AFFIRM; and Opinion Filed March 19, 2015.
Court of Appeals S In The
Fifth District of Texas at Dallas No. 05-13-00930-CR
ALICE ANNETTE STEELE, Appellant V. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the 194th Judicial District Court Dallas County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. F-0845120-M
MEMORANDUM OPINION Before Justices Fillmore, Schenck, 1 and Chief Justice Thomas, Retired 2 Opinion by Justice Schenck Appellant Alice Annette Steele was indicted for the offense of intentionally or knowingly
injuring a child. A jury convicted appellant of the lesser-included offense of recklessly injuring a
child, and sentenced her to 20 years’ imprisonment. In three issues, appellant asserts the trial
court erred by overruling her objections to improper questioning of a witness and improper
closing argument. We affirm the trial court’s judgment. Because all dispositive issues are
settled in law, we issue this memorandum opinion. TEX. RS. APP. P. 47.2(a), 47.4.
1 The Honorable Justice David J. Schenck succeeded Justice Michael O’Neill, a member of the original panel, following Justice O’Neill’s retirement. Justice Schenck has reviewed the briefs and the record before the Court. 2 The Honorable Linda Thomas, Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth District of Texas—Dallas, Retired, sitting by assignment. BACKGROUND
On February 16, 2008, K.S. and her two-year-old brother went to stay at appellant’s
home for a few days while their parents were at the hospital for the birth of a new baby. K.S.
was 14 months old. On February 25, 2008, the children were still at appellant’s home in her
care. On that morning, appellant called 911 to report that K.S. had been choking on a toy and
was unresponsive. Paramedics arrived and called for additional help from the Richardson Fire
Department. K.S. was taken to Richardson Regional Medical Center, where the emergency
room doctor determined that K.S. needed treatment that was not available there. K.S. was taken
by care flight to Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, where she underwent brain surgery for a
subdural hematoma. As a result of her injuries, K.S. suffered brain damage and blindness. K.S.
eventually returned home, but died on December 11, 2008, from complications of her injury.
Appellant was indicted for injury to a child on April 21, 2008. Trial commenced in June,
2013. The jury heard testimony of some forty witnesses over the course of nine days. The
evidence at trial included a videotaped interview of appellant by the Richardson police and
appellant’s written statement, both made on February 25, 2008, after K.S. had been taken to the
hospital. In these statements, appellant explained that she got up and drove her daughter to
school, leaving K.S. and her brother at home asleep. When appellant returned, K.S. was still
asleep, but woke up shortly after and was coughing. Appellant, who has a medical assistant
certificate, thought K.S. was choking. Appellant stated that she patted K.S.’s back and then put
her finger in K.S.’s throat and pulled out a small blue “Lego” toy. K.S. “went limp,” and
appellant called 911. Appellant gave this explanation to the 911 dispatcher and the paramedics
as well as the police.
Emergency personnel who responded on February 25 testified at trial, including the 911
dispatcher, paramedics, and firefighters from the Richardson Fire Department. A recording of the
–2– 911 call was played for the jury. Five police officers who were involved in the case also
testified, as well as three doctors who examined or treated K.S. Through the testimony of these
witnesses, the State developed evidence that K.S.’s injuries were not consistent with choking; the
blue Lego was never found; and appellant’s explanation changed in the course of questioning, to
add that K.S. bit her when she pulled out the Lego, causing appellant to turn around and bump
K.S.’s head against a door jamb. Medical testimony established that K.S. suffered a massive
subdural hematoma, which the emergency room doctor defined as “blood on the outside of the
brain.”
The jury heard evidence that K.S. suffered a bump on her forehead earlier in the week,
causing a visible raised abrasion. The evidence also showed that there was no other mark visible
on K.S.’s head except a small red mark on the back of her head observed by the neurosurgeon
immediately before surgery. Appellant offered the testimony of three experts at trial to interpret
this evidence. Dr. Janice Ophoven and Dr. John Plunkett, specialists in forensic pathology, are
both medical doctors. The third expert, John Lloyd, has a Ph.D. in ergonomics and is a brain
injury specialist. These experts testified that two minor injuries (the first bump on the head and a
later minor bump on the door jamb consistent with appellant’s explanation) could have been the
cause of K.S.’s massive subdural hematoma. They also testified that a small injury could cause
massive bleeding, and any severe impact would leave at least some mark on the skin. Dr.
