Don Doyle Gordon, Jr. v. the State of Texas

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 10, 2022
Docket10-21-00194-CR
StatusPublished

This text of Don Doyle Gordon, Jr. v. the State of Texas (Don Doyle Gordon, Jr. v. the State of Texas) 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
Don Doyle Gordon, Jr. v. the State of Texas, (Tex. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

IN THE TENTH COURT OF APPEALS

No. 10-21-00194-CR

DON DOYLE GORDON, JR., Appellant v.

THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

From the 18th District Court Johnson County, Texas Trial Court No. DC-F202100483

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Appellant, Don Doyle Gordon, was convicted of one count of burglary of a

habitation with intent to commit a felony and one count of stalking. See TEX. PENAL CODE

ANN. §§ 30.02, 42.072. In three issues, Gordon challenges the sufficiency of the evidence

supporting his convictions in both counts, and he contends that the trial court erred by

allowing testimony of a prior bad act in violation of Texas Rules of Evidence 403 and

404(b). See TEX. R. EVID. 403, 404(b). We affirm. Background

Gordon was charged by indictment with one count of burglary of habitation with

intent to commit a felony and one count of stalking. The indictment also contained two

enhancement paragraphs that referenced Gordon’s prior felony convictions for

possession of a controlled substance of four grams or more, but less than 200 grams, and

burglary of a habitation. After a trial, the jury found Gordon guilty of both charges and

also found the second enhancement paragraph to be true for both charges. 1 For the

offense of burglary of a habitation with intent to commit a felony, the jury assessed

punishment at sixty years in prison with a $10,000 fine. For the stalking offense, the jury

assessed punishment at twenty years in prison with a $10,000 fine. The trial court

certified Gordon’s right of appeal. Gordon filed a motion for new trial, which was

overruled by operation of law. See TEX. R. APP. P. 21.8(c). This appeal followed.

Stalking

In his second issue, Gordon challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting

his conviction for stalking. Specifically, Gordon contends that the evidence is insufficient

because J.B., the complainant, took part in harassing behavior as much as Gordon, and

because J.B. initiated most contact between the two parties. Gordon further asserts that

1 The State waived the first enhancement paragraph pertaining to Gordon’s prior drug offense.

Gordon v. State Page 2 the evidence shows communication and emotional reactions by both Gordon and J.B.

based on efforts to maintain a failing relationship.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

The Court of Criminal Appeals has expressed our standard of review of a

sufficiency issue as follows:

When addressing a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, we consider whether, after viewing all of the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S. Ct. 2781, 61 L. Ed. 2d 560 (1979); Villa v. State, 514 S.W.3d 227, 232 (Tex. Crim. App. 2017). This standard requires the appellate court to defer “to the responsibility of the trier of fact fairly to resolve conflicts in the testimony, to weigh the evidence, and to draw reasonable inferences from basic facts to ultimate facts.” Jackson, 443 U.S. at 319, 99 S. Ct. 2781. We may not re-weigh the evidence or substitute our judgment for that of the factfinder. Williams v. State, 235 S.W.3d 742, 750 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007). The court conducting a sufficiency review must not engage in a “divide and conquer” strategy but must consider the cumulative force of all the evidence. Villa, 514 S.W.3d at 232. Although juries may not speculate about the meaning of facts or evidence, juries are permitted to draw any reasonable inferences from the facts so long as each inference is supported by the evidence presented at trial. Cary v. State, 507 S.W.3d 750, 757 (Tex. Crim. App. 2016) (citing Jackson, 443 U.S. at 319, 99 S. Ct. 2781); see also Hooper v. State, 214 S.W.3d 9, 16-17 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007). We presume that the factfinder resolved any conflicting inferences from the evidence in favor of the verdict, and we defer to that resolution. Merritt v. State, 368 S.W.3d 516, 525 (Tex. Crim. App. 2012). This is because the jurors are the exclusive judges of the facts, the credibility of the witnesses, and the weight to be given to the testimony. Brooks v. State, 323 S.W.3d 893, 899 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010). Direct evidence and circumstantial evidence are equally probative, and circumstantial evidence alone may be sufficient to uphold a conviction so long as the cumulative force of all the incriminating circumstances is sufficient to support the conviction. Ramsey v. State, 473 S.W.3d 805, 809 (Tex. Crim. App. 2015); Hooper, 214 S.W.3d at 13.

