Abstract
Although Texas is well known for imposing tough punishments on convicted defendants, it is surprisingly generous in affording criminal procedure protections. In a variety of areas, including search and seizure rules, confession requirements, the availability of bail, prosecutorial discovery obligations, and jury trial guarantees, Texas affords protections vastly in excess of what is required by the United States Constitution. Even more shocking, these criminal procedure guarantees come almost entirely from Texas statutes approved by the legislature, not activist rules imposed by judges. This Article explores Texas's reputation as a tough-on-crime state and the seeming inconsistency between Texas being tough on crime but generous on criminal procedure.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Winter 2012
Publication Information
49 American Criminal Law Review 31-71 (2012)
Repository Citation
Gershowitz, Adam M., "Is Texas Tough on Crime but Soft on Criminal Procedure?" (2012). Faculty Publications. 1407.
https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/facpubs/1407