Gibson v. State

769 S.W.2d 706, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 961, 1989 WL 37938
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 20, 1989
DocketNo. 11-88-046-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 769 S.W.2d 706 (Gibson 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
Gibson v. State, 769 S.W.2d 706, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 961, 1989 WL 37938 (Tex. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

OPINION

ARNOT, Justice.

The jury convicted David Wayne Gibson of possession of amphetamines, a controlled substance, and assessed his punishment at twenty years imprisonment and a fine of $6,600. Appellant appeals complaining that his arrest and the subsequent search were without probable cause, that the trial court erred in failing to enforce a plea bargain to dismiss this case, and that the trial court erred in admitting evidence of extraneous offenses. We affirm.

Appellant does not question the sufficiency of the evidence. In his first two points of error, appellant complains that there was no probable cause for his arrest or the search which produced the seized amphetamine.

The standard of reviewing the existence of probable cause established in Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983), has replaced the two-prong approach of Spinelli v. United States, 393 U.S. 410, 89 S.Ct. 584, 21 L.Ed.2d 637 (1969), and Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 84 S.Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723 (1964). The “totality of the circumstances” approach in determining probable cause established in Illinois v. Gates, supra, applies to warrantless as well as warrant searches. United States v. Mendoza, 722 F.2d 96 (5th Cir.1983); Eisenhauer v. State, 678 S.W.2d 947 (Tex.Cr.App.1984). As a result of Illinois v. Gates, supra, the duty of the reviewing court is to look to the “totality of the circumstances” to determine if there exists a substantial basis for concluding that probable cause existed at the time of the questioned action. We find that the arresting officer had probable cause to arrest appellant and to search the motel room where appellant was staying.

Officer Joe Noret, an Abilene police officer assigned to vice and narcotics, received a call from one of his informants that appellant, accompanied by a white female known only as Sherrie, was in possession of a quantity of narcotics and was driving a black and gray Chevrolet pickup truck. Noret, a veteran officer for nine years, knew appellant and his reputation. Noret and Sergeant D.W. Havins began a search of Abilene, checking hotels and known hangouts for drug dealers. Noret and Havins located a black and gray Chevrolet pickup parked at the Classic Inn Motel in south Abilene. Before the officers could investigate, appellant, accompanied by two white females, came out of Room 120 and got into a white van parked next to the pickup. Fearing appellant had seen them, the officers blocked the van with their car, thus preventing appellant’s escape. Appellant and his two companions were advised of their rights and arrested. The officers searched the van and found a fully loaded revolver in an accessory tray between the two front seats. Officer Ha-vins, who assisted in the arrest, accompanied appellant and the women back into Room 120. After receiving consent, the officers searched the entire motel room which was registered in the name of Sherrie Willingham. The officers found an envelope with appellant’s name on it, men’s and women’s clothing, personal grooming items, a box of bullets, and a man’s athletic tube sock. The sock was knotted at one end and contained a plastic sandwich bag which in turn contained eight bags of amphetamine and bags of rice.

The black and gray pickup was identified as belonging to appellant. Appellant’s companions were identified as Sherrie Rachelle Willingham and Dana Martin. Both appellant and Willingham had bruises and needle puncture marks on their arms. Martin was released at the motel. Appellant and Willingham were taken to jail.

Officer Noret had probable cause to arrest appellant under the “totality of the circumstances” standard of Illinois v. [709]*709Gates, supra, and Eisenhauer v. State, supra. Noret acted upon the information that appellant, accompanied by a woman named Sherrie and driving a black and gray Chevrolet pickup, was in possession of narcotics. The officers’ warrantless arrest was valid under TEX.CODE CRIM.PRO. ANN. art. 14.04 (Vernon 1977). A search incident to a valid arrest is valid. Duncan-tell v. State, 563 S.W.2d 252 (Tex.Cr.App.1978). Moreover, the officers received consent from appellant and Willingham. Kolb v. State, 532 S.W.2d 87 (Tex.Cr.App.1976). Appellant’s first two points of error are overruled.

The evidence shows that appellant and Willingham were released from jail three or four days after their arrest. Believing that Martin had been the police informant, appellant and Willingham went to Martin’s house and asked her to go riding. Once in the car, Martin was severely beaten and taken to a remote area of town. Appellant threatened to kill Martin if she did not admit that the amphetamine found in their possession at the motel belonged to her. Martin was subsequently released after trying to call appellant’s counsel and accept the blame. Appellant was later charged in Cause No. 15,654-A, in the 42nd District Court with the felony offense of retaliation.

Appellant tendered into evidence the statement of the plea bargain which recites “40 years TDC, no finding of use or exhibition of a deadly weapon; Dismiss 15,653-A” and which was executed by appellant, his attorney, the district attorney, and approved by the trial court. In his Points of Error Nos. 3 and 4, appellant, currently incarcerated upon his guilty plea in Cause No. 15,654-A (the retaliation case), complains that the trial court erred in not specifically enforcing the plea bargain agreement to dismiss his possession case, Cause No. 14,653-A.

In Zani v. State, 701 S.W.2d 249 (Tex.Cr.App.1985), the Court, comparing the issue of immunity to a defense under tiie Code of Criminal Procedure, stated:

The initial burden is on the defendant to show the existence of an agreement by a preponderance of the evidence. Turney v. State, 40 Tex.Cr.R. 561, 51 S.W. 243 (Tex.Cr.App.1899). In this respect it differs from ordinary defenses where the defendant is only required to raise his defense by producing some evidence. However, once the initial burden is met and the existence of an immunity agreement is shown by a preponderance of the evidence, we hold that, procedurally, immunity should be treated just like a defense under the Code. Thus, the burden then shifts to the State to show beyond a reasonable doubt why the agreement is invalid or why prosecution should be allowed despite the agreement.

The procedure for enforcing a plea bargain agreement should be the same as that for immunity.

The trial court held a hearing to consider appellant’s motion to enforce the plea bargain agreement prior to the trial. At the hearing appellant met his initial burden of showing that an agreement existed. The State argued that the agreement was invalid because the indictment in Cause No.

15.654-A (the retaliation case) was void on its face. However, the State failed to introduce the indictment into evidence.

TEX.R.CRIM.EVID.

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Bluebook (online)
769 S.W.2d 706, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 961, 1989 WL 37938, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gibson-v-state-texapp-1989.