Grant v. State

472 S.W.2d 531, 1971 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1440
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas·Decided November 9, 1971·No. 44211·Published·Cited by 29 cases

Opinion

OPINION

ONION, Presiding Judge.

This is an appeal from a conviction for assault with intent to rape. The punishment, enhanced under the provisions of Article 63, Vernon’s Ann.P.C., was assessed at life by the court following a guilty verdict.

In his first three grounds of error appellant complains of the admission of a doctor’s testimony concerning the results of a test of a vaginal smear taken from the 10 year old prosecutrix since there was no *532 clear chain of custody, no showing he performed the test himself or that it was done under his supervision or control, and a possibility of mistake on the part of the lab technician.

Dr. John L. Clark testified that on July 15, 1969, he examined the prosecutrix and found her vagina was irritated but the hymen intact. He related the “smear was taken by me personally and taken to the lab but the exam was made by the technician” “under my control.” Thereafter he testified the test showed “there was some sperm cells in the fluid and a little bit of infection.”

It would not appear that the court erred in admitting such testimony since a doctor can testify from laboratory records as to the results of a test by another person where analysis was under his supervision or control. Jackson v. State, 159 Tex.Cr.R. 228, 262 S.W.2d 499; Meadowes v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 368 S.W.2d 203.

A study of the record indicates that what appellant really complains about is the failure of the court to strike the doctor’s testimony after it was developed on cross-examination that the doctor did not actually see the test performed by the technician, that only a report and not the smear was returned to the doctor and that it was “conceivable” the technician “could have gotten the smears and samples mixed up.” There is nothing in the record to show whether the laboratory belonged to the doctor, was a private laboratory or just what, or whether in fact there were other smears or samples present when the analysis was made. Under the circumstances presented, the testimony developed went to the weight to be given to the doctor’s testimony rather than calling for its exclusion.

Appellant misreads Clifton v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 399 S.W.2d 353. In setting forth the facts there presented the court did not indicate that these same facts must always be present before a doctor may testify when he did not personally perform the analysis.

Next appellant contends the trial court erred in not requiring the lab technician to testify to the results of the analysis of the vaginal smear. No objection or request based upon this claim was ever presented or urged to the trial court. The ground of error is not briefed, see Article 40.09,- Sec. 9, Vernon’s Ann.C.C.P., and the appellant does not explain whether the court, on its own motion, should have called the witness, or should have granted the motion to strike until the State called the witness, or just what. And he does not claim that he was prohibited from calling such witness after his investigation showed any chance of a mix up in smears, etc. No error is presented.

Next appellant contends the court should have granted a mistrial as a result of inflammatory and prejudicial argument when the district attorney referred to him as a “beast.”

At the guilt stage of the trial the record reflects the following argument was made by the district attorney:

“I know I speak for myself. She testified that this man, and I’m not going to refer to him as a man any more because I don’t consider this ex-con a man, I am going to call him a beast because that is what he is.
“MR. HIRSCH: Your Honor, I object to that, that is inflammatory again, he can’t do something like that.
“MR. GREEN: I can call him anything I want to, Your Honor.
“MR. HIRSCH: No, he can’t, Judge, and I will object to it as being inflammatory and prejudicial.
“THE COURT: I will ask you to refer to the defendant by his name, Mr. Green.
*533 “MR. GREEN: All right. Let’s call him Red Devil, or Jim Devil, a beast-like man and when I refer to Jim Devil you will know that I am referring to a beast-like man and I think his name is well spoken, Devil. So we will just call him Devil, a beast-like man where the defense counsel won’t get up and hollar any more.
“MR. HIRSCH: We move the Court to instruct him to call him by his name, Your Honor.
“THE COURT: Mr. Green, I am going to warn you one more time, refer to the defendant by his given name.
“MR. GREEN: Judge, the testimony is that his name is Jim Devil.
“THE COURT: I am going to hold you in contempt of court if you do not obey the instructions of the Court.
“MR. GREEN: I think the evidence is that his name is Jim Devil.
“THE COURT: I have instructed you how to refer to him.
“MR. GREEN: Jimmy Lee Grant, I have to call him Jimmy Lee Grant. You see, I am up to here with his rights. I have to call somebody something that I don’t like to.”

It is observed that the appellant got the only relief he requested, although the district attorney persisted in attempting to circumvent the court’s instruction. No request for a jury instruction nor. motion for mistrial was made. If the trial judge had granted a motion for mistrial on his own motion, as appellant contends, he might well have presented any re-trial. In United States v. Jorn, 400 U.S. 470, 91 S.Ct. 547, 27 L.Ed.2d 543 (1971), it was held that where the court without manifest necessity grants a mistrial sua sponte after jeopardy attaches without a request therefor or without such action being at least concurred in by the accused, the prosecution is barred from trying the accused again if a plea of former jeopardy is interposed even if the prosecution is not at fault as to the cause of the mistrial. While Jorn involved a federal prosecution, the double jeopardy provisions of the Fifth Amendment are applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment, United States Constitution. Benton v. Maryland, 395 U.S. 784, 89 S.Ct. 2056, 23 L.Ed. 2d 707. And Benton has been accorded full retroactive effect. North Carolina v. Pearce, 395 U.S. 711, 89 S.Ct. 2072, 23 L. Ed.2d 656. See also Ashe v. Swenson, 397 U.S. 436, 90 S.Ct. 1189, 25 L.Ed.2d 469; Duckett v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 454 S.W.2d 755.

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Grant v. State, 472 S.W.2d 531, 1971 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1440 (Tex. 1971).

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