Ophoven concluded that in her opinion, “there is not verifiable evidence that this child’s injuries
were the result of inflicted trauma or child abuse.” Dr. Plunkett testified that a child with a head
injury could have a “lucid interval” of hours or days before showing symptoms. He further
explained that the size of a subdural hematoma does not correlate with the amount of impact or
force that caused the injury; a minor impact could cause a large subdural hematoma. He, too,
concluded that although K.S. had a traumatic brain injury, he “would not call it intentional.”
–3– Four doctors testified on behalf of the State. Dr. Gregory Lachar, the emergency room
doctor who treated K.S.; Dr. Angela Price, the neurosurgeon who operated on K.S.; and Dr.
Matthew Cox, a specialist in child abuse pediatrics who examined K.S. during her hospitalization
at Children’s Medical Center, all testified regarding the nature and extent of K.S.’s injuries, as
well as the treatment required. The fourth doctor, Dallas County Medical Examiner Reade
Quinton, conducted an autopsy on K.S. in December 2008.
Dr. Price testified that when K.S. arrived at Children’s, “she was almost very close to
dying.” Immediate surgery was necessary to control the bleeding in K.S.’s brain. Dr. Price
described massive swelling of K.S.’s brain. She testified that “[t]he most probable set of
circumstances is that this subdural occurred within two to three hours” before K.S. arrived at the
emergency room, and “anything over six hours” would be improbable. She testified it was
“very improbable” that the subdural hematoma occurred and continued to bleed over a 72-hour
period before K.S. showed any symptoms. The symptoms observed by the paramedics and the
emergency room doctor suggested “that she is rapidly progressing,” so that the most probable
time the injury occurred was within a few hours of the paramedics’ arrival. Dr. Cox testified that
K.S.’s injury could not have been caused by a “minor impact”; it “had to be a severe and violent
event.” Dr. Quinton testified that the cause of K.S.’s death was blunt-force injury to the head
and the subsequent consequences of that injury. He classified her death as a homicide. He also
testified that “[t]he history of the LEGO in the airway did not really fit the findings that were
found at that time”; “we are also talking about massive swelling of the brain and subdural
hematoma, which wouldn’t be caused by just airway obstruction.” He testified that
“progressive” injuries, worsening over the course of a few days, were possible, but not without
accompanying symptoms, which K.S. did not display.
–4– The jury found appellant guilty of reckless injury to a child. During the punishment
phase of the trial, witnesses for the State testified that appellant had been abusive to her own
children in the past. Her children, however, denied any abuse, and they and numerous other
witnesses testified that appellant was a loving, caring, person. The jury sentenced appellant to 20
years’ confinement. This appeal followed.
DISCUSSION
A. Improper jury argument
1. Standards of review and applicable law
In her first and third issues, appellant contends the trial court erred by overruling her
objections to the prosecutor’s closing argument during the guilt/innocence phase of the trial.
Proper areas of jury argument are: (1) summation of the evidence; (2) reasonable deductions
from the evidence; (3) answers to argument of opposing counsel; and (4) pleas for law
enforcement. See Brown v. State, 270 S.W.3d 564, 570 (Tex. Crim. App. 2008). Counsel is
generally given wide latitude in drawing inferences from evidence as long as they are reasonable,
fair, legitimate, and offered in good faith. See Gaddis v. State, 753 S.W.2d 396, 398 (Tex. Crim.
App. 1988). We review a trial court’s ruling on an objection to improper jury argument for
abuse of discretion. See Garcia v. State, 126 S.W.3d 921, 924 (Tex. Crim. App. 2004).
Even if jury argument falls outside permissible areas, an appellate court will not reverse
unless the error is harmful. See Mosley v. State, 983 S.W.2d 249, 259 (Tex. Crim. App. 1998).
The standard for reviewing whether harm occurred depends on the kind of error involved. Id.
For constitutional error, we apply the standard set forth in rule 44.2(a) of the Texas Rules of
Appellate Procedure. Id. Rule 44.2(a) provides that the court of appeals “must reverse a
judgment of conviction or punishment unless the court determines beyond a reasonable doubt
that the error did not contribute to the conviction or punishment.”
–5– For non-constitutional error, a trial court’s erroneous overruling of a defendant’s
objection to improper jury argument is not reversible unless it affected the appellant’s substantial
rights. TEX. R. APP. P. 44.2(b); Martinez v. State, 17 S.W.3d 677, 692–93 (Tex. Crim. App.
