Douglas Dwane Shirley v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided September 6, 2006·No. 10-05-00027-CR·Published

Opinion

IN THE

TENTH COURT OF APPEALS

 

No. 10-05-00027-CR

Douglas Dwane Shirley,

                                                                      Appellant

 v.

The State of Texas,

                                                                      Appellee


From the 271st District Court

Jack County, Texas

Trial Court No. 3,802

MEMORANDUM  Opinion

Appellant has filed a motion to dismiss his appeal.  See Tex. R. App. P. 42.2(a); McClain v. State, 17 S.W.3d 310, 311 (Tex. App.—Waco 2000, no pet.).  We have not issued a decision in this appeal, and Appellant has personally signed the motion.  Accordingly, the appeal is dismissed.

PER CURIAM

Before Chief Justice Gray,

Justice Vance, and

Justice Reyna

(Chief Justice Gray dissenting)

Appeal dismissed

Opinion delivered and filed September 6, 2006

Do not publish

[CR25]

'>BACKGROUND

          Harrison was tried for murdering and causing serious bodily injury to his eight-month-old son.  The baby lived with the baby’s mother, grandmother, and his mother’s brothers and sisters.  The baby’s mother testified that Harrison stayed at the house the night before the baby died.  She had put the baby to bed in her room with Harrison while she took a shower.  While she was showering, she heard the baby crying.  When she returned to her room, the baby was having a hard time breathing and looked sleepy.  A few minutes later, the baby vomited.  The baby threw up twice more and also fell out of the bed during the night.

The following morning, the grandmother took the mother to school.  The grandmother and one of the mother’s brothers were taking the baby to the doctor when the baby stopped breathing.  They stopped at a police station, and an officer attempted CPR on the baby.  The baby was taken to a hospital.

A forensic pathologist testified that the baby died of blunt force trauma to the abdomen.  He testified that the baby had many older injuries and bruises in addition to the trauma that resulted in his death.  He estimated that the fatal injuries occurred within fourteen hours before the baby died.  He said that after receiving this kind of injury, a baby would likely cry, have breathing difficulties, vomit, and appear sleepy.

Harrison did not testify.  A statement made by Harrison to police was admitted into evidence.  In the statement, Harrison states that he and his son would “play-fight” and that Harrison would “softly hit him” in the body.  The officer who took the statement testified that Harrison told him that he could have hit the baby too hard.  A different officer testified that in the course of being taken to jail, Harrison mumbled “I killed him” under his breath. 

After booking Harrison, that officer said to Harrison, “Now you confessed to having killed your son, didn’t you?”  Harrison responded, “What are you—what are you talking about?  I didn’t say anything like that.”  Two child witnesses for the defense testified that the baby’s mother’s youngest sister told them that she had killed her nephew.

Harrison brings five issues on appeal:  (1) the trial court erred in allowing the State, during guilt-innocence, to ask questions about Harrison’s prior assault convictions; (2) the trial court erred in entering the deadly-weapon finding because the State failed to give proper notice of its intent to seek a deadly-weapon finding; (3) the evidence was factually and legally insufficient to support a deadly-weapon finding; (4) the evidence was factually and legally insufficient to prove that the manner and means of inflicting the injury was unknown to the grand jury; and (5) the evidence was factually and legally insufficient to support both counts because of inconsistent findings.

          We will reverse the judgment and remand the case to the trial court.

Deadly-Weapon Issues 

          Harrison’s second issue argues that he did not receive adequate notice of the State’s intent to seek a deadly-  deadly "fied defendant was "he deadly-weapon finding and affirm.theweapon finding.  The State responds that the indictment placed the defendant on notice because it charged Harrison with “an act clearly dangerous to human life, to-wit: striking [victim] about the body with a blunt object unknown to the grand jury, that caused the death of [victim].”

          A defendant is entitled to notice that the State will seek an affirmative finding that a deadly weapon was used during the commission of the offense.  Ex parte Brooks, 847 S.W.2d 247, 248 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993); see Grettenburg v. State, 790 S.W.2d 613, 614 (Tex. Crim. App. 1990) (accused is only entitled to notice, in some form, that use of deadly weapon will be a fact issue at trial).  An allegation in the indictment that a weapon or object caused death or serious bodily injury is sufficient notice for a deadly weapon finding.  Ex parte Beck, 769 S.W.2d 525, 526-27 (Tex. Crim. App. 1989).

Even if the object is not identified, a factfinder may affirmatively find that a deadly weapon was used.  See Gordon v. State, 2005 WL 2158824 at *2 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth Sept. 8, 2005, no pet. h.); Regan v. State, 7 S.W.3d 813, 819-20 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1999, pet. ref’d); Stanul v. State, 870 S.W.2d 329, 333 n.3 (Tex. App.—Austin 1994, pet. ref’d); Mixon v. State, 781 S.W.2d 345, 346-47  (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1989, aff’d, 804 S.W.2d 107, 108 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991) (adopting part of court of appeals’ opinion that deadly weapon finding may be made even if object is not identified).  A deadly weapon can be “anything that in the manner of its use or intended use is capable of causing death or serious bodily injury.”  Tex. Pen. Code § 1.07(a)(17)(B)

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