Eddings v. State

876 S.W.2d 551, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 1206, 1994 WL 195466
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 18, 1994
DocketNo. 09-93-061 CR
StatusPublished

This text of 876 S.W.2d 551 (Eddings 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
Eddings v. State, 876 S.W.2d 551, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 1206, 1994 WL 195466 (Tex. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

OPINION

BROOKSHIRE, Justice.

In mid April, 1992, the appellant, Eddings, was charged with driving while intoxicated in Orange County. The appellant, a practicing attorney, was notified by Orange County Clerk’s letter of July 31, 1992, to appear in person on August 11, 1992, for arraignment before the judge of the County Court at Law, Orange County. The appellant appeared as directed and waived arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty. Subsequently the case was set for a trial on the merits for February 15, 1993. On this February date the case was called for trial. Appellant again entered a plea of not guilty.

Appellant maintains that there was no knowing, intelligent and voluntary (either written or oral) waiver of a jury by the appellant. Trial was before the court without a jury. Appellant made no objection to the bench trial. Defendant was found guilty of driving while intoxicated. The court set the punishment at a $300 fine and court costs, and six months in jail, probated for a period of six months.

The appellant presents a sole point of error.

The Trial Court erred in proceeding to trial without a jury because there was no knowing and intelligent waiver by appellant of his right to a trial by jury.

In his brief, the appellant recites that on April 11,1992, at approximately 1:50 a.m. the appellant, Michael C. Eddings, was stopped and arrested while travelling west bound on I — 10 in Orange County, just west of the Sabine River bridge. The appellant had been to the horse races at Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana. He was a licensed owner and had horses competing in sanctioned races. Appellant was in route home to his residence on Bonnie Glen, Kingwood, Harris County.

Appellant insists that a careful review of the entire record does not reflect a waiver of the appellant’s right to a jury trial by the appellant. Appellant insists on appeal that a defendant in a misdemeanor case has the same right to a trial by jury as a defendant charged with a felony. Concededly, a defendant charged with a felony less than capital may waive his right to a jury trial, but the waiver must be in person by the defendant in writing and in open court with the consent of the court and the State. Tex.Code Crim.ProcAnn. art. 1.13 (Vernon Supp.1994).

Appellant places major reliance on Samudio v. State, 648 S.W.2d 312 (Tex.Crim.App.), cert. denied, 462 U.S. 1132, 103 S.Ct. 3113, 77 L.Ed.2d 1368 (1983). Also see and compare Lamb v. State, 409 S.W.2d 418 (Tex.Crim.App.1966).

Appellant argues that the right of an accused in a misdemeanor offense to a trial by a constitutional jury, must be jealously guarded and that the maintenance of a jury of peers as a fact finding body in criminal cases is of such importance and gravity that, before any waiver can be affected, the consent of the court must be had and in addition thereto there must have existed the expressed, knowing, intelligent consent of the defendant himself. Samudio, supra. At the heart of the appellant’s argument is the constitutional safeguard that a waiver of jury is not to be and cannot be presumed from a silent record on a direct appeal. Id. Simply put, there must be some affirmative, expressed, knowing, and intelligent waiver on the part of the misdemeanor defendant to effectively waive that defendant’s right of trial by jury. Appellant’s argument does not claim that the waiver must be in writing.

The prosecution’s response is that the appellant waived any objection to being tried and convicted without a jury trial, when he (along with his trial counsel) failed to object to proceeding to trial without a jury. The State argues that appellant also made a waiver at the time of sentencing. The State relies, in part, on this: “Thereupon the said [553]*553defendant was asked by the court whether he had anything to say why sentence should not be pronounced upon him and he answered nothing in bar thereof.” However, the State’s arguments under recent decisional precedents are not persuasive. Meek v. State, 851 S.W.2d 868 (Tex.Crim.App.1993); State ex rel. Curry v. Carr, 847 S.W.2d 561 (Tex.Crim.App.1992).

Further the State argues either the appellant or his attorney, Terry Collins, called and requested a bench trial. An implied oral waiver of a jury trial (from someone) is reflected on the docket sheets. The cause was more than once set for a bench trial according to the docket entries.

Then, the County Court at Law mailed to the appellant’s attorney a letter on October 8, 1992, stating the following:

RE: 59654; MICHAEL EDDINGS (BENCH TRIAL)
Dear Sir:
This is to advise you that the above numbered and entitled cause of action is set for a bench trial on the 10th day of November, 1992, at 1:30 p.m.

The cause was reset apparently twice. Therefore, a second letter mailed on or about January 8, 1993, was issued by the County Court at Law. This second letter was mailed to appellant’s counsel. The second letter set the cause for a bench trial and was virtually the same as the first letter.

Then, on February 15, 1993, the appellant appeared in open court with his attorney. The presiding judge asked the defense if they were ready to proceed. Counsel for appellant responded by saying: “Yes, sir. Thank you Judge, we are ready.” The bench trial began without objection from appellant or his attorney of record.

On the pertinent criminal docket sheets, the only two entries that we think are relevant merely state:

1/11/93 Set for a bench trial 2-15-93 at 1:30 p.m.
2/15/93 Bench trial 1:37 p.m. Testimony evidence Guilty. $300 fine & costs.
[[Image here]]
Mar 8/93 Bench Trial — judgment and sentence.

There is another docket entry using a printed stamp for March 8, 1993, stating:

Mar 8/93 Bench Trial. Defendant arraigned; Information read; The Defendant having waived right to counsel, and although duly admonished by the Court, entered a plea of guilty; a jury being waived, the evidence was heard before the Court, and the Defendant was found to be guilty of the offense charged....

The docket sheet indicated that the defendant’s six months jail time is probated for six months.

However, there was a separate, formal judgment and sentence distinct from the docket entries. This judgment and sentence provided, inter alia, for the terms and conditions of probation. In that formal judgment and sentence we do not see that any type of waiver of a right of trial by jury was recited in the formal judgment and sentence signed by the trial court and entered March 8,1993. Undoubtedly the appellant pleaded not guilty in open court at trial. This definitely contradicts the last docket sheet entry.

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Related

Meek v. State
851 S.W.2d 868 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1993)
Lamb v. State
409 S.W.2d 418 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1966)
State Ex Rel. Curry v. Carr
847 S.W.2d 561 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1993)
Samudio v. State
648 S.W.2d 312 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1983)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
876 S.W.2d 551, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 1206, 1994 WL 195466, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eddings-v-state-texapp-1994.