Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1957

Ex Parte Foight

Ex Parte Foight
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas · Decided October 16, 1957 · Woodley
306 S.W.2d 132; 165 Tex. Crim. 153; 1957 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 2278 (South Western Reporter, Second Series)

Ex Parte Foight

Opinion

WOODLEY, Judge.

Relator seeks his discharge from the penitentiary where he has served more than five years of a life sentence for robbery with firearms.

Under the prior holdings of this court we have no alternative other than to order his discharge, and the state so confesses.

*154 The authorities holding the life sentence excessive, and the portion thereof in excess of the five year minimum void, include Ex parte Erwin, 145 Texas Cr. Rep. 504, 170 S.W. 2d 226; Ex parte O’Dare, 146 Texas Cr. Rep. 162, 172 S.W. 2d 336; Ex parte Wheat, 146 Texas Cr. Rep. 171, 172 S.W. 2d 344; Daugherty v. State, 146 Texas Cr. Rep. 303, 174 S.W. 2d 493; Ex parte Whitten, 151 Texas Cr. Rep. 169, 205 S.W. 2d 588; Ex parte Geisling, Texas Cr. App., 243 S.W. 2d 833; Ex parte Goss, 159 Texas Cr. Rep. 235, 262 S.W. 2d 412. See also Ex parte Rolen, 163 Texas Cr. Rep. 525, 294 S.W. 2d 403; Cuellar v. State, 151 Texas Cr. Rep. 176, 206 S.W. 2d 250; and Belton v. State, 162 Texas Cr. Rep. 436, 286 S.W. 2d 432.

The writ is granted and the relator is ordered discharged from further confinement under said life sentence.

Presiding Judge Morrison dissents.

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.