Dassow v. State

646 S.W.2d 227
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 1, 1983
DocketNo. 411-82
StatusPublished

This text of 646 S.W.2d 227 (Dassow v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dassow v. State, 646 S.W.2d 227 (Tex. 1983).

Opinions

ON DENIAL OF STATE’S PETITION FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW

McCORMICK, Judge,

dissenting.

Appellant was convicted of murder and his punishment was assessed at twenty-five years. The Houston Court of Appeals, First Supreme Judicial District, in an unpublished opinion, reversed the conviction on the ground that the trial court erred in failing to charge the jury on the lesser included offense of voluntary manslaughter. Dassow v. State, No. 01—81-0627-CR (March 18, 1982).

[228]*228For a summary of the facts and evidence, I quote from the opinion of the Court of Appeals:

“The appellant and his friend, Larry Cha-pa, were inside a house located at 6314 North Main Street, Houston, Texas. Apparently, three men, Larry Chapa, Edgar Beaulieu, and Albert Spinnenweber, had been renting the home and living there. They were all acquainted with the appellant.
“Ill-will developed among the appellant, Edgar Beaulieu, and Albert Spinnenwe-ber. The men had been accusing each other of stealing each other’s possessions. “The appellant maintains that he moved into the house on August 18, 1980. He had paid rent to the owner of the house on August 21st and 23rd. The appellant and Larry Chapa were in the house when Albert Spinnenweber and the deceased, Edgar Beaulieu, returned home at about 7:30 p.m. on August 24.
“Albert Spinnenweber testified that when he and the deceased entered the house, the appellant jumped up and pointed the rifle at them. Spinnenweber gave the following account of the incident which lead up to the shooting:
“Q. (By the Prosecutor) Okay. What did you say to the defendant?
“A. Told him to get the f_out of the house.
“Q. You said it just like that?
“A. Just like that.
“Q. What did Edgar say, if anything?
“A. He said the same thing.
“Q. What was the defendant doing this entire time?
“A. Still holding the gun on us, and after we told him to get the f_out of the house, he said: No. You get the f_out.
“Q. After you and Edgar told him to get the f-out of there, and after he told you the same, what happened, if anything?
“A. We started arguing back and forth.
“Q. What was the closest that you or Eddie got to this defendant while ya’ll were standing in the living room?
“A. Fifteen foot.
“Q. Okay. At any time did you decide to leave the premises.
“A. As soon as he threw the gun down on us.
“Q. What did you say at that time, if anything?
“A. I grabbed a hold of Eddie’s left arm, and I said: Come on Eddie. Let’s just get out of here.
“Q. What did Eddie say, if anything?
“A. He threw his arms up like this, and said: F_, no. This is our house. We live here.
“Q. Do you know whether or not Eddie had been drinking?
“A. Yes, he had been.
“Q. Did you ever hear him threaten the defendant besides saying: F- you. It’s my house. Did he ever say: I’m going to kill you, or I’m going to hurt you?
“A. No, he did not.
“Q. Did he ever advance toward the defendant?
“A. No, he did not.
“Q. What happened after Eddie threw up his hands and you were trying to go outside, if anything?
“A. Then he shot.
“The appellant testified to a different version of the argument which led up to the shooting:
“Q. (By the Defense Attorney) What happened? Tell the ladies and gentlemen of the jury what happened when Albert Spinnenweber and Edgar Beau-lieu came through the door?
“A. (By the Appellant) Well, at first, I heard a knock, and I was about half asleep. So I woke up, and the door catches on the corner. They had to use force, you know, to push it open. They had unlocked the door.
“Q. After they came in, what happened?
“A. Well, there was an argument.
“Q. Between who?
[229]*229“A. Between Edgar Beaulieu and Albert Spinnenweber and me.
“Q. Okay. Tell the ladies and gentlemen on the jury what the argument was about.
“A. It was about who had possession of the house.
“Q. Did you ever tell these people that you had paid rent to live there?
“A. No, I hadn’t.
“Q. Did they ever ask you?
“A. No, they didn’t.
“Q. What did they tell you?
“A. Told me to get the F out of there.
“Q. Did you tell them you were going to leave, or you weren’t going to leave?
“A. I told them I wasn’t going to leave, because I paid rent.
“Q. All right. How far apart were you and Edgar and Albert at that time?
“A. Twelve feet, fifteen feet.
“Q. Okay. Did you have your gun at that time?
“A. I had picked it up yes, when the argument started.
“Q. What did Albert Spinnenweber do?
“A. He went into the bedroom.
“Q. What did Edgar Beaulieu do?
“A.

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Related

Daniels v. State
633 S.W.2d 899 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1982)
Royster v. State
622 S.W.2d 442 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1981)
Lindsey v. State
608 S.W.2d 230 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1980)

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Bluebook (online)
646 S.W.2d 227, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dassow-v-state-texcrimapp-1983.