Curtis Villareal v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided August 30, 2018·No. 01-17-00234-CR·Published

Opinion

Opinion issued August 30, 2018

In The

Court of Appeals

For The

First District of Texas

that he had twice been previously convicted of felony offenses, the jury assessed his punishment at confinement for thirty-five years. In three issues, appellant contends that his trial counsel provided him with ineffective assistance during both the guilt and punishment phases of trial and the trial court erred in admitting certain evidence during the punishment phase of trial.

We modify the trial court’s judgment and affirm as modified.

Background

The complainant, Yazan Barhoum, a taxi cab driver, testified that on the night of April 10, 2015, he picked up three passengers, two males and a female, in his cab from a restaurant. Although it was nighttime, the light from a streetlight at the restaurant allowed the complainant to see all three passengers before they entered his cab. Appellant sat next to the complainant in the front passenger seat of the cab, while the other male passenger and the female passenger sat in the backseat. The complainant “had an opportunity to observe [appellant]” during the approximately fifteen-minute drive to the passengers’ destination. Upon arrival, appellant, who was still seated next to the complainant in the cab, opened the front-passenger-side door of the cab and “act[ed] like he want[ed] to pay” the complainant and “like he[] [was] looking for his wallet.” Appellant then pushed the complainant and grabbed his cellular telephone and wallet. Although the complainant “tr[ied] to get [his] stuff back” and caught appellant by the back of the cab, the other male passenger, who

had also exited the cab, grabbed the complainant from behind and said, “We will shoot you.” As the other male passenger held him, the complainant looked straight at appellant and saw that he was holding a black firearm in his hand. Appellant said, “I will shoot you” and pointed the firearm at the complainant’s head, “even click[ing] it.”

The complainant then proceeded to “back up” and enter his cab, while appellant and the other passengers ran away to the “corner house.” The complainant watched to see where appellant and the other two passengers went, borrowed a cellular telephone from a person nearby, and called for emergency assistance. The complainant noted that when he initially called for emergency assistance, he identified one of the male passengers as “Spanish [with] . . . tattoos all on his face” and mistakenly stated that the other male passenger was black because he was stressed, under pressure, and scared. The complainant explained that neither of the male passengers in his cab that night was black, rather both were “Spanish with tattoos on [their] face and neck.” And the “initial description” that he gave to emergency-assistance personnel about the male passenger who had robbed him was that he was “a Latin person with face tattoos.” After law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, they detained the other male passenger, but appellant had “run[] away.”

Following the aggravated robbery, a law enforcement officer contacted the complainant about viewing a photographic array. On April 14, 2015, the complainant met with the officer, who showed him “some pictures,” and he signed a “Witness Admonishment” form.2 The officer also told the complainant that “if [he] recognize[d] the guy,” then he should circle that individual’s photograph.

According to the complainant, he recognized, in the photographic array, appellant, as the person who had robbed him and “almost kill[ed] him,” “[r]ight away” based on “his face.” Identifying appellant in court, the complainant explained that appellant was the person who he had identified in the photographic array, who had sat next to him in the front passenger seat of his cab, and who had pointed a firearm at him. None of the other individuals who the complainant had viewed in the photographic array was the person who had robbed him. He also stated, “I know that’s the guy,” indicating appellant.

The complainant further testified that he did not give anyone permission to take his cellular telephone or wallet on April 10, 2015, he felt “bad” and afraid when appellant pointed the firearm at his head, and he felt threatened with serious bodily injury or death. And appellant was the only person who the complainant saw with a firearm that night.

2 The trial court admitted into evidence the photographic array and the “Witness Admonishment” form signed by the complainant.

