Ex Parte Joey Rean

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided August 26, 2009·No. 03-09-00032-CR·Published

Opinion

TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT, AT AUSTIN




NO. 03-09-00032-CR

Ex parte Joey Rean



FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF TRAVIS COUNTY, 390TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

NO. D-1-DC-08-302820, HONORABLE JULIE H. KOCUREK, JUDGE PRESIDING

M E M O R A N D U M O P I N I O N



Joey Rean is confined while awaiting trial on charges that he sexually assaulted his teenage daughter, T.R. Bail was set at $250,000. Rean filed an application for writ of habeas corpus seeking a reduction in the bail amount. Following an evidentiary hearing in which Rean's counsel requested that bail be reduced to $50,000, the district court denied Rean's request. In a single issue on appeal, Rean asserts that the district court abused its discretion by failing to reduce the bail amount. We will affirm the district court's order.



STANDARD AND SCOPE OF REVIEW

The setting of bail is committed to the sound discretion of the trial court, but the exercise of that discretion is governed by the constitution and by statute. See Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 17.15 (West 2005). In setting bail, a balance must be struck between the defendant's presumption of innocence and the State's interest in assuring the defendant's appearance at trial. Ex parte Beard, 92 S.W.3d 566, 573 (Tex. App.--Austin 2002, pet. ref'd). Both the federal and state constitutions prohibit excessive bail. See U.S. Const. amend. VIII; Tex. Const. art. I, § 13. Bail is excessive if it is "set in an amount greater than is reasonably necessary to satisfy the government's legitimate interests." Beard, 92 S.W.3d at 573. In addition to the constitutional prohibition against excessive bail, the Texas Legislature has imposed the following statutory requirements:



1. The bail shall be sufficiently high to give reasonable assurance that the undertaking will be complied with.



2. The power to require bail is not to be so used as to make it an instrument of oppression.



3. The nature of the offense and the circumstances under which it was committed are to be considered.



4. The ability to make bail is to be regarded, and proof may be taken upon this point.



5. The future safety of a victim of the alleged offense and the community shall be considered.



Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 17.15.

In setting the amount of bail, the trial court may also give consideration to such factors as: (1) the accused's work record; (2) the accused's family and community ties; (3) the accused's length of residency; (4) the accused's prior criminal record; (5) the accused's conformity with previous bond conditions; (6) the existence of other outstanding bonds, if any; and (7) aggravating circumstances alleged to have been involved in the charged offense. See Maldonado v. State, 999 S.W.2d 91, 93 (Tex. App.--Houston [14th Dist.] 1999, pet. ref'd) (citing Ex parte Rubac, 611 S.W.2d 848, 849-50 (Tex. Crim. App. 1981)).

We review the trial court's ruling on a request to reduce bail under an abuse-of-discretion standard. See Rubac, 611 S.W.2d at 850; Clemons v. State, 220 S.W.3d 176, 178 (Tex. App.--Eastland 2007, no pet.) (per curiam). To determine whether the trial court abused its discretion, we must decide whether the trial court acted without reference to any guiding rules or principles; in other words, whether the act was arbitrary or unreasonable. Ex parte Hunt, 138 S.W.3d 503, 505 (Tex. App.--Fort Worth 2004, pet. ref'd) (citing Montgomery v. State, 810 S.W.2d 372, 380 (Tex. Crim. App. 1990)). We will not disturb the trial court's ruling if it was within the zone of reasonable disagreement. Clemons, 220 S.W.3d at 178.

In a habeas case, the writ applicant bears the burden of proving facts that would entitle him to relief and ensuring that a sufficient record is presented to show error requiring reversal. See Ex parte Kimes, 872 S.W.2d 700, 703 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993). The burden of proof is upon an applicant who claims bail is excessive, see Rubac, 611 S.W.2d at 849; Milner v. State, 263 S.W.3d 146, 148 (Tex. App.--Houston [1st Dist.] 2006, no pet.), and we will not reduce the trial court's bail amount unless the applicant has satisfied this burden. See Gentry, 615 S.W.2d at 231 (reducing bail amount after reviewing court was "completely satisfied that petitioner discharged her burden of showing her entitlement" to bail reduction); Ex parte Welch, 729 S.W.2d 306, 310 (Tex. App.--Dallas 1987, no pet.) (refusing to reduce bail amount when reviewing court found, after considering "all of the evidence and factors relevant to determining the amount of bond," that "applicant has failed to satisfy his burden of showing that the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to lower applicant's bond"). We proceed to review the evidence in this case in light of the above considerations.



ANALYSIS

Statutory factors

Sufficient bail to assure appearance but not oppress

The first two statutory factors are interrelated. The primary purpose of an appearance bond is to secure the presence of the accused at trial on the offense charged. Ex parte Rodriguez, 595 S.W.2d 549, 550 (Tex. Crim. App. 1980). Thus, the amount of bail must be high enough to give reasonable assurance that the accused will appear as required. Ex parte Charlesworth, 600 S.W.2d 316, 317 (Tex. Crim. App. 1980). However, while bail should be sufficiently high to give reasonable assurance that the accused will appear, the power to require bail should not be used as an instrument of oppression. Ex parte Ivey, 594 S.W.2d 98, 99 (Tex. Crim. App. 1980). This occurs when the trial court sets bail at an amount "for the express purpose of forcing appellant to remain incarcerated" pending trial or appeal. See Ex parte Harris, 733 S.W.2d 712, 714 (Tex. App.--Austin 1987, no pet.) (per curiam).

In claiming that the amount of bail in this case was oppressively high, Rean cites to several older cases involving different offenses in which the reviewing court reduced the bail amount after finding that the trial court's bail amount was excessive. See Ludwig v. State, 812 S.W.2d 323, 325 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991) (in murder case, reducing bail amount from $1,000,000 to $50,000); Ex parte Ivey

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