Garrett v. State

656 S.W.2d 97
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 21, 1983
Docket04-81-00049-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 656 S.W.2d 97 (Garrett 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
Garrett v. State, 656 S.W.2d 97 (Tex. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinions

OPINION

CANTU, Justice.

Appellant’s conviction for murder was originally set aside by this court in Garrett v. State, 624 S.W.2d 953 (Tex.App.—San Antonio 1981). The Court of Criminal Appeals granted the State’s Petition for Discretionary Review (Garrett v. State, 642 S.W.2d 779 (Tex.Cr.App.1982)), reversed this court’s judgment and remanded for this court’s consideration of appellant’s other [98]*98grounds of error not previously touched by our original opinion.

We originally reversed on unassigned error that we deemed fundamental in nature. In setting aside our judgment, the Court of Criminal Appeals has presented us with guidelines that we shall adhere to in making our present disposition.

Appellant’s original appeal presented three grounds of error including alleged instances of jury misconduct and of trial court error related to the alleged misconduct. The sufficiency of the evidence was not challenged on original submission.

We note that appellant sought to challenge the sufficiency of the evidence for the first time by motion for leave to file appellant’s motion for rehearing in the Court of Criminal Appeals following the granting of the State’s Petition for Discretionary Review. That court declined to permit leave to file the motion for rehearing and appellant’s challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence was not reached.

Following remand to this court, appellant has filed a supplemental brief1 in this court in which she once again challenges the sufficiency of the evidence urging the identical argument she sought to present to the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Our initial inquiry must focus on the propriety of this court to consider such a challenge raised for the first time after reversal and remand to this court. We begin with the observation that the Court of Criminal Appeals did not rule on this challenge, but seems to have deferred the ruling to this court.

Appellant points out that the issue of insufficiency of the evidence did not develop until both appellate opinions were delivered. This contention in no small measure is true. In our original opinion we observed that the State’s theory depended upon an application of the law of transferred intent to the facts in order to sustain a conviction for murder. The Court of Criminal Appeals’ opinion, however, implicitly held that the jury must have found appellant guilty of murder without benefit of the transferred intent application. Appellant’s challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction for murder without the aid of the transferred intent application did not become viable until both appellate opinions were handed down.

Under the rules for briefing in the Courts of Appeals, an appellant may file an amended brief raising additional contentions either prior to or after submission where the cause of justice would be effectuated. See TEX.R.CIV.P. 431; Stuart v. Coldwell Banker & Co., 552 S.W.2d 904 (Tex.Civ.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1977, writ ref’d n.r.e.).

Upon reversal and remand we consider the cause to be once again submitted for our disposition. We find nothing in the Code of Criminal Procedure prohibiting the filing of amended briefs following reversal and remand from the Court of Criminal Appeals. See TEX.CODE CRIM.PROC. ANN. art. 44.33(a) (permitting the filing of supplemental briefs prior to submission).

TEX.CODE CRIM.PROC.ANN. art. 44.33 (Rule 211 Courts of Appeal) (Vernon 1981) provides:

Where not inconsistent with the Code of Criminal Procedure and these rules, as they now exist or may hereafter exist, the Rules of Civil Procedure shall govern proceedings in the Courts of Appeals in criminal cases.

We find no inconsistency between TEX. R.CIV.P. 431 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, including the rules of the Courts of Appeals. Accordingly, we hold that appellant’s brief filed in this court following reversal and remand challenging the sufficiency of the evidence is timely filed and should be considered in order that the cause of justice be effectuated.

In so holding, we are likewise cognizant of the fact that a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction is now considered a claim central to the basic question of guilt or innocence [99]*99and, therefore, of constitutional dimension. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979). The United States Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized that a conviction upon a charge not made or upon a charge not tried constitutes a denial of due process. Jackson v. Virginia, supra; Presnell v. Georgia, 439 U.S. 14, 99 S.Ct. 235, 58 L.Ed.2d 207 (1978); Cole v. Arkansas, 333 U.S. 196, 68 S.Ct. 514, 92 L.Ed. 644 (1948).

The sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction may now be challenged by federal habeas corpus even where a state challenge has been previously made, Jackson v. Virginia, supra, because a conviction resting upon evidence deemed insufficient to have established guilt beyond a reasonable doubt violates the principles of constitutional due process. Jackson v. Virginia, supra. Due process violations have traditionally been reviewed by the Court of Criminal Appeals when raised for the first time by post-conviction Habeas Corpus. See Ex parte Hagans, 558 S.W.2d 457 (Tex.Cr.App.1977); Ex parte Garcia, 547 S.W.2d 271 (Tex.Cr.App.1977); Ex parte Turner, 545 S.W.2d 470 (Tex.Cr.App.1977); Ex parte Herrin, 537 S.W.2d 33 (Tex.Cr.App.1976); or even when raised by the appellate court sua sponte, Lechuga v. State, 532 S.W.2d 581 (Tex.Cr.App.1976); Bingham v. State, 523 S.W.2d 948 (Tex.Cr.App.1975); cf. Scott v. State, 534 S.W.2d 711 (Tex.Cr.App.1976) (late filing of appellant’s briefs did not prevent review in the interest of justice).

At least once the Court of Criminal Appeals has noted that the sufficiency of the evidence is inquired into upon appeal in every case. In re: Lyles, 168 Tex.Cr. 145, 323 S.W.2d 950 (1959).

We are also aware that the Court of Criminal Appeals has considered a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence in connection with double jeopardy claims raised by post-conviction habeas corpus proceedings. See art. 11.07, TEX.CODE CRIM. PROC.ANN.; Ex parte: Colunga, 587 S.W. 2d 426 (Tex.Cr.App.1979). The same court has had occasion to review the sufficiency of the evidence as unassigned error in the interest of justice. Benjamin v. State, 621 S.W.2d 617 (Tex.Cr.App.1981).

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Garrett v. State
656 S.W.2d 97 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1983)

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