Guerrero v. State

271 S.W.3d 309, 2008 WL 3457015
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 14, 2009
Docket04-07-00583-CR, 04-07-00584-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 271 S.W.3d 309 (Guerrero 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
Guerrero v. State, 271 S.W.3d 309, 2008 WL 3457015 (Tex. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion by:

PHYLIS J. SPEEDLIN, Justice.

Eduardo Guerrero appeals his convictions for possession, possession with intent to deliver, and manufacture of between four and 200 grams of methamphetamine. On appeal, Guerrero argues the trial court erred by denying him: (1) a proper determination of his competence to stand trial; (2) due process when it failed to hold a hearing on competency; and (3) protection from double jeopardy when it convicted him of possession, possession with intent to deliver, and manufacture of the same quantity of methamphetamine. Because we overrule Guerrero’s first two issues on competency, and sustain his third issue on double jeopardy, we vacate the trial court’s judgment as to Guerrero’s convictions for manufacturing and possession of methamphetamine and affirm his conviction for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine.

Facts and Procedural History

On April 6, 2006, Converse police went to Guerrero’s residence at 632 Jamie Sue *311 to investigate a tip that a methamphetamine lab was being operated at that address. When officers knocked on the door, Guerrero opened it, and the officers smelled an “overwhelming” odor of chemicals associated with methamphetamine. The officers obtained a search warrant before searching the house. Of the items seized, three tested positive for methamphetamine, which, along with adulterants and dilutants, weighed 74.62 grams, 4.49 grams, and 1.34 grams. 1 Guerrero was charged in a two-count indictment with possession with intent to deliver between four and 200 grams of methamphetamine, and possession of between four and 200 grams of methamphetamine. See Tex. Health & Safety Code Ann. §§ 481.112(a), (d), 481.115(a), (d) (Vernon 2003). He was later charged in a separate indictment with manufacturing methamphetamine in an amount between four and 200 grams. See Tex. Health & Safety Code Ann. § 481.112(a), (d). All three of the charged offenses were alleged to have occurred on or about April 6, 2006. The trial court consolidated the two causes for trial, and Guerrero represented himself during both phases of trial. A jury found Guerrero guilty of all three offenses. The court assessed punishment at forty-five yeai’s of imprisonment for each offense, with the sentences to run concurrently. 2

Competency

In his first two issues on appeal, Guerrero argues the trial court had ample evidence to suggest that he had no rational understanding of the serious charges against him; therefore, the court erred in failing to conduct an adequate inquiry into his competence to stand trial under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and under the Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution. See Tex.Code Crim. Proc. Ann. arts. 46B.003(a)(2), 46B.004, & 46B.005 (Vernon 2006); see also Cooper v. Oklahoma, 517 U.S. 348, 354, 116 S.Ct. 1373, 134 L.Ed.2d 498 (1996); McDaniel v. State, 98 S.W.3d 704, 709 (Tex.Crim.App.2003) (conviction of legally incompetent person violates due process). In his brief, Guerrero expressly states that he is only challenging the court’s procedural error in failing to hold an adequate hearing, and is not claiming that he was actually incompetent to stand trial or to represent himself. Guerrero asks us to abate the appeal and remand the cause to the trial court to conduct an inquiry into whether there was some evidence at the time of trial that would support a finding of incompetence. See Greene v. State, 225 S.W.3d 324, 329 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 2007, no pet.). We will address both issues together.

Under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, a defendant is presumed competent to stand trial, and must be found competent, unless proved incompetent by a preponderance of the evidence. Tex.Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 46B.003(b) (Vernon 2006). If evidence suggesting the defendant may be incompetent to stand trial comes to the attention of the trial court, then the court on its own motion must suggest that the defendant may be incompetent to stand trial. Tex.Code Crim. PROC. Ann. art. 46B.004(b). Upon a suggestion of incompetence, the trial court must then conduct an informal inquiry into whether there is some evidence from any source *312 that would support a finding that the defendant may be incompetent to stand trial. 3 Tex.Code Crim. PROC. Ann. art. 46B.004(c). A defendant is incompetent to stand trial if he does not have a rational as well as factual understanding of the proceedings against him. 4 Tex.Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 46B.003(a)(2); McDaniel, 98 S.W.3d at 709-10. “Some evidence” of incompetency is “a quantity more than none or a scintilla.” Sisco v. State, 599 S.W.2d 607, 613 (Tex.Crim.App. [Panel Op.] 1980). If, after an informal inquiry, the court determines there is some evidence to support a finding of incompetency, the court must order an examination to determine whether the defendant is incompetent to stand trial in a criminal case. Tex.Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 46B.005(a). We review a trial court’s decision not to conduct a competency inquiry for an abuse of discretion. Moore v. State, 999 S.W.2d 385, 393 (Tex.Crim.App.1999); Greene, 225 S.W.3d at 328.

Pre-Trial Hearings on Self-Representation

At the outset, we note that the trial court did conduct an informal inquiry into Guerrero’s mental competence when it held two Faretta hearings on Guerrero’s request to represent himself. See Faretta v. California, 422 U.S. 806, 835-36, 95 S.Ct. 2525, 45 L.Ed.2d 562 (1975) (criminal defendant has constitutional right to conduct his own defense at trial, but record must reflect a knowing and intelligent election to proceed without counsel); Hatten v. State, 71 S.W.3d 332, 333 (Tex.Crim.App.2002). The United States Supreme Court recently addressed the relation between the standard for competence to stand trial and the right of self-representation. Indiana v. Edwards, — U.S. -, 128 S.Ct. 2379, 2383, 171 L.Ed.2d 345 (2008). The Court expressly recognized that there is a mental competency limitation on the right to self-representation, and that competence to represent oneself during trial proceedings involves a higher standard than that required for competence to stand trial. Id. at 2384, 2386-87. Clearly then, evidence developed through the court’s inquiry into Guerrero’s mental competence for purposes of self-representation under this higher standard is relevant to our inquiry as to whether there exists any evidence suggesting Guerrero’s basic incompetence to stand trial.

At the first Faretta

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Gary Lynn Baker v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2016
Melvin Eugene Fletcher v. State
474 S.W.3d 389 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015)
Keith White v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013
Guerrero v. State
305 S.W.3d 546 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Guerrero, Eduardo
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2009
Chadwick v. State
277 S.W.3d 99 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2009)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
271 S.W.3d 309, 2008 WL 3457015, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/guerrero-v-state-texapp-2009.