Cameron v. State

988 S.W.2d 835, 1999 WL 89300
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 23, 1999
Docket04-97-00350-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 988 S.W.2d 835 (Cameron 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
Cameron v. State, 988 S.W.2d 835, 1999 WL 89300 (Tex. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

OPINION

PHIL HARDBERGER, Chief Justice.

Paul Houston Cameron appeals his capital murder conviction. In eight points of error, Cameron argues that the trial court erred: 1) by failing to quash his indictment under article 32.01 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure as untimely; 2) by allowing the contents of a written statement which had defective warnings to be read verbatim by the detective who took the statement as an oral custodial statement of the defendant; 3) by admitting evidence of an extraneous offense which Cameron claims is irrelevant under Texas Rules of Evidence 402, 403, and 404(b); 4) by failing to quash the indictment and/or incorrectly charging the jury regarding the requisite mental state for the offense of capital murder; and 5) by admitting statements Cameron made to a jail psychiatrist which were not for the purpose of medical diagnosis. We affirm.

I.

Cameron was charged with and convicted of capital murder in the death of Fabian Dominguez, a police officer. On January 14, 1995, Cameron, along with Johnathan Moore, Peter Dowdle, and Meredith Nichols, entered the home of Andrea Braden 1 with the intent to commit burglary. Absent Meredith Nichols, the parties embarked upon a second trip to the home in the early hours of the morning. While the parties’ car was parked in the driveway, Officer Dominguez, off-duty but in uniform, noticed the activity and blocked the car’s path with his personal car. Moore was in the front passenger seat of the car, Cameron was in the back seat, and Dowdle was driving. Officer Dominguez emerged from his vehicle blocking the driveway, and, according to Cameron’s statement, with his gun pulled, approached the passenger side of the car. He instructed the boys to turn off the ear and give him the keys, and Dowdle did so. Moore then shot Officer Dominguez. Moore got the keys, and then shot Officer *839 Dominguez several more times with the officer’s own gun. Officer Dominguez died from his wounds.

On January 17,1995, Cameron was arrested on the charge of capital murder. He was indicted on the charge of organized crime in conjunction with the death of Officer Dominguez on April 13, 1995. On October 5, 1995, Cameron was indicted on the charge of capital murder for the death of Officer Dominguez. Cameron was tried and convicted of capital murder, and sentenced to life in prison.

II.

In eight points of error, Cameron alleges that the trial court erred: 1) by failing to quash his indictment under article 32.01 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure as untimely; 2) by allowing the contents of a written statement which had defective warnings to be read verbatim by the detective who took the statement as an oral custodial statement of the defendant; 3) by admitting evidence of an extraneous offense which Cameron claims is irrelevant under Texas Rules of Evidence 402, 403, and 404(b); 4) by failing to quash the indictment and/or incorrectly charging the jury regarding the requisite mental state for the offense of capital murder; and 5) by admitting statements Cameron made to a jail psychiatrist which were not for the purpose of medical diagnosis.

A. Untimely Indictment

Cameron argues that the trial court erred by failing to quash his indictment under article 32.01 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure as untimely. He says that his indictment was untimely because, although he was arrested and charged with capital murder on January 17, 1995, he was not indicted on the charge of capital murder until October 5, 1995, which is in the fourth grand jury term following his arrest. The State’s position is that Cameron was timely indicted on the charge of organized crime in conjunction with the death of Officer Dominguez on April 13, 1995, and because Cameron was timely indicted for one crime arising out of the same criminal transaction, the second indictment for capital murder is controlled by the timeliness of the first indictment. Cameron filed a motion to quash the capital murder indictment on February 21, 1997. The trial court ruled that article 32.01, read in conjunction with article 28.061, was unconstitutional.

The trial court’s ruling on the constitutionality of the provisions is a question of law which we review de novo. Gonzalez v. State, 938 S.W.2d 482, 484 (Tex.App.—El Paso 1996, pet. ref'd). We review mixed questions of law and fact which do not turn on an evaluation of credibility and demeanor de novo. Guzman v. State, 955 S.W.2d 85, 89 (Tex.Crim.App.1997). The fact of the dates of the arrest and indictments are not in dispute. We review the trial court’s ruling de novo. Frenzel v. State, 963 S.W.2d 911, 914 (Tex.App.—Waco 1998, pet. requested). At the time of Cameron’s arrest, 2 article 32.01 provided:

Defendant in Custody and No Indictment Presented.

When a defendant has been detained in custody or held to bail for his appearance to answer any criminal accusation before the district court, the prosecution, unless otherwise ordered by the court, for good cause shown, supported by affidavit, shall be dismissed and the bail discharged, if indictment or information be not presented against such defendant at the next term of court which is held after his commitment or admission to bail.

Act of May 27, 1965, 59th Leg., R.S., ch. 722 § 1, 1965 Tex. Gen. Laws 317, 441, (amended 1997) (current version at TexCode CRIM. Proc. Ann. art. 32.01 (Vernon Supp.1999)).

*840 The term of court for the 290th District Court is statutorily defined:

(a) The 290th Judicial District is composed of Bexar County.
(b) The 290th District Court shall give preference to criminal cases.
(c) (Repealed 1997)
(d) Section 24.139, relating to the 37th District Court, contains provisions applicable to all the district courts in Bexar County. To the extent that this subchapter is inconsistent with those provisions, section 24.139 prevails.

Tex Gov’t Code Ann. § 24.467 (Vernon 1989 & Supp.1999).

At all times relevant to this appeal, 3 Section 24.139(d) provided, in pertinent part:

The 144th, 175th, 186th, 187th, 226th, 227th, and 290th district courts shall give preference to criminal cases. The terms of those district courts begin on the first Mondays in January, March, May, July, September and November. Each term continues until the court has disposed of the business for that term.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, § 1 (amended 1997) (current version at Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. § 24.467 (Vernon Supp.1999)).

Cameron was arrested on January 17, 1995. He was timely indicted on the charge of organized crime on April 13, 1995. 4 Cameron does not contest this. But, he says the capital murder indictment in October was not timely.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Robert Garcia, Jr. v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2020
Cameron, Paul Houston
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2018
Adrian Barrera v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015
Jeannie Coutta v. State
385 S.W.3d 641 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2012)
Herman P. Gullatt, Jr. v. State
368 S.W.3d 559 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011)
Jason J. Hernandez v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011
Joel Magana v. State
351 S.W.3d 501 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011)
Magana v. State
351 S.W.3d 501 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011)
Dean Robert Cardella v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010
Randy Dean Parnell, Jr. v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2009
Shaina Sepulvado v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008
Alexander v. State
229 S.W.3d 731 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Kimberly Michelle Alexander v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2007
Santos H. Hernandez, Jr. v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2004
Marty Dean Haggerton v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2000
Garza v. State
10 S.W.3d 765 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2000)
State v. Meshell
23 S.W.3d 370 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1999)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
988 S.W.2d 835, 1999 WL 89300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cameron-v-state-texapp-1999.