Christopher Newberry v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided June 8, 2015·No. 03-14-00560-CR·Published

Opinion

ACCEPTED

03-14-00560-CR

5574630

THIRD COURT OF APPEALS

AUSTIN, TEXAS

6/8/2015 12:00:00 AM

JEFFREY D. KYLE

CLERK

CAUSE NO. 03-14-00560-CR FILED IN

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS, 3rd COURT OF APPEALS THIRD SUPREME JUDICIAL DISTRICT AUSTIN, TEXAS _____________________ 6/8/2015 3:11:02 PM JEFFREY D. KYLE

Clerk

CHRISTOPHER NEWBERRY Appellant

VS.

THE STATE OF TEXAS

Cause No. C1CR-14-209349, Travis County, Texas, County Court at Law #5, Honorable, Nancy Hohengarten, presiding

BRIEF FOR APPELLANT

Christopher P. Morgan

State Bar No. 14435325

3009 N. IH 35

Austin, Texas 78722

(512) 472-9717 FAX: 472-9798 chrismorganlaw@cs.com

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT

NAME OF PARTIES/ATTORNEYS CHRISTOPHER NEWBERRY Appellant

CHERYL HINDERA Attorney for Appellant at trial SBOT NO. 24007367 4425 SOUTH MOPAC, #107 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78735

CHRISTOPHER P. MORGAN Attorney for Appellant on appeal SBOT 14435325 3009 N. IH 35 Austin, Texas 78722

J. MICHAEL OHUERI Assistant County Attorney at trial SBOT NO. 24072529 P. O. BOX 1748 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78767

JENNIFER COLLITY Assistant County Attorney at trial SBOT NO. 24062974 P. O. BOX 1748 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78767

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE NAME OF PARTIES/ATTORNEYS 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 INDEX OF AUTHORITIES 5 STATEMENT OF THE CASE 8 POINTS OF ERROR 8 ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES 9

POINT OF ERROR NO. ONE: THE EVIDENCE IS INSUFFICIENT. 9 A. Evidence. 9 1. Ebony Knox. 9

2. SX-5 (the 911 calls). 9 3. APD Officer Joseph Poswalk. 10 4. Justin Giddings. 14 5. SX-8 (police videos). 18 6. Appellant Christopher Newberry. 19

B. Arguments. 25 1. No direct evidence. 26

2. Appellant did not admit driving or driving while intoxicated. 28

3. Murray v. State. 34

4. Insufficient to prove driving or operating. 36

5. Insufficient to prove, if driving, that he was intoxicated when doing so. 38

POINT OF ERROR NO. TWO: THE TRIAL COURT REVERSIBLY ERRED BY DENYING APPELLANT’S MOTION FOR MISTRIAL. 40 A. Record. 40

B. Argument. 49 1. By eliciting this evidence the State violated appellant’s rights to due process, fair trial and the presumption of innocence. 49

2. The trial court erred by denying the motion for mistrial. 51 a. Severity of the misconduct. 52 b. Curative measures. 52 c. Conviction was not a certainty. 55

3. The error was not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. 55

PRAYER FOR RELIEF 56 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 56 CERTIFICATE OF WORD COUNT 56

INDEX OF AUTHORITIES PAGE

Cases Archie v. State, 340 S.W.3d 734(Tex.Crim.App.2011) 53 Arocha v. State, No. 12-14-00042-CR(Tex.App.-Fort Worth, December 11, 2014)[unpublished]. 31, 32, 33 Avants v. State, 170 Tex.Crim. 308, 340 S.W.2d 817(1960) 36 Ballard v. State, 757 S.W.2d 389(Tex. App.-Hou[1st]1988)

pet. ref’d 30, 32, 40 Barton v. State, 882 S.W.2d 456(Tex.App.-Dallas 1994) no pet. 40 Brooks v. State, 323 S.W.3d 893(Tex.Crim.App.2010) 25 Brown v. State, 877 S.W.2d 869(Tex.App.-San Antonio1994) no pet. 49, 50, 51, 52, 55, 56