2000). “A criminal conviction should not be overturned . . . if the appellate court, after
reviewing the record as a whole, has fair assurance that the error did not influence the jury or had
but a slight effect.” Johnson v. State, 967 S.W.2d 410, 417 (Tex. Crim. App. 1998). In making
that determination, the appellate court should evaluate: (1) the severity of the misconduct (the
magnitude of the prejudicial effect of the prosecutor’s remarks); (2) the measures adopted to cure
the misconduct (the efficacy of any cautionary instructions by the judge); and (3) the certainty of
conviction absent the misconduct (the strength of the evidence supporting the conviction).
Mosley, 983 S.W.2d at 259.
2. Argument regarding manner and means of injury
Appellant’s first issue relates to a portion of the prosecutor’s closing argument during the
guilt/innocence phase of the trial. As we discuss below, this argument was made in the rebuttal
portion of the State’s argument, in response to appellant’s argument that the State must prove
“what happened”:
And I know I keep talking about this, the thing that she did. The thing that she did. Here I am, I am not saying slammed her head again[st] the floor or slammed her ahead [sic] against the bed. There is a reason that the indictment reads the way it does. The law allows for that. The law foresees just this type of situation where, here we have this child that was otherwise fine, that was in the care of this person right here. Now all of a sudden they are dead. Okay --
MR. ANTON: Your Honor, that is a misstatement of the law. That’s a misstatement of the indictment. The indictment says they don’t have to prove the weapon. It specifically does not say that they don’t have to tell us what happened. And I object to that. That’s a misstatement of the indictment, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Overruled.
–6– MR. ANTON: I would like a running objection, Your Honor.
THE COURT: You may have it.
Appellant contends that by overruling her objection, the trial court permitted the State to
argue that it was not required to prove the manner and means of injury. The indictment alleged
that appellant intentionally or knowingly caused serious bodily injury to the complainant by
striking her against a door jamb or striking her with or against an unknown object. Appellant
argues that under the indictment, although the State was not required to prove the object, the
State was required to prove that appellant struck the complainant. And in her reply brief,
appellant contends that the only issue at trial was her mental state: “did [appellant] accidentally
bump the complainant’s head against a doorframe? Or did [appellant] intentionally or knowingly
strike the complainant with or against a doorjamb or unknown object?” Appellant notes that the
jury charge contained the same language as the indictment, and contends the State’s argument
“repeatedly stated law contrary to the court’s instruction on the manner and means of the offense
by removing the requirement that the jury find beyond a reasonable doubt that [appellant] struck
the complainant.” Appellant cites State v. Renteria, 977 S.W.2d 606, 608 (Tex. Crim. App.
1998), for the proposition that a closing argument stating law contrary to the court’s charge is
improper.
We conclude the trial court did not err by overruling appellant’s objection. As reflected
in the objection itself, appellant’s defense included the contention that the State was required to
prove “what happened” but had not done so. In closing argument, appellant’s counsel stated:
At the very end I would like for the State to tell you . . . at some point during their presentation what happened. I think [appellant] is owed that, what happened. How did this injury occur, what happened. They haven’t told us that yet. And I don’t know if they are going to tell us that after I sit down.
If they can’t tell you what happened. If they can’t present a scenario to you which is supported by other than their wild speculation and hypotheses
–7– made up out of [whole] cloth, I don’t know how you can convict [appellant] of anything.
Appellant’s counsel also argued:
[F]inally, in the indictment, it says they used a weapon unknown, we don’t even know what they are going to say. We have seen the mattress, we have seen the floor, we have seen the doorjamb, we don’t know what else. They have come up with any instrument they want claiming injury. They can argue whatever they want. Can they ever point out to you what happened[?]
The State answered these arguments by addressing what it was required to prove under the
indictment. See Brown, 270 S.W.3d at 570. The prosecutor’s argument quoted above was made
during his rebuttal of the closing argument for the defense. He began this portion of his
argument by explaining the verdict sought by the State:
We don’t want you to convict her because she lied. We don’t want you to convict because she lied to the police. We want you to convict her because she is guilty of intentionally or knowingly causing serious bodily injury to [K.S.]. And her lies revealed the truth about what happened that morning. There is a huge difference between those two. I hope you see the difference.
