Explainer: Why James Staley's capital murder conviction was reversed

Yahoo

08-03-2025

WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Members of the Wichita Falls community are once again crying out for justice for 2-year-old Jason Wilder McDaniel after the capital murder conviction of the man found guilty of his death was overturned on appeal.
James Irvin Staley, III, 42, of Wichita Falls was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole nearly two years ago, on March 13, 2023. He's been serving that sentence in the Bill Clemens Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Amarillo.
On March 6, 2025, almost a year after Staley's appeal was submitted, the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth reversed his conviction and remanded a new trial.
PREVIOUS STORY: James Staley's capital murder conviction reversed on appeal
The memorandum opinion and a concurring opinion from the appellate justices of the Second Court of Appeals, made publicly available on March 7, sheds more light on why Staley's conviction was reversed.
According to the appellate brief, filed by high-profile appellate attorney Keith Hampton, Staley's case for an appeal of his conviction stemmed from a failure by the Wichita Falls Police Department to produce an adequate search warrant or affidavit to obtain such.
As a result of that affidavit, several devices were seized from Staley's home almost two weeks after Wilder's death, including Staley's cell phone and a Mac Mini computer.
A later search of the Mac Mini unearthed a disturbing video filmed on a GoPro of Staley slapping the child with full force while he was asleep on Staley's couch, arguably the most shocking evidence admitted during Staley's trial
According to Hampton, who argued the appellate case on March 12, 2024, the video never should have been admitted into evidence because it violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
READ MORE: James Staley's appeal submitted after oral arguments
'This was negligence at its worst,' Hampton said during his oral arguments on March 12, 2024. 'The incompetence is unusual… This is the worst affidavit that I think any court will ever see.'
According to the Second Court of Appeal's memorandum opinion, the appellate justices agreed with Staley.
'We agree that the warrant affidavit lacked probable cause for the seizure and search of his electronic devices and that the trial court should have granted his motion to suppress the evidence discovered on those devices,' the opinion said.
The appellate justices continued, saying the affidavit 'does not allege any factual connection… between the offense under investigation and any of Staley's electronic devices.'
In their opinion, the justices of the Second Court of Appeals called the GoPro video taken from Staley's Mac Mini 'shocking, its impact undeniable,' adding that it 'would elicit a visceral reaction in anyone.'
READ MORE: James Staley appeal calls key trial evidence unconstitutional
The justices opined that they could not determine beyond a reasonable doubt that the error of allowing the video to be admitted into evidence didn't contribute to Staley's capital murder conviction.
'It is difficult—impossible, really—for us to imagine that it was not a contributing factor in the jury's deliberation,' the memorandum opinion said.
Justice Brian Walker with the Second Court of Appeals also published a concurring opinion, in which he asserted that while he agreed with the majority opinion from the appellate court, he wanted to point out some items he believed were important.
In his concurring opinion, Justice Walker first quoted former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who once famously said, 'If you're going to be a good and faithful judge, you have to resign yourself to the fact that you're not always going to like the conclusions you reach.'
'The reality is that following the law sometimes leads to results that are seemingly unjust,' Justice Walker said. 'One might rightly argue that is the net result of the conclusion reached in this case.'
Justice Walker said in his concurring opinion that the 14th Amendment requires that all searches and seizures be reasonable and that a warrant may not be issued without probable cause, adding that the appellate court has a responsibility to uphold the Constitution.
'Legal precedent is unequivocal in this matter, and we are duty bound to follow it regardless of how unfortunate the result may be,' Justice Walker opined. 'The law is the law, and we are duty bound to follow it.'
Justice Walker said that even though the appellate court agreed that the search warrant affidavit was inadequate, the justices don't lack sympathy for Wilder McDaniel or his loved ones.
WATCH: Wichita County District Attorney John Gillespie talks James Staley trial
'On the contrary, my heart breaks because of what happened to this innocent young child,' Justice Walker said. 'It was impossible for me to review the record in this case without it invoking serious emotion. I believe that I truly speak for all of us on the court in saying that we are very sorry for the victim and his family.'
Justice Walker was clear in his concurring opinion that the reversal of Staley's conviction is not an announcement from the appellate court of Staley's innocence.
'The majority's holding does not mean that Staley is innocent, that the impermissibly seized evidence does not shed light on his possible guilt, or that there will not be enough evidence for the State to prosecute him,' Justice Walker said. 'Any rational legal observer would predict that this case will almost certainly end up in another jury trial.'
John Gillespie, Wichita County District Attorney, said he doesn't agree with the Second Court of Appeals' decision.
'I'm extremely disappointed with the Second Court of Appeals' decision to reverse James Staley's conviction, and I disagree with the decision,' Gillespie said. 'The fight isn't over, this is only the beginning.
READ MORE: Appeals court should confirm Staley's conviction, prosecution says
Gillespie said he intends to file a petition for a discretionary review with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the highest criminal court in the state, and request that Staley's conviction be reinstated.
'If we cannot get the conviction reinstated, then we'll try the case again and get him a second time,' Gillespie said. 'I've only begun to fight.'
According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's online inmate records, Staley is still incarcerated at the Clemens Unit, however, the record now shows 'Special Information For Scheduled Release.'
As of the publication of this story, Staley's release date from prison has not yet been set.Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.