Admission of Evidence

In his second issue, appellant argues that the trial court erred in admitting, during the punishment phase of trial, the testimony of Harris County Sheriff’s Office Deputy W. Roush about his “alleged gang affiliation” because the evidence, in violation of his right against self-incrimination and right to counsel, was obtained “as a result of an unwarned and uncounseled interview” and he was harmed by its admission. See U.S. CONST. amends. V, VI; see also Estelle v. Smith, 451 U.S. 454, 101 S. Ct. 1866 (1981) (relied on by appellant). In a portion of his third issue, appellant further argues that the trial court reversibly erred in admitting such evidence because it was not admissible as reputation or character evidence. In response, the State asserts that appellant has not preserved his complaints for appellate review.

We review a trial court’s decision to admit evidence for an abuse of discretion.

See Rodriguez v. State, 203 S.W.3d 837, 841 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006). A trial court abuses its discretion if it acts arbitrarily, unreasonably, or without reference to any guiding rules or principles. Montgomery v. State, 810 S.W.2d 372, 380 (Tex. Crim. App. 1990). When considering a trial court’s decision to admit evidence, we will not reverse the trial court’s ruling unless it falls outside the “zone of reasonable disagreement.” Green v. State, 934 S.W.2d 92, 102 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996) (internal quotations omitted). We will uphold a trial court’s evidentiary ruling if it is correct

on any theory of law applicable to that ruling. De La Paz v. State, 279 S.W.3d 336, 344 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009). Fifth and Sixth Amendments The plain language of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects a defendant from compelled self-incrimination. Salinas v. State, 369 S.W.3d 176, 179 (Tex. Crim. App. 2012), aff’d, 570 U.S. 178, 133 S. Ct. 2174 (2013); Buentello v. State, 512 S.W.3d 508, 521 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2016, pet. ref’d); see U.S. CONST. amend. V (“No person . . . shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself . . . .”). It prohibits the use of statements made by a criminal defendant against himself if they are obtained through custodial interrogation without the necessary procedural safeguards to secure the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. See Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444, 86 S. Ct. 1602, 1612 (1966); Jones v. State, 119 S.W.3d 766, 772 (Tex. Crim. App. 2003); see also Herrera v. State, 241 S.W.3d 520, 525 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007) (“The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution commands that no person ‘shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself[.]” (alteration in original)).

The Sixth Amendment guarantees a criminal defendant the right to have counsel present at all “critical” stages of his prosecution. Montejo v. Louisiana, 556 U.S. 778, 786, 129 S. Ct. 2079, 2085 (2009); Carnell v. State, 535 S.W.3d 569, 571

(Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2017, no pet.); see U.S. CONST. amend. VI (“In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right . . . to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.”).

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

Curtis Villareal v. State, (Tex. Ct. App. 2018).

Curtis Villareal v. State (Curtis Villareal v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Miranda v. Arizona
384 U.S. 436 (Supreme Court, 1966)
Estelle v. Smith
451 U.S. 454 (Supreme Court, 1981)
Strickland v. Washington
466 U.S. 668 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Wiggins v. Smith, Warden
539 U.S. 510 (Supreme Court, 2003)
Montejo v. Louisiana
556 U.S. 778 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Harrington v. Richter
131 S. Ct. 770 (Supreme Court, 2011)
Salinas v. Texas
133 S. Ct. 2174 (Supreme Court, 2013)
Page v. State
125 S.W.3d 640 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003)
Colgin v. State
132 S.W.3d 526 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2004)
Aguilar v. State
29 S.W.3d 268 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2000)
Sakil v. State
287 S.W.3d 23 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Briggs v. State
789 S.W.2d 918 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1990)
Rivera v. State
123 S.W.3d 21 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2004)
Holland v. State
802 S.W.2d 696 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1991)
Mason v. State
905 S.W.2d 570 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1995)
Asberry v. State
813 S.W.2d 526 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1991)
Alfaro v. State
224 S.W.3d 426 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006)
Huizar v. State
12 S.W.3d 479 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2000)
Oliva v. State
942 S.W.2d 727 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1997)
Rodriguez v. State
203 S.W.3d 837 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2006)