I wonder why it's not capital murder since it was clearly premeditated.
Originally Posted by Tony Montana
"premeditation" is not an element of murder in Texas, which means it is not an element of capital murder.
Texas Penal Code § 19.02. MURDER.
(b) A person commits an offense if he:
(1) intentionally or knowingly causes the death of an individual;
Sec. 19.03. CAPITAL MURDER. (a) A person commits an offense if the person commits murder as defined under Section 19.02(b)(1) and:
(1) the person murders a peace officer or fireman who is acting in the lawful discharge of an official duty and who the person knows is a peace officer or fireman;
(2) the person intentionally commits the murder in the course of committing or attempting to commit kidnapping, burglary, robbery, aggravated sexual assault, arson, obstruction or retaliation, or terroristic threat under Section 22.07(a)(1), (3), (4), (5), or (6);
(3) the person commits the murder for remuneration or the promise of remuneration or employs another to commit the murder for remuneration or the promise of remuneration;
(7) the person murders more than one person:
(A) during the same criminal transaction; or
(B) during different criminal transactions but the murders are committed pursuant to the same scheme or course of conduct;
(8) the person murders an individual under six years of age; or
(9) the person murders another person in retaliation for or on account of the service or status of the other person as a judge or justice of the supreme court, the court of criminal appeals, a court of appeals, a district court, a criminal district court, a constitutional county court, a statutory county court, a justice court, or a municipal court."
____________End Quoted Material___________
Note: the "missing" provisions have to do with acts while in custody/incarcerated.
Two points: With his apparent record he should get "habitual" status as a sentencing enhancement AND the LE have apparently concluded that the "arson" (burning the car) was to cover up the murder, so the killing was not "in the course of" the arson.
As I said "premeditation" is not an element. The "intent" for capital murder must be that the person "intended to kill" while in "plain" murder the "intent" is that the person "intended the act" that caused the murder. And there is a proof difference. I have quoted that portion of the "murder" statute that is referenced under capital murder ONLY.
The point is, also, for all of you "gunslinging" and "licensed" cowboys ..... if you intentionally shoot at person "A" in the process of defending yourself against the acts of person "A" and kill person "B" (because you either missed or were using "too hot" rounds that passed through), then you have "murdered" person "B" against whom you had no reason to defend yourself, because ...
you intended the act of discharging the weapon.