Ex Parte Shorthouse

640 S.W.2d 924, 1982 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1116
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 3, 1982
Docket68943, 68944, 68946 and 68947
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 640 S.W.2d 924 (Ex Parte Shorthouse) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ex Parte Shorthouse, 640 S.W.2d 924, 1982 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1116 (Tex. 1982).

Opinion

OPINION

ONION, Presiding Judge.

These proceedings are before this court on applicants’ original applications for writs of habeas corpus pursuant to Article V, § 5 of the Texas Constitution.

*926 The limited record before this court reveals that on February 8, 1982, a judgment of contempt was entered against each applicant, ordering each applicant to be confined in the Bastop County jail until each purged himself or herself of contempt by testifying before the grand jury, and further imposing upon each a $500.00 fine.

These judgments were entered by the judge of the 21st Judicial District Court of Bastrop County pursuant to Article 20.15, Y.A.C.C.P., which provides:

“When a witness, brought in any manner before a grand jury, refused to testify, such fact shall be made known to the attorney representing the State or to the court; and the court may compel the witness to answer the question, if it appear to be a proper one, by imposing a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, and by committing the party to jail until he is willing to testify.”

On January 14, 1982, all the applicants were called to testify before the grand jury. They did not appear or testify. On the same date the grand jury indicted applicant Mark Edward Shorthouse for possession of marihuana alleged to have occurred on or about November 11, 1981.

On January 15,1982, the district attorney applied for and obtained immunity for each of the applicants from the district judge. The immunity applications stated the grand jury was presently considering indictments under V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 71.02, against each named individual and other parties and the individual named in each of the immunity applications was a party to an offense under Chapter 71 of the Penal Code and was a material witness against other individuals to an offense under § 71.02, and should be granted testimonial immunity.

Y.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 71.04, provides:

“(a) A party to an offense under this Chapter may be required to furnish evidence or testify about the offense.
“(b) No evidence or testimony required to be furnished under the provisions of this section nor any information directly or indirectly derived from such evidence or testimony may be used against the witness in any criminal case, except a prosecution for aggravated perjury or contempt.” (Emphasis supplied.)

The orders granting immunity read in pertinent 'part:

“It is’ therefore Ordered that (applicant) pursuant to Section 71.04, Texas Penal Code appear before the Bastrop. County Grand Jury at Bastrop, Texas on January 20, 1982, at 9:00 o’clock a.m., where he is ordered to furnish evidence and testify about such offense. It is further Ordered that no evidence or testimony furnished by (applicant), nor any information directly or indirectly derived from such evidence or testimony may be used against (applicant) in any criminal case, except in a prosecution for aggravated Perjury or Contempt.”

On January 18, 1982, the district court refused to quash the grand jury subpoenas and ordered the applicants to testify before the grand jury.

On January 20, 1982, each of the applicants was called to testify before the grand jury, and each refused to testify and invoked their privilege against self-incrimination. On January 22, 1982, motions for contempt were filed by the district attorney and on January 25, 1982, the district court ordered each of the applicants to appear before the grand jury on February 8, 1982 and testify pursuant to the immunity granted.

Thereafter on February 8,1982, the court conducted a hearing, determined that the applicants had refused to testify before the grand jury on February 8th despite the grants of immunity, that the questions propounded were proper questions, etc., and held the applicants in contempt of court for their refusal to testify. See Article 20.15, V.A.C.C.P.

On February 9, 1982, applicants filed motions- for leave to file original applications *927 for writs of habeas corpus in this court. The applicants were freed on $1,000.00 personal bonds and the court gave the respondent until February 16, 1982 to file a response to said motions for leave. The response was filed on February 15, 1982, and the motions for leave to file were granted and the causes were set for submission and the parties given until March 31, 1982, to file briefs.

Applicants attack the contempt orders on a number of grounds. We observe, however, at the outset that it has been made to appear that the term of the grand jury before they were ordered to testify has expired and the jurors discharged. Thus, that part of the orders requiring testimony before said body is now moot. Ex parte Jackson, 95 Tex.Cr.R. 200, 253 S.W. 287 (1923), held that a witness cited for contempt for refusal to answer questions before a grand jury and confined to jail until he so testified was purged of contempt when the discharge of the particular grand jury was observed. “It would seem that when the end is no longer possible of accomplishment further resort to the means would be held futile.” Jackson at pp. 288-289. See also Ex parte Moorehouse, 614 S.W.2d 450 (Tex.Cr.App.1981); Ex parte Rodriquez, 629 S.W.2d 757 (Tex.Cr.App.1982). Ex parte Richardson, 640 S.W.2d 294 (Tex.Cr.App.1982). Although that part of the contempt orders requiring the applicants to appear and testify before the grand jury in order to purge themselves of contempt is now moot, the portion of the orders imposing the fine of $500.00 on each applicant is not moot. See and cf. Ex parte Richardson, supra.

We turn first then to applicants’ contention that V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 71.04, fails to provide sufficient protection of the privilege against self-incrimination as established by Article I, § 10 of the Texas Constitution and the decisional law of this state. Applicants argue that it is well established state case law, based in whole or in part upon Article I, § 10 of the State Constitution, that any grant of immunity must serve to absolutely prohibit prosecution for the offense about which the required testimony relates. Applicants thus contend that only absolute, complete, full or transactional immunity is permissible under Texas law and that the testimonial or use and derivative use immunity authorized by V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 71.04, is unauthorized and unconstitutional. We do not agree.

In Kastigar v. United States, 406 U.S. 441, 92 S.Ct. 1653, 32 L.Ed.2d 212 (1972), the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the federal constitutionality of a statute, 18 U.S.C. § 6002, that provides for derivative use or testimonial immunity. The Court held:

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Bluebook (online)
640 S.W.2d 924, 1982 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1116, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ex-parte-shorthouse-texcrimapp-1982.