In context, the trial court was within its discretion to conclude that the prosecutor had not
misstated the elements of the offense the State was required to prove. And in addition, as we
explain below, the prosecutor could summarize the evidence or draw reasonable conclusions
from the evidence in his argument. See Brown, 270 S.W.3d at 570. We conclude the trial court
did not err by overruling appellant’s objection.
Even if the trial court did err, we conclude any error was not harmful under the standards
set forth in Mosley. See Mosley, 983 S.W.2d at 259. Under the first factor, appellant argues the
misconduct was severe. Appellant explains that because she “admitted having engaged in
conduct contributing to the complainant’s injury,” she “relied entirely on expert witnesses in her
defense.” The State’s “theme of painting [appellant’s] expert defense . . . as absurd,” therefore,
improperly undercut the central point of her defense, specifically, that K.S.’s injury “was caused
–8– by a minor, accidental impact.” She contends that the State’s argument urged the jury to find
appellant guilty “simply for being present.”
A prosecutor may argue that the witnesses for the defense are not worthy of belief.
Satterwhite v. State, 858 S.W.2d 412, 425 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993). When appellant’s experts
testified on her behalf on the issues contested at trial, their credibility became an issue and was
the proper subject of comment by the prosecutor. Id. The prosecutor, then, could argue the
experts’ testimony that a “minor, accidental impact” caused K.S.’s injuries was not credible,
based on reasonable deduction from other evidence in the record. For example, Dr. Cox testified
“there had to be a high-force-type injury involving different forces”; “it is a very high-force
injury, more than what I would see in a head hitting a wall or head being hit into a wall, someone
holding a child and turning, something along those lines.” Dr. Cox concluded, “[s]o it had to be
a severe and violent event.” The prosecutor could summarize the evidence or draw reasonable
conclusions from the evidence. See Brown, 270 S.W.3d at 570; see also Garcia, 126 S.W.3d at
925 (by telling jury that defense counsel’s arguments were “hogwash,” prosecutor was merely
stating “in colorful language” his opinion regarding the merits of defense counsel’s arguments;
trial court did not err by refusing to instruct jury to disregard).
Under the second factor, the trial court did not give any cautionary instruction, which
weighs in appellant’s favor. Under the third factor, appellant argues the strength of the evidence
supporting conviction was weak, so there was little certainty of conviction absent the
misconduct. The jury found appellant guilty of the offense of reckless injury to a child. The jury
charge contained instructions regarding this offense:
A person commits reckless injury to a child if she recklessly causes bodily injury to a child. A person acts “recklessly” or is “reckless” with respect to the result of her conduct when she is aware of but consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the result will occur. The risk must be of such a nature and degree that its disregard constitutes a gross deviation
–9– from the standard of care that an ordinary person would exercise under all the circumstances as viewed from the standpoint of the person charged.
In cases involving injury to a child, there is rarely direct evidence of exactly how the
child’s injuries occurred. Williams v. State, 294 S.W.3d 674, 683 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st
Dist.] 2009, pet. ref’d). Instead, we look to rational inferences from circumstantial evidence to
determine whether the State met its burden of proof. See id. Intent can be inferred from the
extent of the injuries to the victim and the relative size and strength of the parties. Patrick v.
State, 906 S.W.2d 481, 487 (Tex. Crim. App. 1995). It can also be inferred from circumstantial
evidence such as acts, words, and the conduct of the appellant. Guevara v. State, 152 S.W.3d 45,
50 (Tex. Crim. App. 2004). 3
Despite the circumstantial nature of the evidence, the jury could have reasonably inferred
that appellant was the person who injured K.S. See Martin v. State, 246 S.W.3d 246, 261–62
(Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2007, no pet.) (jury could make reasonable inferences from
circumstantial evidence at trial that appellant caused child’s fatal injuries). The only evidence—
some of which resulted from appellant’s own explanations given to witnesses who testified at
trial—was that K.S. was in appellant’s care, and only appellant’s care, at the time of her injury;
appellant first explained that K.S. had been choking; appellant changed her explanation upon
further questioning; law enforcement officers were unable to substantiate appellant’s explanation
by any evidence found at her home; and medical experts testified that the nature and extent of
K.S.’s injuries were not consistent with either choking or “minor, accidental impact” in the
3 See also Garcia v. State, 16 S.W.3d 401, 405 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2000, pet. ref’d), in which the court explained: Texas case law is replete with holdings that when an adult defendant has had sole access to a child at the time its injuries are sustained, the evidence is sufficient to support a conviction for injury to a child, or murder if the child dies. See Bryant v. State, 909 S.W.2d 579, 583 (Tex. App.—Tyler 1995, no pet.)(where evidence showed child had been left alone with defendant and injuries to child occurred approximately thirty minutes prior to child being brought to emergency room, evidence was sufficient to support conviction); Elledge v. State, 890 S.W.2d 843, 846 (Tex. App.—Austin 1994, pet. ref’d) (undisputed medical testimony placing adult defendant alone with child when fatal injuries were sustained supported conviction for injury to a child); Butts v. State, 835 S.W.2d 147, 151 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 1992, pet. ref’d)(injuries sustained by child established by medical testimony to have occurred at time adult defendant admitted to sole possession of child).
