Edwin Alvarez v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided September 14, 2015·No. 01-14-00915-CR·Published

Opinion

ACCEPTED

01-14-00915-CR

FIRST COURT OF APPEALS

HOUSTON, TEXAS

9/14/2015 10:36:20 PM

CHRISTOPHER PRINE

CLERK

No. 01-14-00915-CR FILED IN 1st COURT OF APPEALS

HOUSTON, TEXAS

In the

9/14/2015 10:36:20 PM

Court of Appeals CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE for the Clerk First District of Texas at Houston



No. 11-DCR-058577A In the 268th District Court Fort Bend County, Texas



EDWIN ALVAREZ Appellant

V.

THE STATE OF TEXAS Appellee



APPELLANT’S BRIEF 

MANDY MILLER

Attorney for Edwin Alvarez State Bar No: 24055561

2910 Commercial Ctr. Blvd., Ste. 103-201 Katy, TX 77494

(832) 900-9884

Fax: (877) 904-6846

mandy@mandymillerlegal.com

APPELLANT REQUESTS ORAL ARGUMENT

IDENTIFICATION OF THE PARTIES Pursuant to TEX. R. APP. P. 38.2(a)(1)(A), a complete list of the names of all interested parties is provided below.

Counsel for the State:

John Healy  District Attorney of Fort Bend County John Harrity  Assistant District Attorney on appeal Laurel Ellisor and Suzy Morton  Assistant District Attorneys at trial Appellant or criminal defendant:

Edwin Alvarez

Counsel for Appellant:

Brian Middleton  Counsel at trial Mandy Miller  Counsel on appeal Trial Judge:

Hon. Brady Elliot and Hon. Reagan Clark

TABLE OF CONTENTS

IDENTIFICATION OF THE PARTIES ...........................................................................1 INDEX OF AUTHORITIES .................................................................................................3 STATEMENT OF THE CASE .............................................................................................5 STATEMENT OF FACTS .....................................................................................................5 SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT ...................................................................................8 APPELLANT’S FIRST POINT OF ERROR .....................................................................8 APPELLANT’S SECOND POINT OF ERROR ............................................................14 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................18 CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE.................................................................................18 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE............................................................................................19

INDEX OF AUTHORITIES

CASES

Albrecht v. State, 486 S.W.2d 97 (Tex. Crim. App. 1972)............................................................................11 Dowling v. United States, 493 U.S. 342 110 S.Ct. 668, 674, 107 L.Ed.2d 708 (1990)............................................10 Elkins v. State, 647 S.W.2d 663 (Tex. Crim. App. 1983) .........................................................................11 Ex parte Granviel, 561 S.W.2d 503 (Tex. Crim. App. 1978) .....................................................................9, 10 Garcia v. State, 563 S.W.2d 925 (Tex. Crim. App. 1978) .........................................................................17 Hammer v. State, 296 S.W.3d 555 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009) .........................................................................12 Harris v. State, No. 14-14-00152-CR, 2015 WL 4984560 (Tex. App--Houston [14th Dist.], no pet. h. Aug. 20, 2015)..............................................................................12 In re Winship, 397 U.S. 358 (1970).............................................................................................................13 Maynard v. State, 685 S.W.2d 60 (Tex. Crim. App. 1985) .....................................................................10, 11 Montgomery v. State, 810 S.W.2d 372 (Tex. Crim. App. 1990) .........................................................................17 Morris v. State, 833 S.W.2d 624 (Tex. App--Houston [14th Dist.] 1992, pet. ref’d)............................10 Mozon v. State, 991 S.W.2d 841 (Tex. Crim. App. 1999) .........................................................................15 Parks v. State, 746 S.W.2d 738 (Tex. Crim. App. 1987) ...................................................................10, 11 Salazar v. State, 298 S.W.3d 273 (Tex. App.--Fort Worth 2009, pet. ref’d) .............................................9 State v. Vasquez, 230 S.W.3d 744 (Tex. App.--Houston [14th Dist.] 2007, no pet.) ................................9

