I'm almost certain that I've read that in Texas it's a *jury* that decides how a person is punished for a crime.I do believe that I've read of cases where a Texas jury has sentenced a person convicted of a serious crime to little or no punishment.
Of course a lawyer...particularly a Texas lawyer...might have something to say about my belief.
It seems that, yes, in Texas, a defendant can ask for the jury to decide sentencing...?
More here:
https://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/ten-odd-things-about-texas-criminal-trials