Retarded Defendants

§15:24 Release From Incompetency Judgment

§15:24.1 Statutory Law

§15:24.2 Case Law

IV. Guilty Pleas

§15:30 Statutory Law

§15:31 Admonishment Is Mandatory

§15:32 Pleas in Absentia

§15:32.1 Statutory Law

V. Pleas in Bar

§15:40 Statutory Law

§15:41 Defendant May Admit to Unadjudicated Offense

TEXAS CRIMINAL FORMS 15-2

VI. Motions to Dismiss

§15:50 Statutory Law

§15:51 Generally Requires State’s Consent

§15:52 Subsequent Indictments

VII. Recusal and Disqualification

§15:60 Statutory Law: Recusal

§15:61 Statutory Law: Disqualification

§15:62 Difference Between Recusal and Disqualification

§15:63 Recusal

§15:64 Disqualification

VIII. Challenges Under the Statute of Limitations

§15:70 Statutory Law

§15:71 Purpose of the Statute of Limitations

§15:72 Procedure to Assert the Statute of Limitations

§15:73 Tolling Provisions

IX. Motions for Continuance

§15:80 Statutory Law

§15:81 Motion Is Within Discretion of Court

§15:82 Motion Must Be Written and Sworn

§15:83 Equitable Motions

§15:84 Missing Witness as a Ground

§15:85 Unexpected Event as a Ground

§15:86 Preserving Error and Establishing Abuse of Discretion

X. Clothing and Physical Restraint of Defendant

§15:90 Restraints Require Exceptional Circumstances

§15:91 Record Should Reflect Reasons

XI. Motions in Limine

§15:100 Motion Is Outside the Jury’s Presence

§15:101 Ruling Is Preliminary

XII. Competency of Witnesses

§15:110 Rules of Evidence

§15:111 Issue Is Discretionary With the Court

§15:112 Burden Is on Opponent of Testimony

§15:113 Elements for Consideration

XIII. The Rule (Exclusion of Witness)

§15:120 Statutory Law

§15:121 Purpose of The Rule

§15:122 Witness Cannot Hear Testimony

§15:123 Witness Excluded Unless Exception Applies

§15:124 Balancing Test

§15:125 Appellate Review

XIV. S tipulations of Evidence

§15:130 Statutory Law

§15:131 Situations When Stipulations Are Necessary

§15:132 Stipulation Is an Agreement to Waive Cross-Examination

15-3 TRIAL MOTIONS

§15:133 Art. 1.15 Applies Only in Felony Trials

§15:134 Court Must Approve Defendant’s Consent

XV. Limiting Instructions

A. General Points

§15:140 Rules of Evidence

§15:141 Purpose and Procedure

§15:142 Court Gives Instruction on Proper Request

§15:143 Limiting to Particular Purpose

§15:144 Burden to Request a Limiting Instruction

§15:145 Timing of Request of Limiting Instructions

§15:146 Failure to Request Limiting Instruction

§15:147 When Limiting Instruction Not Required

§15:148 Effect of Failure to Give a Properly Requested Limiting Instruction

B. Specific Limiting Instructions

§15:150 Admission of Extraneous Offenses

§15:151 Extraneous Offenses in Child Abuse Cases

§15:151.1 Extraneous Offenses in Tampering With Witness Cases Involving

Family Violence

§15:152 Extraneous Offenses Admitted in Rebuttal

§15:153 Prior Convictions Admitted for Jurisdictional Purposes

§15:154 Extraneous Offense Admitted for Impeachment of Character or

Reputation Witness

§15:155 Extraneous Offense Admitted at Punishment

§15:156 Impeachment With Inconsistent Statement

§15:157 Prior Conviction Admitted for Impeachment

§15:158 Hearsay Evidence Admitted

§15:159 Demonstrative Evidence Admitted

C. Other Situations

§15:170 Joint Trials of Counts and Defendants

§15:171 Transcript Used by Jury

§15:172 Underlying Data Admitted

§15:173 Hypnotically Enhanced Testimony Admitted

XVI. Request for Judicial N otice

§15:180 Rules of Evidence

§15:181 General Points

§15:182 Adjudicative Facts

§15:183 Legislative Facts

XVII. Subpoena and Attachment

A. Subpoena

§15:190 Statutory Law

§15:191 General Points

§15:192 Subpoena Duces Tecum

§15:193 Quashing a Subpoena

B. Subpoena for Out-Of-State Witness

§15:200 Statutory Law

§15:201 Texas Has Adopted the Uniform Act

§15:202 Burden and Evidence