–10– manner appellant described. Further, Dr. Cox testified that the cause of K.S.’s injury “had to be
a severe and violent event,” such as a car accident. Without evidence of such an accidental
event, Dr. Cox agreed that there is “a certain element of intent that goes along with that in
causing those injuries.” He concluded, “[b]ased on the degree of force needed to cause this
injury, yes, I would expect someone would realize there could be injuries.” The evidence
supporting the jury’s verdict of reckless injury to K.S. was not so weak that there was little
certainty of conviction absent the alleged prosecutorial misconduct. See Mosley, 983 S.W.2d at
259. We overrule appellant’s first issue.
3. Argument regarding burden of proof
Appellant’s third issue addresses a later portion of the prosecutor’s rebuttal argument:
They say that we need objective evidence, that the State should provide objective evidence before we should jump to a conclusion that there was some sort of additional act. Well, shouldn’t you require credible evidence that it was anything other.
THE COURT: You have five minutes.
MR. MILLICAN: Thank you, Your Honor. Did you get any credible evidence from them to say --
MR. ANTON: Your Honor, he is shifting the burden of proof.
MR. ANTON: May I have a running objection to that?
THE COURT: You may.
MR. MILLICAN: You are the judges of the credibility of the witnesses.
The only thing that Dr. Ophoven and Dr. Plunkett were making their decision on was the word of the defendant, that was the patient history they got. And I asked Dr. Ophoven, did you see the video of [appellant]? No, that is not important. That is step number one for her, to collect important information from her. And when she gets the best information that anyone could possibly show her of what happened to [K.S.], she said, I don’t want to see that. Don’t you think they should bring some credible evidence to support their theory.
–11– Appellant argues that the trial court erred by overruling her objection because the prosecutor
argued that she was required to “bring some credible evidence” for the jury to consider. Citing
Abbott v. State, 196 S.W.3d 334, 344 (Tex. App.—Waco 2006, pet. ref’d), for the proposition
that a prosecutor may not misstate the law, appellant contends that this argument erroneously
assigned to her the burden of proof to raise a reasonable doubt as to her guilt. We disagree.
In context, the State made the argument as part of its contention that the expert witnesses
for the defense were not credible. As we have explained, a prosecutor may argue that the
witnesses for the defense are not worthy of belief. Satterwhite, 858 S.W.2d at 425. In addition,
a prosecutor may answer arguments of opposing counsel. See Brown, 270 S.W.3d at 570. The
prosecutor was addressing appellant’s arguments that (1) the objective facts supported the
testimony of Drs. Plunkett and Ophoven; 4 (2) there are no objective facts supporting the State’s
theory of intentional injury; 5 (3) the testimony of Drs. Price and Cox was unreliable; 6 and
(4) Drs. Plunkett and Ophoven were more credible. 7 In addition, appellant’s counsel had
emphasized that the State had not met its burden of proving “beyond a reasonable doubt that this
was nonaccidental, intentional head trauma.” We conclude the trial court did not err by
overruling appellant’s objection.
If error did occur, we would determine whether reversal is required applying the
standards for constitutional error under rule 44.2. See Mosley, 983 S.W.2d at 259; TEX. R. APP.