Turner v. State, 754 S.W.2d 668 (Tex. Crim. App. 1988) ...................................................................10, 11 United States v. Lovasco, 431 U.S. 78397 S.Ct. 2044, 2049, 52 L.Ed.2d 752 (1977) .............................................10 Univ. of Tex. Med. Sch. at Houston v. Than, 901 S.W.2d 926 (Tex. 1995).................................................................................................9 Williams v. State, 662 S.W.2d 344 (Tex. Crim. App. 1983) ...................................................................10, 11

STATUTES

TEX. CRIM. PROC. CODE ANN. § art. 38.072 (West Supp. 2014)......................................13 TEX. CRIM. PROC. CODE ANN. § art. 38.37 (West Supp. 2004-05)..................................11 TEX. CRIM. PROC. CODE ANN. art. 38.37 §2(b) (West Supp. 2014) ............................9, 12 TEX. PEN. CODE ANN. § 22.011 (West Supp. 2014)..........................................................13 TEX. PEN. CODE ANN. § 22.021 (West Supp. 2014)..........................................................13

OTHER AUTHORITIES

Senate Comm, on Criminal Justice, Bill Analysis, Tex. S.B. 12, 83d Leg. R.S. (2013)............................................................................................................12 RULES

TEX. R. APP. P. 38.2(a)(1)(A)....................................................................................................1 TEX. R. EVID. 403 ...................................................................................................................15

TO THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS:

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Appellant was charged by indictment with sexual assault of a child. (CR 22). A jury convicted appellant of the charged offense and sentenced him to 20 years confinement in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. (CR 287).

STATEMENT OF FACTS

Yaneira Flores, whose family is originally from Honduras, spent her early years in New York with her family. (RR III 113, 117). Appellant, also Honduran, lived with his family across the street from Flores. (RR III 113, 117). Flores grew up with appellant and considered him like a brother. (RR III 113, 115). When appellant’s family moved to Houston for work, Flores’ family followed. (RR III 115).

When the complainant, C.A., was 10 years old, she moved from Honduras to Houston to live with Flores, her aunt. (RR III 18, 109). Flores also raised C.A.’s three siblings. (RR III 20, 108). The children called appellant “Uncle Edwin.” (RR III 22). Appellant was C.A.’s favorite uncle and she considered him a father-figure. (RR III 32, 33).

Appellant had a long-time girlfriend, Shawndra Gipson. (RR III 23, 118).

Shawndra and appellant raised Shawndra’s nieces, S.G. and J.G., and nephew, G.J. (RR III 119). Flores and the children in her household would often socialize with

appellant, Shawndra, and S.G., J.G., and G.J. (RR III 119). Flores would often let C.A. and her siblings spend the night with Shawndra and appellant. (RR III 121).

When appellant and Shawndra broke up, appellant moved from an apartment to a home in Richmond, Texas. (RR III 25, 123). Even after the breakup, all of the children would go to appellant’s home for sleepovers. (RR III 26, 124). The children would make pallets out of blankets in an upstairs bedroom and sleep there. (RR III 38).

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Related

In Re WINSHIP
397 U.S. 358 (Supreme Court, 1970)
United States v. Lovasco
431 U.S. 783 (Supreme Court, 1977)
Dowling v. United States
493 U.S. 342 (Supreme Court, 1990)
State v. Vasquez
230 S.W.3d 744 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Albrecht v. State
486 S.W.2d 97 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1972)
Parks v. State
746 S.W.2d 738 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1987)
Mozon v. State
991 S.W.2d 841 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1999)
Maynard v. State
685 S.W.2d 60 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1985)
Ex Parte Granviel
561 S.W.2d 503 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1978)
Salazar v. State
298 S.W.3d 273 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Turner v. State
754 S.W.2d 668 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1988)
Elkins v. State
647 S.W.2d 663 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1983)
Hammer v. State
296 S.W.3d 555 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Morris v. State
833 S.W.2d 624 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1992)
Williams v. State
662 S.W.2d 344 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1983)
Montgomery v. State
810 S.W.2d 372 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1991)
University of Texas Medical School at Houston v. Than
901 S.W.2d 926 (Texas Supreme Court, 1995)
Garcia v. State
563 S.W.2d 925 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1978)
Harris v. State
475 S.W.3d 395 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015)