Gao v. State

854 S.W.2d 710, 1993 WL 165329
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 19, 1993
Docket04-91-00444-CV
StatusPublished

This text of 854 S.W.2d 710 (Gao 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
Gao v. State, 854 S.W.2d 710, 1993 WL 165329 (Tex. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

854 S.W.2d 710 (1993)

In re G.A.O., A Minor, Appellant,
v.
The STATE of Texas, Appellee.

No. 04-91-00444-CV.

Court of Appeals of Texas, San Antonio.

May 19, 1993.

*713 Karen A. Crouch, Law Offices of Karen A. Crouch, San Antonio, for appellant.

Steven C. Hilbig, Crim. Dist. Atty., Robert C. Richardson, Wayne Young, Gammon Guinn, Asst. Crim. Dist. Attys., San Antonio, for appellee.

Before REEVES, C.J., and CHAPA and CARR,[1] JJ.

OPINION

REEVES, Chief Justice.

Appellant appeals his delinquent child adjudication and disposition after the jury found he had engaged in the following delinquent conduct: aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, robbery by threat, and assault. We find appellant's points of error are without merit. On our own initiative we find appellant's double jeopardy protections were violated when he was adjudicated guilty of both aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault. We modify the adjudication order and remand the case for a new disposition hearing.

FACTS

G.A.O. (appellant, a minor) was tried in one trial for two separate criminal transactions: a September 25, 1990 sexual assault and robbery of a minor female and a January 10, 1991 assault of a school teacher. The jury found appellant guilty of aggravated sexual assault (vaginal), sexual assault (vaginal), robbery by threat, and assault. After a disposition hearing, appellant was committed to the Texas Youth Commission.

Appellant alleges four points of error:
I. The trial court erred by failing to require the jury to render a verdict that complied with the terms of the charge of the court and the instructions given by the court;
II. The trial court erred by sentencing the appellant based on the inconsistent findings of the jury;
III. The trial court erred by sentencing the appellant based on jury findings which did not follow either the court's instruction or the charge of the court; and
IV. The trial court erred by submitting a jury charge which misstated the law, was unfair, prejudiced, and confusing.

DOUBLE JEOPARDY

The requirements governing an appeal to this court from an order of a juvenile court are as in civil cases generally. Tex.Fam.Code Ann. § 56.01(b) (Vernon 1975). A brief of the argument must discuss the authorities relied upon as may be requisite to maintain a point of issue. Tex. R.App.P. 74(f). Appellant's brief violates Appellate Rule 74 since no authority is cited to maintain his first three points of error. We will consider, however, the first three points of error in the interest of justice. See Tex.R.App.P. 74(p).

In his brief, appellant combined argument regarding his first three points of error. Therein appellant finds fault specifically with: (1) the jury's verdict of guilty as to both aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault; and (2) the resulting sentence based on the jury verdict. In finding this fault, appellant claims the jury verdict is inconsistent. A finding of guilt as to both aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault is not an inconsistent finding; inconsistent verdicts are those incapable of logical reconciliation. See, e.g., Ruiz v. State, 641 S.W.2d 364, 366 (Tex.App.-Corpus Christi 1982, no writ). We overrule appellant's first three points of error.

When fundamental error is present, however, it should be raised and corrected by the appellate court on its own motion. R.A.M. v. State, 599 S.W.2d 841, 845 (Tex. Civ.App.-San Antonio 1980, no writ).

The jury found appellant guilty of aggravated sexual assault (vaginal), sexual *714 assault (vaginal), robbery by threat, and assault. The Order of Adjudication states the jury's guilty verdict concerning sexual assault (vaginal) was disregarded because appellant was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault (vaginal). The Disposition Order of Commitment to the Texas Youth Commission stated that "this Court found the child to be delinquent in that HE ... [committed] AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT... [and] SEXUAL ASSAULT...." The disposition order committed appellant to the Texas Youth Commission for an indeterminate period of time not to exceed the time when he shall be 21 years of age. We consider the disposition order authority that the court found appellant guilty of both aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault.

No person, for the same offense, shall be twice put in jeopardy of life or liberty. U.S. Const. amend. V; Tex. Const. art. 1, § 14.[2] The Double Jeopardy clause applies to juvenile adjudicatory proceedings. See Breed v. Jones, 421 U.S. 519, 532, 95 S.Ct. 1779, 1787, 44 L.Ed.2d 346 (1975). At least three separate guarantees are recognized in the Double Jeopardy Clause: (1) protection against a second prosecution for the same offense after an acquittal; (2) protection against a second prosecution for the same offense after a conviction; and (3) protection against multiple punishments for the same offense. North Carolina v. Pearce, 395 U.S. 711, 717, 89 S.Ct. 2072, 2076, 23 L.Ed.2d 656 (1969), overruled on other grounds, Alabama v. Smith, 490 U.S. 794, 802, 109 S.Ct. 2201, 2206, 104 L.Ed.2d 865 (1989); Stephens v. State, 806 S.W.2d 812, 816 (Tex. Crim.App.1990), leave granted to proceed in forma pauperis, 112 S.Ct. 350 (1991). Aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault are the same offense for purposes of the Double Jeopardy Clause.[3]Stephens, 806 S.W.2d at 815.[4] The juvenile court's disposition order recognized that appellant was guilty of both aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault.[5] This finding in the court's final order violates the Double Jeopardy Clause guarantee against multiple punishments for the same offense.[6]

*715 We consider whether appellant waived his Double Jeopardy protections during adjudication.[7] In delinquency proceedings, unless a contrary intent clearly appears elsewhere in Title 3, any right granted to a child by the constitution or laws of Texas or the United States may be waived only if: (1) the waiver is made by the child and the attorney for the child; (2) the child and the attorney waiving the right are informed of and understand the right and the possible consequences of waiving it; (3) the waiver is voluntary; and (4) the waiver is made in writing or in court proceedings that are recorded. Tex.Fam.Code Ann. § 51.09(a) (Vernon 1975). Because Double Jeopardy protections are granted by the Texas and United States constitutions, and because there is no evidence in the record that appellant waived his protections according to section 51.09(a), the error apparent on the face of the record was not waived behaviorally during adjudication.

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854 S.W.2d 710, 1993 WL 165329, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gao-v-state-texapp-1993.