P. 44.2(a) (court of appeals must reverse unless court determines beyond a reasonable doubt that
4 Appellant’s counsel had argued: “[T]he reason we brought down Dr. Plunkett, the reason we brought down Dr. Ophoven is to tell you what Dr. Price told you and the E.R. doctor told you, you can have a minor impact and have a major subdural. . . . Dr. Plunkett, Dr. Ophoven said that several days later, that there was another triggering event. In all likelihood in Dr. Plunkett’s opinion, it was when the child’s head impacted the doorjamb. And at that point given the pre-existing injury, there was a cascading event. And those are the facts.” 5 “So when they get up and talk to you about how this happened, ask yourself aside from their bald face assertion, what evidence do they have of this?” 6 Appellant’s counsel argued Dr. Price was “torn between her loyalty to the staff at Children’s and the truth,” and Dr. Cox “just simply won’t be honest with you.” 7 “Our doctors, I would submit to you, use your common sense on this, if you asked Dr. Ophoven or Dr. Plunkett, you got a straight answer. Not only did you get a straight answer, you got an answer that you can understand.”
–12– error did not contribute to conviction). The jury charge stated “the prosecution has the burden of
proving the defendant guilty, and it must do so by proving each and every element of the offense
charged beyond a reasonable doubt.” The jury charge correctly required the jury to acquit
appellant of the offense of injury to a child if the jury did not “believe from the evidence beyond
a reasonable doubt” that appellant committed the offense, or if the jury had “a reasonable doubt
thereof.” The record is devoid of any indication that the jury failed to follow the trial court’s
instructions regarding the burden of proof. See Williams v. State, 937 S.W.2d 479, 490 (Tex.
Crim. App. 1996) (appellate court presumes jury follows instructions given). That the jury held
the State to its burden is demonstrated by its failure to find appellant guilty of intentional injury
to a child. Further, there was sufficient evidence to support the jury’s verdict of reckless injury
to a child, as we explained in our discussion of appellant’s first issue. We conclude beyond a
reasonable doubt that any error did not contribute to appellant’s conviction. See TEX. R. APP. P.
44.2(a). We overrule appellant’s third issue.
B. Testimony during punishment phase
Appellant’s second issue relates to testimony given by K.S.’s mother during the
punishment phase of the trial in questioning by the prosecutor:
Q. . . . [H]ow has this event, how has it affected you personally?
A. It changed my life. I lost my daughter at the age of 21. I was 21 years old. I never thought that I would bury my own child. And it is not like she died from being sick. It is not like she was born ill. She died because of choices somebody else made. And for the last five years, I have had to suffer the consequences that my daughter is not here, she is not coming back. And when I got her back, she was not the baby that I gave birth to. I will never know what happened to my daughter and that’s fine, that’s fine.
Q. You say that, that you will never know what happened to your daughter, in our conversations you have actually told me that that’s kind of what you want to know the most, right?
A. Yes.
–13– Q. But you have kind of come to terms to the fact that you are never going to find that out?
MR. ANTON: Your Honor, may we approach.
(Following proceedings were had at the Bench.)
MR. ANTON: There just isn’t anyway to get through this such is as [sic] an outrageous attack to remain silent. The only person they can find out from is [appellant]. And the only explanation she can give is post arrest: And they have not asked the question once, but twice. This is outrageous, just simply the grossest violation of the Fifth Amendment that you can ever see. And I don’t think any instruction to disregard will cure after you plant the seed. And I just can’t believe . . .
THE COURT: Any response from the State?
MR. MILLICAN: Well, Your Honor, that does not necessarily imply that the defendant would have to say anything, that is a reality she lives with, everything that happens in our lives. Things that don’t happen in our presence, we never have a full understanding what they have seen with their own eye. And our question hasn’t come close to approaching it. The fact that she is never going to know what happened to her child. That does not imply that the defendant would have to testify in order to solve that.
THE COURT: The Court would overrule the objection.
MR. ANTON: Can we have a running objection.
(End of Bench Conference.)
A comment on a defendant’s failure to testify violates both the federal and state
constitutions as well as Texas statutory law. Randoph v. State, 353 S.W.3d 887, 891 (Tex. Crim.
App. 2011) (citing U.S. CONST. amend. V, TEX. CONST. art. 1 § 10, and TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC.
ANN. art. 38.08). The defendant has a separate Fifth Amendment privilege not to testify at either
the guilt or punishment phases of trial. Id. Randolph addressed remarks made by the prosecutor
during closing argument in the punishment phase. See id. The test stated in Randolph for
determining whether a prosecutor’s argument violated a defendant’s Fifth Amendment right was
“whether the language used was manifestly intended or was of such a character that the jury –14– would necessarily and naturally take it as a comment on the defendant’s failure to testify.” Id.