Bucek v. State, 724 S.W.2d 129(Tex.App.-Fort Worth1987)

no pet. 31, 33 Chaloupka v. State, 20 S.W.3d 172(Tex.App.-Texarkana 2000), pet. ref’d 39 Coble v. State, 330 S.W.3d 253(Tex.Crim.App.2010) 51 Deck v. Missouri, 544 U.S. 622, 630, 125 S.Ct. 2007 (2005) 50 Emerson v. State, 880 S.W.2d 759(Tex.Crim.App.1994) 36 Estelle v. Williams, 425 U.S. 501, 96 S.Ct. 1691 (1976) 50 Feinberg v. State, No. 05-06-01367-CR(Tex.App.-Dallas, November 20, 2007)[unpublished] 40 Folk v. State, 797 S.W.2d 141(Tex.App.-Austin1990) pet.

ref’d 31, 32, 33 Geick v. State, 349 S.W.3d 542(Tex.Crim.App.2011) 26 Hacker v. State, 389 S.W.2d 860(Tex.Crim. App.2013) 30 Hamilton v. State, No. 14-08-00175-CR(Tex.App.-Hou[14th]

2010)[unpublished] 51, 53, 54 Hanson v. State, 781 S.W.2d 445, 446(Tex.App.-Fort Worth 1989), abated 790 S.W.2d 656(Tex.Crim.App.1990) 31, 33 Hawkins v. State, 135 S.W.2d 72(Tex.Crim.App.2004) 56 Hearne v. State, 80 S.W.3d 677(Tex.App.-Hou[1st]2002)

no pet. 37 Holloway v. State, 446 S.W.3d 847(Tex.App.-Texarkana 2014) no pet. 50, 52 Hooper v. State, 214 S.W. 3d 9(Tex.Crim.App.2007) 26

Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781(1979) 25 Keenan v. State, 700 S.W.2d 12(Tex.App.-Amarillo1985)

no pet. 36 Kuciemba v. State, 310 S.W.3d 460(Tex.Crim.App.2010) 37, 38 Madden v. State, No. 02-08-007-CR(Tex.App.-Fort Worth2009)[unpublished] 53 Malik v. State, 953 S.W.2d 234(Tex.Crim.App.1997) 26 Mendoza v. State, 1 S.W.3d 829(Tex.App.-Corpus Christi 1999) pet. ref’d 56 Milam v. State, 976 S.W.2d 788(Tex.App.-Hou[1st]1998)

pet. ref’d 39 Murray v. State, No. PD-1230-14(Tex.Crim.App., April 15, 2015). 26, 34 Murray v. State, 440 S.W.3d 927(Tex.App.-Amarillo2014), rev’d, No. PD-1230-14(Tex.Crim.App., April 15, 2015) 34 Oliver v. State, 999 S.W.2d 596(Tex.App.-Hou[14th] 1999)

pet. ref’d 49, 52, 54

55

Onyekachi v. State, No. 05-12-00519-CR(Tex.App.-Dallas 2013)[unpublished] 31, 33 Pierce v. State, 234 S.W.3d 265(Tex. App.-Waco2007) pet.

ref’d 50, 52, 53 Randle v. State, 826 S.W.2d 943(Tex.Crim.App.1992) 50, 52, 55

56

Rodriguez v. State, No. 01-08-01038-CR(Tex.App.-Hou [1st]September 29, 2009)[unpublished] 40 Scillitani v. State,315 S.W.3d 542(Tex.Crim.App.2010) 39 Scillitani v. State, 297 S.W.3d 498(Tex.App.-Hou[14th]

