What is the Court of Criminal Appeals?

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The Court of Criminal Appeals is our state's highest criminal court, our supreme court for criminal cases.  Its has statewide jurisdiction, and its nine judges are elected statewide.

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What is the Court's work?

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The Court's work consists of three broad categories:  (1) the discretionary review of decisions made by the intermediate appellate courts in criminal cases; (2) death penalty cases; and (3) felony writs and other extraordinary matters.  In terms of numbers of cases, felony writs are the biggest category.

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Why are CCA judges called "judges" and not "justices"?

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The Texas Constitution specifies that we are eight judges and one presiding judge.  That is distinct from our courts of appeals and the Texas Supreme Court whose officers are justices or chief justices.  

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What is a felony writ?

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Felony writs are petitions for relief from final felony convictions.  They are collateral attacks on the convictions and usually depend on evidence developed in the post-conviction setting.  Examples include claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, prosecutorial misconduct, and false evidence.  

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Felony writs are filed in the court where the petitioner was convicted.  The judge in the convicting court must review the petition and may recommend that relief be granted or denied.  The Court of Criminal Appeals reviews the record and the trial court's findings and recommendation, if any, and makes an independent decision about whether to grant relief.

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What is a direct appeal?

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A direct appeal is a review of a criminal matter by an appellate court.  Most direct appeals follow a conviction, but some are interlocutory, meaning that the case is still pending in the trial court while the appeal is taken.