Gordon v. State Page 3 We measure whether the evidence presented at trial was sufficient to support a conviction by comparing it to “the elements of the offense as defined by the hypothetically correct jury charge for the case.” Malik v. State, 953 S.W.2d 234, 240 (Tex. Crim. App. 1997). The hypothetically correct jury charge is one that “accurately sets out the law, is authorized by the indictment, does not unnecessarily increase the State's burden of proof or unnecessarily restrict the State's theories of liability, and adequately describes the particular offense for which the defendant was tried.” Id.; see also Daugherty v. State, 387 S.W.3d 654, 665 (Tex. Crim. App. 2013). The “law as authorized by the indictment” includes the statutory elements of the offense and those elements as modified by the indictment. Daugherty, 387 S.W.3d at 665.

Zuniga v. State, 551 S.W.3d 729, 732-33 (Tex. Crim. App. 2018).

APPLICABLE LAW

In the instant case, the indictment alleged numerous instances of stalking by

Gordon on different days over the course of a couple of weeks, including calling J.B.

repeatedly, sending J.B. repeated electronic communications, and showing up and

entering J.B.’s residence without her permission. Under the Penal Code, a person

commits the offense of stalking if, as relevant here:

the person, on more than one occasion and pursuant to the same scheme or course of conduct that is directed specifically at another person, knowingly engages in conduct that:

(1) constitutes an offense under Section 42.07 [the harassment statute], or that the actors knows or reasonably should know the other person will regard as threatening: . . . bodily injury or death for the other person;

(2) causes the other person . . . to be placed in fear of bodily injury or death . . . or to feel harassed, annoyed, alarmed, abused, tormented, embarrassed, or offended; and

Gordon v. State Page 4 (3) would cause a reasonable person to . . . fear bodily injury or death for . . . herself; . . . or feel harassed, annoyed, alarmed, abused, tormented, embarrassed, or offended.

TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 42.072(a).

Section 42.07 defines the offense of harassment. A person harasses another if,

“with intent to harass, annoy, alarm, abuse, torment, or embarrass another, the person,”

as relevant here, “threatens, in a manner reasonably likely to alarm the person receiving

the threat, to inflict bodily injury on the person or to commit a felony against the person,”

“causes the telephone of another to ring repeatedly,” or “sends repeated electronic

communications in a manner reasonably likely to harass, annoy, alarm, abuse, torment,

embarrass, or offend another.” Id.

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

Related

Jackson v. Virginia
443 U.S. 307 (Supreme Court, 1979)
United States v. Bowie, Juan
232 F.3d 923 (D.C. Circuit, 2000)
Prible v. State
175 S.W.3d 724 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2005)
Powell v. State
189 S.W.3d 285 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2006)
Hooper v. State
214 S.W.3d 9 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Williams v. State
235 S.W.3d 742 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Malik v. State
953 S.W.2d 234 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1997)
Lancon v. State
253 S.W.3d 699 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2008)
Ellett v. State
607 S.W.2d 545 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1980)
Render v. State
316 S.W.3d 846 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Gigliobianco v. State
210 S.W.3d 637 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2006)
Moses v. State
105 S.W.3d 622 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2003)
Hammer v. State
296 S.W.3d 555 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Daggett v. State
187 S.W.3d 444 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2005)
Brooks v. State
323 S.W.3d 893 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Conner v. State
67 S.W.3d 192 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2001)
De La Paz v. State
279 S.W.3d 336 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Ransom v. State
920 S.W.2d 288 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1996)
Jones v. State
944 S.W.2d 642 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1996)
Santellan v. State
939 S.W.2d 155 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1997)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Don Doyle Gordon, Jr. v. the State of Texas, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/don-doyle-gordon-jr-v-the-state-of-texas-texapp-2022.