Reviewing the State's Case

In a Texas criminal case, the offense report (not available to the public while the case is pending but, in most counties, available to the lawyer representing the defendant) provides a summary of the investigation conducted by the police, including statements of witnesses and a description of physical evidence. This is often our starting point for learning about the facts of the case. It is only a starting point, however. We don't assume that anything in the offense report is true, or that the government can prove anything in the offense report. (Remember: what is most important in a criminal case is not what is true but what the government can prove.)