The court explained, “[i]n applying this standard, the context in which the comment was made
must be analyzed to determine whether the language used was of such character.” Id. If the
prosecutor’s language “might reasonably be construed as merely an implied or indirect illusion,
there is no violation.” Id.
Here, the prosecutor’s questions followed the mother’s testimony that she will never
know what happened to her daughter. Appellant argues that because appellant was the only
person present at the time of K.S.’s injury, “and thus only she could explain the manner in which
it was incurred,” the jury necessarily took the State’s questions as a comment on her failure to
testify. Appellant relies on Madden v. State, 799 S.W.2d 683, 699 (Tex. Crim. App. 1990), in
support of her argument. In Madden, the court stated, “[a]rgument that points to a lack of
evidence that only the defendant personally can supply . . . violates the defendant’s right against
self-incrimination.” Id. In Madden, the prosecutor argued that “there’s only one person here that
knows the answer to all of these questions” about why the defendant acted as he did in
committing the crime. Id. at 700. The court concluded the trial court should have sustained
counsel’s objection to this argument as an improper comment on the defendant’s failure to
testify. Id. The court also determined, however, that in the context of the arguments made and
the evidence presented at trial, the error did not contribute to the jury’s guilty verdict. Id. at 701.
Viewing the entire record, the mother’s testimony could have been a reference to the fact
that all of the medical experts who testified had differing opinions and explanations of the
sequence and severity of K.S.’s injuries, leading to the mother’s conclusion that she will never
know what happened to her daughter. Dr. Cox, for example, was asked, “may we ever know
what the actual thing was that she was struck against or struck her?”, to which he responded, “by
medical assessment alone, I can’t determine that, no.” He testified that he would need more
–15– information “for that to be knowable.” The mother’s conclusion was part of her testimony about
the effect of the offense on her life. See Brown v. State, 2003 WL 21404050, at *6 (Tex. App.—
Dallas June 19, 2003, pet. stricken) (not designated for publication) (post-conviction testimony
concerning effect on victim’s family of offense of injury to child generally relevant and
admissible).
In addition, the mother’s testimony and the prosecutor’s follow-up questions were made
after the jury heard, through numerous witnesses, appellant’s explanations of how K.S. was
injured. Some of this evidence was from appellant herself, in the video recordings of her
statements to a police detective made on the day of K.S.’s injury, which were played for the jury
by the State during the guilt/innocence phase of the trial. Further evidence was offered through
the paramedics, doctors, and law enforcement officials who heard explanations from appellant.
In context, it was not that appellant had not offered explanations for how K.S.’s injuries
occurred, but that K.S.’s mother did not believe the explanations that appellant had already
given. And at the time K.S.’s mother testified, the jury had already convicted appellant of
reckless injury to a child, indicating that the jury did not find appellant’s explanations credible
either. It was within the province of the jury to determine the credibility of the evidence. See,
e.g., Jones v. State, 944 S.W.2d 642, 647 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996) (jury is exclusive judge of
credibility of witnesses and weight to be given their testimony). “A rational trier of fact could
also consider such untruthful statements by appellant, in connection with other circumstances of
the case, as affirmative evidence of appellant’s guilt.” Padilla v. State, 326 S.W.3d 195, 201
(Tex. Crim. App. 2010); see also Garcia, 126 S.W.3d at 924 (when defendant makes statement
which is admitted into evidence, State’s reference to statement and comparison between
statement and other evidence collected is not comment on defendant’s failure to testify or right to
remain silent).
–16– We conclude that the prosecutor’s questions to K.S.’s mother were not “of such a
character that the jury would necessarily and naturally take it as a comment on the defendant’s
failure to testify.” See Randoph, 353 S.W.3d at 891. We overrule appellant’s second issue.
CONCLUSION
Having overruled appellant’s three issues, we affirm the trial court’s judgment.
/David J. Schenck/ DAVID J. SCHENCK JUSTICE
Do Not Publish TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b)
130930F.U05
–17– S Court of Appeals Fifth District of Texas at Dallas JUDGMENT
ALICE ANNETTE STEELE, Appellant On Appeal from the 194th Judicial District Court, Dallas County, Texas No. 05-13-00930-CR V. Trial Court Cause No. F-0845120-M. Opinion delivered by Justice Schenck, THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee Justice Fillmore and Chief Justice Thomas, Retired, participating.
Based on the Court’s opinion of this date, the judgment of the trial court is AFFIRMED.
Judgment entered this 19th day of March, 2015.
–18–