testifying defendants on Texas Appeals Journalhttps://texasappeals.org/topics/testifying-defendants/Clinical descriptions of the Texas appellate decisions drawing the most press coverage.Hugo -- gohugo.ioen-usMon, 16 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0500Supreme Court of the United States Holds Trial Judge Could Bar Lawyers From Managing Defendant’s Ongoing Testimony During Overnight Recesshttps://texasappeals.org/2026/03/villarreal-v-texas/Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0500https://texasappeals.org/2026/03/villarreal-v-texas/The Court held that a Texas trial judge did not violate the Sixth Amendment by instructing a testifying defendant’s lawyers, during a 24-hour overnight recess, not to manage his ongoing testimony while permitting all other discussion. Seven Justices formed the majority; Justice Thomas, joined by Justice Gorsuch, concurred in the judgment only.