2009), rev’d, 315 S.W.3d 542(Tex. Crim.App.2010) 33 Sharper v. State, 22 S.W.3d 557(Tex. App.-Texarkana2000)

no pet. 50, 53 State v. Pringle, No. 12-12-00286-CR(Tex.App.-Tyler, June 23, 2013)[unpublished] 50 Threet v. State, 157 Tex.Cr.R. 497, 250 S.W.2d 200(1952) 31 Wiseman v. State, 223 S.W.3d 45(Tex.App.-Hou[1st]2006)

pet. ref’d. 52, 55, 56 Wright v. State, 932 S.W.2d 572(Tex.App.-Tyler1995) no pet. 37, 39 Youens v. State, 988 S.W.2d 404(Tex.App.-Hou[1st]1999)

no pet. 39

Zavala v. State, 89 S.W.3d 134(Tex.App.-Corpus Christi 2002) no pet. 33

Statutes, Rules & Publications Tex.CodeCrim.Proc., Art. 2.03(b) 49 Art. 38.03 50 Art. 37.07, Secs. 4 54

Tex.PenalCode, Sec. 49.04(a) & (b) 8 Tex.R.App.Proc., Rule 44.2(a) 55

Texas DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Test Program: Student Manual (Revised 01/ 2002) 35

CAUSE NO. 03-14-00560-CR

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD SUPREME JUDICIAL DISTRICT

CHRISTOPHER NEWBERRY

Appellant

VS.

THE STATE OF TEXAS

Cause No. C1CR-14-209349, Travis County, Texas, County Court #5, Honorable, Nancy Hohengarten, presiding

BRIEF FOR APPELLANT

TO THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF THE COURT OF APPEALS:

COMES NOW, CHRISTOPHER NEWBERRY, appellant, and submits his brief in Travis County Cause No. C1CR-14-209349, and shows:

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

On or about August 7, 2014, on plea of not guilty, a jury convicted

appellant of driving while intoxicated, a class B misdemeanor. Tex.Penal Code, Sec. 49.04(a) & (b). The court assessed sentence of 120 days Travis County jail, no fine. Motion for New Trial apparently was timely filed. Notice of Appeal was filed prematurely on August 28, 2014, and Amended Notice of Appeal was filed October 14, 2015 (correcting defendant’s name in the body of the Notice). The reporter's record was filed December 16, 2014. After extensions of time to file, the brief was filed June 8, 2015.

POINTS OF ERROR

POINT OF ERROR NO. ONE: THE EVIDENCE IS INSUFFICIENT.

POINT OF ERROR NO. TWO: THE TRIAL COURT REVERSIBLY ERRED BY DENYING APPELLANT’S MOTION FOR MISTRIAL.

ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES

POINT OF ERROR NO. ONE: THE EVIDENCE IS INSUFFICIENT.

The information alleged in relevant part that appellant “on or about

June 9, 2014, did then and there operate a motor vehicle in a public place in Travis County, Texas, while intoxicated.” RR3-2-3. Appellant pleaded not guilty. RR3-3.

A. Evidence.

1. Ebony Knox.

Knox testified she was custodian of records for the Austin Police

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Related

Estelle v. Williams
425 U.S. 501 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Jackson v. Virginia
443 U.S. 307 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Deck v. Missouri
544 U.S. 622 (Supreme Court, 2005)
Zavala v. State
89 S.W.3d 134 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2002)
Kuciemba v. State
310 S.W.3d 460 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Sharper v. State
22 S.W.3d 557 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2000)
Chaloupka v. State
20 S.W.3d 172 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2000)
Hooper v. State
214 S.W.3d 9 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Ballard v. State
757 S.W.2d 389 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1988)
Archie v. State
221 S.W.3d 695 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Malik v. State
953 S.W.2d 234 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1997)
Russell v. State
790 S.W.2d 655 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1990)
Pierce v. State
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Oliver v. State
999 S.W.2d 596 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1999)
Hearne v. State
80 S.W.3d 677 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2002)
Threet v. State
250 S.W.2d 200 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1952)
Scillitani v. State
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Wiseman v. State
223 S.W.3d 45 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Coble v. State
330 S.W.3d 253 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Brooks v. State
323 S.W.3d 893 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2010)