Corea v. State

52 S.W.3d 311, 2001 Tex. App. LEXIS 4314, 2001 WL 722836
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 28, 2001
Docket01-98-01351-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by69 cases

This text of 52 S.W.3d 311 (Corea 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
Corea v. State, 52 S.W.3d 311, 2001 Tex. App. LEXIS 4314, 2001 WL 722836 (Tex. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinions

OPINION

WILSON, Justice.

The trial court found appellant, Juan Carlos Corea, guilty of possession with intent to deliver of four grams or more, but less than 200 grams, of cocaine. See Tex. Health & Safety Code ANN. § 481.112 (Vernon Supp. 2000). The trial court assessed punishment at 10-years imprisonment and a $1,000 fíne. The trial court then probated appellant’s confinement and placed appellant on 10-years community supervision. Appellant appeals with two points of error. We reverse.

Facts

In the course of a burglary investigation, Houston police officers obtained information from the burglary suspect that he had turned stolen property over to appellant. Officers Stivers, Wiener, and Cobbs wanted to speak with appellant about a stolen Rolex watch and two diamond rings, and the officers went to the apartment complex where appellant lived. The officers initially spoke with the apartment manager, learning that appellant and his mother were co-lessees and that appellant’s brother, sister, and brother-in-law (Selvin Yag-uas) also occupied the apartment, but were not lessees.

The officers then went to appellant’s apartment. Yaguas, appellant’s brother-in-law, answered the door and informed the officers that no one else was present. The officers asked for Yaguas’s written consent to search the apartment, which he gave. Yaguas showed the officers appellant’s room and told them appellant was the room’s only occupant. The door was open, and there were no locks on the door. While searching appellant’s room, Officer Weiner found a paper bag containing cocaine in appellant’s closet. At '¿rial, appellant stipulated to the admission of the cocaine.

Appellant’s trial counsel cross-examined Officer Stivers as follows:

Q ... [W]hile you were in the apartment, Selvin Yaguas, when he pointed out the defendant’s bedroom, he told you, no one else lives in that bedroom but the defendant, didn’t he?
A. That’s correct, sir.
Q. And that’s what’s — okay.
Did you ask him at that moment if this is the defendant’s bedroom and no one lives there but him, how is it you are giving me consent to search that bedroom?
A. No, sir. There was no lock on the door, the door was open and I was getting the consent to search the premises.
Q. Is it your answer you didn’t ask Mr. Yaguas any more questions about that bedroom after he told you this is the defendant’s bedroom, no cne lives in it but the defendant?
A. That’s correct.
Q. All right. Did he sign the consent form before he told you that was the defendant’s bedroom and no one lives there but the defendant?
A. I don’t recall.

This was the only evidence presented regarding Yaguas authority to consent to the search of appellant’s bedroom.

The trial court made the following oral findings of fact and conclusions of law:

[315]*315THE COURT: Your basis for the Motion to Suppress is Rearden [sic] v. State, the Austin case I believe where the people went to the residence; they got consent to search the premises from a lady who lived on the property, property meaning the actual ground but in a dwelling different and apart from the residence or habitation or habiliment [sic] that were actually in fact served. Excuse me, that is not the case and I find this case distinguishable.

The officers went to the manager’s office. They checked and found not only the defendant on the lease but the others on the lease. I think they were acting properly within the scope of their tip and their investigation of the case.

I think they had that information properly before them. They determined that Selvin Yaguas has apparent authority to allow them in the premises and give consent to search.

Now — so, therefore, I find that they were properly in the place and had apparently authority and actual consent to search the premises.

It wasn’t like they found a third person there who had absolutely no connection to the premises and then relied on that, just a facial or pretextual consent to search.

The Court finds they did have consent to search the premises. Now whether the Court of Appeals when they grade my papers agrees with me or agrees with you, that’s another moment [sic].

Discussion

In point of error one, appellant claims the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress. Appellant relies on the opinion of the Austin Court of Appeals in Riordan v. State, which is the same case he argued before the trial court. Riordan, 905 S.W.2d 765 (Tex.App.—Austin 1995, no pet.). We agree with appellant that the reasoning and holding in Riordan are applicable to the facts of this case.

In a suppression hearing, the trial court is the sole trier of fact and judge of the credibility of the witnesses and the weight to be given their testimony. Allridge v. State, 850 S.W.2d 471, 492 (Tex.Crim.App.1991); Romero v. State, 800 S.W.2d 539, 543 (Tex.Crim.App.1990). The trial court may accept or reject all or any part of a witness’s testimony. Taylor v. State, 604 S.W.2d 175, 177 (Tex.Crim.App.1980). In reviewing the trial court’s decision, an appellate court does not engage in its own factual review; it determines only whether the record supports the trial court’s fact findings. Romero, 800 S.W.2d at 543. If the trial court’s fact findings are supported by the record, an appellate court is not at liberty to disturb the findings absent an abuse of discretion. Cantu v. State, 817 S.W.2d 74, 77 (Tex.Crim.App.1991); Dancy v. State, 728 S.W.2d 772, 777 (Tex.Crim.App.1987). On appellate review, the court will address only the question of whether the trial court properly applied the law to the facts. Romero, 800 S.W.2d at 543.

The basic purpose of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is to safeguard the privacy and security of individuals against arbitrary invasions by governmental officials. See Berger v. New York, 388 U.S. 41, 53, 87 S.Ct. 1873, 1880, 18 L.Ed.2d 1040 (1967); Juarez v. State, 758 S.W.2d 772, 775 (Tex.Crim.App.1988), overruled on other grounds by Boyle v. State, 820 S.W.2d 122, 132 n. 10 (Tex.Crim.App.1989).

One of the specifically established exceptions to the requirements of both a warrant and probable cause is a search that is conducted pursuant to consent. Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 [316]*316U.S. 218, 219, 93 S.Ct. 2041, 2043-44, 36 L.Ed.2d 854 (1973). The protections afforded by the Fourth Amendment may be waived by an individual consenting to a search. Paprskar v. State,

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Bluebook (online)
52 S.W.3d 311, 2001 Tex. App. LEXIS 4314, 2001 WL 722836, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/corea-v-state-texapp-2001.