 Washington was convicted and sentenced to 50 years in prison . His conviction was subsequently upheld by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals , Texas 's highest criminal court , in 1966 . The Court of Criminal Appeals , which reasoned that the Compulsory Process Clause did not affect how the state treated the " competency " of a witness , rejected Washington 's plea that Fuller should have been allowed to testify . Washington then petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his case , and the Supreme Court granted review . 
