Bellard v. State

101 S.W.3d 594, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 1642, 2003 WL 367893
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 19, 2003
Docket10-01-035-CR, 10-01-036-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 101 S.W.3d 594 (Bellard v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bellard v. State, 101 S.W.3d 594, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 1642, 2003 WL 367893 (Tex. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

OPINION

JOHN G. HILL, Senior Justice (Assigned).

Earl Danell Bellard appeals his conviction by a jury for the offense of possession of marihuana in an amount of 2,000 pounds or less, but more than 50 pounds, and the offense of possession of cocaine in an amount of more than 400 grams, with intent to deliver. Upon Bellard’s plea of true to enhancement allegations of three prior felony convictions, the trial court assessed his punishment for each offense at 40 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division. The jury made a finding in each case of the use or exhibition of a deadly weapon. In five issues, Bellard contends that the evidence is legally and factually insufficient to support both of his convictions and that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress evidence. We affirm.

Bellard contends in issues one, two, three, and four that the evidence is legally and factually insufficient to support his convictions. In reviewing the legal sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction, we view all the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict. Cardenas v. State, 30 S.W.3d 384, 389-90 (Tex.Crim.App.2000); Narvaiz v. State, 840 S.W.2d 415, 423 (Tex.Crim.App.1992). The critical inquiry is whether, after so viewing the evidence, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. McDuff v. State, 939 S.W.2d 607, 614 (Tex.Crim.App.1997). This standard gives full play to the responsibility of the trier of fact to resolve conflicts in the testimony, to weigh the evidence, and to draw reasonable inferences from basic facts to ultimate facts. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979).

In reviewing a challenge to the factual sufficiency of the evidence, we begin with the assumption that the evidence is legally sufficient. See Santellan v. State, 939 S.W.2d 155, 164 (Tex.Crim.App.1997). We must view all the evidence without the prism of the “in the light most favorable to the prosecution” construct. See Clewis v. State, 922 S.W.2d 126, 129 (Tex.Crim.App.1996). We ask “whether a neutral review of all the evidence, both for and against the finding, demonstrates that the proof of guilt is so obviously weak as to undermine confidence in the jury’s determination, or the proof of guilt, although adequate if taken alone, is greatly outweighed by contrary proof.” Johnson v. State, 23 S.W.3d 1, 11 (Tex.Crim.App. 2000); see also Goodman v. State, 66 S.W.3d 283, 285 (Tex.Crim.App.2001). We must also remain cognizant of the factfin-der’s role and unique position-one that the reviewing court is unable to occupy. Johnson, 23 S.W.3d at 9. The jury determines the credibility of the witnesses and may “believe all, some, or none of the testimony.” Chambers v. State, 805 S.W.2d 459, 461 (Tex.Crim.App.1991). It is the jury that accepts or rejects reasonably equal competing theories of a case. Goodman, 66 S.W.3d at 287. A decision is not manifestly unjust as to the accused merely because the factfinder resolved conflicting views of evidence in favor of the *597 State. Cain v. State, 958 S.W.2d 404, 410 (Tex.Crim.App.1997).

Derek Prestridge, a state trooper for the Texas Department of Public Safety, testified that on the evening of June 8, 1999, he stopped Bellard as he was driving eastbound on Interstate 10 in Chambers County. He indicated that he stopped Bellard because he failed to drive in a single marked lane of traffic, causing another driver to slow down or apply its brakes. He related that there are several reasons for stopping such a driver, including the possibility of an intoxicated driver, mechanical difficulties with the vehicle, problems with the occupants inside the vehicle, or a fatigued driver.

Officer Prestridge testified that as he was stopping the vehicle, he saw movement inside. He indicated that it appeared that both the front and rear seat passengers were making movements as if the front passenger was ducking down, moving around his seat, or around the glove compartment area. He related that the odor of raw marihuana came to his attention as he was talking to Mr. Degree, a passenger in the back seat. He stated that Bellard was the driver of the vehicle.

Officer Prestridge said that when he and his partner conducted a search of the vehicle, they found a pistol under the front passenger seat, what he believed to be marihuana in the trunk of the car and, underneath the back right passenger seat, a Ritz cracker box containing a white powdery substance that he believed to be cocaine. He indicated that they also found over $1,900 in cash underneath the back seat next to the cracker box. He stated that no one in the car claimed the money. He identified sandwich bags and a rubber glove that he found inside a black bag claimed by Bellard. Officer Prestridge testified that after the vehicle was towed from the scene, he received a Ruger automatic 9 mm pistol that the wrecker driver recovered from between the seat cushions of the driver’s seat.

Officer Prestridge testified that on June 11, 1999, he removed the suspected marihuana and cocaine from the evidence locker at the Anahuae highway patrol office and took it to the Houston DPS crime lab for analysis. He indicated that he did not tamper with it in any way. He stated that in his experience those in possession of narcotics often use weapons for the protection of their drugs for transport or sale. He characterized the amount of marihuana and cocaine seized as a large amount. He also indicated that it is not unusual to find more than one subject assisting in the transport of a large quantity of illegal drugs.

On cross-examination, Officer Prestridge testified that, prior to the stop, he saw Bellard cross from one to two feet from the center into the inside lane of the interstate. He indicated that the other vehicle to which he had previously referred was approximately three car lengths away from Bellard’s vehicle in the center lane, and one car length behind his own vehicle. He acknowledged that he did not include any mention of this other vehicle in his police report. He stated that Bellard’s action in moving into the inside lane potentially placed him and his partner in danger. He assessed the potential danger as the possibility that the driver might have been intoxicated, fatigued, or ill; the possibility that mechanical difficulties were creating a hazardous condition for Bellard’s vehicle and the vehicle that was following him; and the possibility that there might be a fight or some type of distress between the driver and passenger.

Officer Prestridge testified that he administered the horizontal gaze nystagmus test to Bellard.

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Bluebook (online)
101 S.W.3d 594, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 1642, 2003 WL 367893, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bellard-v-state-texapp-2003.