No. 25-1195October Term 2025Before Arguments
John David Trice, Petitioner v. Texas
from the Court of Appeals of Texas, Eleventh District.
Case status
- Current stage
- Before Arguments
- Latest event
- Accepted by the Court
- Decision timing
- No window until argument is scheduled.
- What it's about
from the Court of Appeals of Texas, Eleventh District.
Question presented
Does the Texas continuous-sexual-abuse statute violate a defendant’s right to a unanimous verdict by the jury under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments?
- Case path
Court of Appeals of Texas, Eleventh District / Accepted by the Court
- Area
Supreme Court case awaiting argument
Timing
Expected by late June 2026, if argued this term
The Court granted review but has not yet scheduled oral argument. Once argued, the median case reaches a decision in 94 days. Nearly all cases are decided by the end of the term in which they are argued.
Briefing
What it's about
John David Trice asks the Supreme Court to review a Texas law that lets jurors convict for continuous sexual abuse without agreeing on the same specific acts. He argues that this conflicts with the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment right to a unanimous jury verdict.
Argument
No oral argument is scheduled yet. The petition asks whether Texas can allow a conviction when jurors do not have to agree on which specific acts were committed under the state's continuous-sexual-abuse statute.
Impact
The case could affect how Texas prosecutes repeated-abuse charges and how juries are instructed in those cases. For defendants, victims, prosecutors, and trial judges, the answer could shape whether jurors must agree on the same underlying incidents before convicting.
What is the main legal question in Trice v. Texas?
The petition asks whether Texas can allow conviction without jurors agreeing on the same specific acts. Trice says that violates the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments.
Who could be affected if the Court reviews Trice v. Texas?
People charged under Texas's continuous-sexual-abuse law could be directly affected. Prosecutors, victims, and trial judges could also see changes in jury instructions and trial strategy.
What happens next in John David Trice v. Texas?
The justices will decide whether to hear the case. If they do, the Court would later schedule oral argument; no timetable is available yet.
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary materials plus reporting.
- Note
- Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 25, 2026
- Method
- Methodology