Edwards, Keith Wayne

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided April 22, 2015·No. PD-0224-15·Published

Opinion

CAUSE NO. XZH*tS ORIGINAL IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL

APPEALS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS

RECEIVED IN KEITH WAYNE EDWARDS W 20 2015 PETITIONER PRO SE Abaltosfa, Clerk VS.

THE STATE OF TEXAS

PETITIONER IN CAUSE NO. F12-16761-K

FROM THE

4TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT FILED IN OF COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS APR 2 2 2015 DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS

AND THE Abel Acosta, Clerk COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE

FIFTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

IN DALLAS, TEXAS

PETITION FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW

KEITH WAYNE EDWARDS #1877647 T.D.C.J. UNIT RAMSEY 1

1100 FM 65£

ROSHASON, TEXAS 77583

(COVER) TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT 2

STATEMENT OF THE CASE 2

GROUND FOR REVIEW 2-5 PRAYER FOR EWVIEW 6 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 6

CASE LAWS

BRECHEEN V. STATE, 372 S.W.3d 706 (Tex. App.-Eastland 5 BROOKS V. STATE, 323 S.W.3d 893 (Tex. Crim. App 4 CHAMBERS V. STATE, 805 S.W.2d 459 3 EX PARTE MAYBRY, 137 S.W.3d 58 (Tex.,Crim. App 3 GONZALEZ V. STATE, No. 05-13-00630-CR, Tex. App. LEXIS 7584, *15 (Tex. App.-Dallas July 14, 2014, no pet.h. 5 ISASSI V. STATE, 425 S.W.3d 900 3 JACKSON V. VIRGINIA, 443 U.S. 307 . 4 MONTGOMERY V. STATE, 369 S.W.3d 188 3 SAXTON V. STATE, 804 S.W.2d 910 3&5 THORTON V. STATE, 425 S.W.3d 287 3 WISE V. STATE, 364 S.W.3d 900 3

TEXAS CONSTITUTION

TEX. CONST. ART. V. § 5(a), 6(a) 4

TEXAS RULES

TEXAS RULES APP. PROC. 66 .3(a) ,(c) ,(f) 3

TEXAS PENAL CODE

TEXAS PENAL CODE.203 5 TEXAS PENAL CODE 9.31 9.32 5 CAUSE NO.

KEITH WAYNE EDWARDS § PETITION IN CAUSE NO. F12-16761-K

§ FROM THE 4TH DISTRICT COURT OF

VS. § DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS AND^THE § FIFTH COURT OF APPEALS DALLAS

THE STATE OF TEXAS § TEXAS

TO THE HONORABLE JUSGES OF THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS:

COMES NOW, Keith Wayne Edwards, Petitions the Court to review the Judgment affirming his conviction for "THE EVIDENCE IS INSUFF ICIENT TO SUPPORT PETITIONER'S CONVICTION FOR MANSLAUGHTER BECAUSE NO RATIONAL FACT FINDER COULD HAVE FOUND AGAINST HIM ON HIS CLAIM

OF SELF-DEFENSE." Texas'Penal Code no. 9.31, 9.32, in Cause no. F12- 16761-K.

STATEMENT REGARDING- ORAL ARGUMENT

The ground(s) for review set forth in this petition concerns the conflicting opinions of different courts of appeals on the same point od law, and oral argument would be helpful in distingu ishing these authorites and arriving at the approch that is consis tent with prior opinions of this court.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Petitioner was indicted for the murder of Samuel Anderson. (CR: 19). Petitioner plead not guilty. (RR3: 15; CR: 107). A jury convicted him of the lesser-included offense of manslaughter. (RR6: CR: 107, 125). After a punishment hearing, the jury sentenced Pet itioner to 11 years confinement in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, assessed $264 in court costs, and did not assess a fine. (CR: 107, 118). Petitioner filed a timely notice of appeal. (CR: 127)

GROUND FOR,REVIEW

WAS THE EVIDENCE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT PETITIONER'S CONVICTION FOR MANSLAUGHTER? BECAUSE NO RATIONAL FACT-FINDER COULD HAVE FOUND HIM GUILTY ONLY OF SELF-DEFENSE. Petitioner asserts the evidence is ittsufficemt.2 to support the conviction because no rational juror could have found against him on his claim of self-defense. When Petitioner urges a sufficency challenge on the basis of his self-defense, we do not look to whet her the State presented evidence that refuted a theory of self-de fense. Instead, we determine, after viewing all the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, whether any rational fact finder (1) would have found the essential elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt, and (2) would have found against Petit ioner on the self-defense issue beyond a reasonable doubt. SAXTON V- STATE, 804 S.W. 2d 910, 914 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991). The jury, as the fact finder, is entitled to judge the credibility of the witn esses, and can choose to believe all some or none of the testimony presented by the parties. CHAMBERS V. STATE, &Qf. S.W. 2d 459, 461 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991); see also WISE V. STATE, 3/64: S.W. 3d 900, 903 (Tex. Crim. App. 2012) ("The factfinder exclusively determines the weight and credibility of the evidence."). We defer to the jury's determinations of credibility, and may not substitute our judgment for that of the jury. THORTON V. STATE, 425 S.W. 3d 287, 303 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014), ISASSI V. STATE, 330 S.W. 3d 633, 638 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010). Our duty is to ensure the evidence presented supports the jury's verdict and the State has presented legally sufficient evidence establishing the offense. MONTGOMERY V. STATE, 369 S.W. 3d 188, 192 (Tex. Crim. App. 2012). With such and pursuant to Texas Rules App. Proc. 66.3 (a),(c) (f) the court of Criminal Appeals may consider in deciding to grant Discretionary Review: (a) Whether a Court of Appeals has decided an issue which conflicts with another court of appeals decision on the same issue; (c) Whether a Court of Appeals decision conflictes with the applicable decision of the Court of Criminal Appeals, (f) Whether the Court of Appeals has so far departed from the accepted and usual course of Judicial proceedings, or so far sanctioned such a departure by a lower court, as to call for an exercise of the Court of Criminal Appeals power of supervision. Petitioner proffers that the first Court of Appeals interpreted a Statute which contre- dicts the Court of Criminal Appeals decision in EX PARTE MAYBRY, 137 S.W.3d 58 (Tex. Crim. App, 2004). Legal sufficiency of the evidence is measured by the standard enunciated by the United States Supreme Court in JACKSON V. VIRGINIA, i.e., "whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favor able to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found'" the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt." 443 U.S. 307, 319, n.12 (1979). The JACKSON standard is the only stand ard a reviewing court should apply to determine if the State proved each and every element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. BROOKS V. STATE, 323 S.W.3d 893, 895 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010) (plura lity op.). The reviewing court must defer to the fact finder's : credibility and weight determinations since the trier of fact:.is the sole judge of the credibility of a witness's testimony. Id. at 899.

For purposes of Tex. Const. Art. V. § 5(a), 6(a), although a decision of the court was to be conclusive on all questions of fact, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals had the authority to determine questions of law, including the standard of review that an inter mediate Appellate Court must use in conducting factual review. The court was bound to follow.the majority holding and applied the pro per sufficiency review to Petitioner's styled as legal or factual sufficiency challenges concerning the elements of a criminal offense.

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