Davis v. State

315 S.W.3d 908, 2010 Tex. App. LEXIS 4880, 2010 WL 2572781
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 29, 2010
Docket14-09-00192-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 315 S.W.3d 908 (Davis 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
Davis v. State, 315 S.W.3d 908, 2010 Tex. App. LEXIS 4880, 2010 WL 2572781 (Tex. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

OPINION

WILLIAM J. BOYCE, Justice.

A jury found appellant Christopher Connley Davis guilty of aggravated robbery and assessed his punishment at ten years’ confinement. Appellant appeals from this first degree felony conviction, and we affirm.

Background

Around 11:30 p.m. on April 20, 2008, complainant Jonathan Diaz went to a nearby store to purchase diapers for his daughter. When he returned to his apartment complex, the complainant felt uneasy when he noticed a man sitting in the bushes. Complainant observed the man in his rear view mirror getting out of the bushes and then walking past the passenger side of complainant’s vehicle. As the complainant exited his car, the man stopped walking, turned around, reached under his shirt, pulled out a gun, and pointed it at the complainant. The complainant heard the gunman cock his gun and state, “You know what this is. Give me what you got.” The complainant gave the gunman his money clip, cell phone, and keys. The gunman asked the complainant for cash, but the complainant told the gunman that he did not have any cash.

Appellant, also holding a gun in his hand, ran up to the gunman and asked him if he had retrieved any cash from the complainant. When the gunman told appellant that the complainant did not have any cash, appellant stated, “I feel deceived -I am going to shoot him.” Ap *912 pellant noticed that the complainant was staring at him from this close distance, so appellant covered his face with his t-shirt and told the complainant to stop looking at him. Appellant kept telling the other gunman that he would shoot the complainant and that he did not care.

The gunman tried to convince appellant not to shoot the complainant. The gunman looked at the diaper box the complainant had purchased and told appellant, “[N]o, no let’s not do it. There’s no cash on him. He don’t have anything. Let’s just go. He is [sic] probably got a kid.” The complainant looked at appellant — who was still pointing a gun at the complainant — and offered to let appellant search him. Appellant then searched the complainant. When appellant could not find any cash on the complainant, he kept the complainant’s cell phone but threw away the complainant’s keys. Appellant instructed the complainant to look down on the ground and threatened to shoot the complainant if he looked up. Appellant and the gunman ran away. The complainant called the police.

The complainant later identified appellant as one of the robbers on a photo spread; the complainant confirmed he was one hundred percent sure appellant robbed him. The complainant also identified appellant at trial, testifying he had “no doubt at all” that appellant robbed him. A jury found appellant guilty of aggravated robbery and assessed his punishment at ten years’ confinement. Appellant timely appealed, raising six issues.

Analysis

I. Voir Dire

In his first issue, appellant argues that the trial court “erred in refusing a proper question on jury voir dire.” The State contends that the trial court properly refused the question because it was an improper commitment question.

The trial court has broad discretion over the process of selecting a jury. Sells v. State, 121 S.W.3d 748, 755 (Tex.Crim.App.2003) (en banc). We will not disturb the trial court’s ruling on the propriety of a particular question during voir dire absent an abuse of discretion. Id.

A voir dire question is proper if it is crafted to uncover a prospective juror’s preexisting prejudice or bias on an issue applicable to the case. Sanchez v. State, 165 S.W.3d 707, 712 (Tex.Crim.App. 2005) (en banc). A commitment question is one that commits a prospective juror to resolve or to refrain from resolving an issue a certain way after learning of a particular fact. Lydia v. State, 109 S.W.3d 495, 498 (Tex.Crim.App.2003) (citing Stan-defer v. State, 59 S.W.3d 177, 179 (Tex.Crim.App.2001)). A voir dire question becomes an improper commitment question when it is intended to create a bias or prejudice in a venire member before the prospective juror has heard the evidence. Sanchez, 165 S.W.3d at 712.

To determine whether a question is an improper commitment question, we consider whether the question (1) is a commitment question; and (2) includes only those facts that lead to a valid challenge for cause. Standefer v. State, 59 S.W.3d 177, 179-82 (Tex.Crim.App.2001). Accordingly, a commitment question is improper when (1) the law does not require the commitment, such that a juror would not be disqualified for cause by being influenced by a particular fact or by having a particular attitude or opinion; or (2) it also includes facts in addition to those necessary to establish a challenge for cause. Sanchez, 165 S.W.3d at 712.

In this case, appellant’s trial counsel inquired, “Let’s talk about factors in a sec *913 tion of the sentence in a case of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, what factors do y’all think are important?” 1 This question, although open-ended, is a commitment question because it “asks the prospective juror[s] to set hypothetical parameters” for their decision-making. See Standefer, 59 S.W.3d at 180 (question asking “What circumstances in your opinion warrant the imposition of the death penalty?” was a commitment question).

Trial counsel’s commitment question was improper because the law does not require a commitment. See Sells, 121 S.W.3d at 757-58; Standefer, 59 S.W.3d at 181-82. A “prospective juror is not challengeable for cause simply because he does not consider a particular type of evidence to be mitigating.” Standefer, 59 S.W.3d at 181. Whether a juror considers a particular type of evidence to be mitigating is therefore not a proper inquiry. Id. at 181-82; see also Sells, 121 S.W.3d at 757-58. Trial counsel’s question was an improper commitment question, and the trial court acted within its discretion by refusing to allow trial counsel to ask it. See Sells, 121 S.W.3d at 757-58; Standefer, 59 S.W.3d at 181.

We overrule appellant’s first issue.

II. Admission of Evidence During Punishment Phase

In his second through sixth issues, appellant contends the trial court erred by allowing the State to introduce evidence of (1) another aggravated robbery; (2) appellant’s participation in the spray-painting of graffiti depicting gang symbols; (3) appellant’s poor grades in high school; (4) appellant’s school disciplinary records; and (5) appellant’s jail disciplinary record. We address each issue in turn.

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Bluebook (online)
315 S.W.3d 908, 2010 Tex. App. LEXIS 4880, 2010 WL 2572781, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-state-texapp-2010.