Hallmark v. State

541 S.W.3d 167
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 8, 2017
DocketNO. PD-1118-16
StatusPublished
Cited by44 cases

This text of 541 S.W.3d 167 (Hallmark v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hallmark v. State, 541 S.W.3d 167 (Tex. 2017).

Opinion

Walker, J., filed a dissenting opinion in which Alcala, J., joined.

Exhibit A *172Walker, J., filed a dissenting opinion in which Alcala, J., joined.

DISSENTING OPINION

Appellant Jamie Hallmark was charged with felony hindering apprehension or prosecution and pled guilty pursuant to a plea bargain agreement. At the plea hearing, the trial court agreed to postpone sentencing to a later date. The trial court conditionally accepted the plea bargain agreement, on the condition that Appellant appear in court on the future sentencing date. After Appellant failed to appear on that sentencing date, the trial court converted Appellant's plea bargain agreement *173into an open plea and sentenced her to ten years' imprisonment.

The court of appeals reversed the conviction and remanded to the trial court, deciding that the trial court rejected the plea bargain agreement and then erred by not permitting Appellant to withdraw her guilty plea pursuant to article 26.13 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.1 We granted the State's petition for discretionary review, and the majority reverses the judgment of the Twelfth Court of Appeals. I disagree and respectfully dissent.

The majority's opinion determines that the agreement in which Appellant was to show up on an agreed date for sentencing was a part of the plea agreement, and therefore, Appellant's failure to show up for sentencing at the predetermined time, relieved the trial court from the obligation to follow the three year sentence agreement, and after sentencing Appellant to ten years, the trial judge had no duty to allow Appellant to withdraw her guilty plea. The majority opinion goes on to say that even if the judge's actions constituted an impermissible introduction of the trial judge into the plea bargaining process, the error, if any, was not preserved by objection. I disagree with this determination because I believe the record indicates that the agreement in which Appellant was to show up on an agreed date for sentencing was not a part of the plea agreement, but was instead a side agreement made between the trial court and Appellant after the plea agreement was reached between Appellant and the State. I also disagree with the majority opinion's assertion that because there was no objection to the trial court's impermissible participation in plea negotiations the issue was not preserved. The court of appeals opinion was not based on whether the trial court erred by injecting herself into the plea bargain process, but instead was based on the trial court's failure to allow Appellant to withdraw her guilty plea when the trial judge refused to follow the agreed three year sentence and instead sentenced her to ten years in prison. I believe that error was preserved by objection at sentencing.

Facts

Appellant was charged with felony hindering apprehension or prosecution, and she subsequently entered into a plea agreement with the State in which she would plead guilty in exchange for a recommended sentence of three years' imprisonment. On December 3, 2015, a plea hearing was held, and Appellant entered her guilty plea before the trial court, where the following exchange occurred:

THE COURT: Ms. Hallmark, let me tell you what the agreement is that you have agreed to, and you tell me whether that's what you signed up for, okay.
Your case is set a week from Monday, for jury trial, and today was the trial announcement, where you had to commit to what you want to do, and your lawyer and the D.A. said that y'all had worked *174a deal out and that you wanted to plead guilty but be sentenced in January.
And I said that I would do it on two things: One, you would have to waive a jury, so I could take it off the jury docket for later in the month; and that if you came at the time you were supposed to, then I would follow the plea bargain out.
If you did not come, and chose not to show, then you would be looking at the full range of punishment on the third-degree felony, and I would assess your range of punishment, and the plea would be off. So if you do your part, you get your deal. If you don't, then I decide what you get, no jury.
Is that what you believed you signed up for?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, ma'am.
...
THE COURT: Do you understand I can follow your plea bargain or reject it?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, ma'am.
...
THE COURT: And if I do not go along with your agreement, I will allow you to withdraw your plea, I will set your case for trial, and anything you said today could never be used against you at court in the future. Do you understand those things?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, ma'am.

(Rep. R. vol. 2, 8-10). Appellant proceeded to plead guilty, and the trial court questioned her as to whether her plea was voluntary. After that, the court continued:

THE COURT: The plea that you signed up for is: three years, with credit from December 12th, 2014, to December 31st, 2014; a $300 fine; the conditions relating to you show up, you get the three, if not, you are looking at the full range; and I would sentence you to that time January 21st, 2016, at nine o'clock in the morning.
Is that the agreement that you made?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, ma'am.
THE COURT: Is there anything about the agreement that you do not understand?
THE DEFENDANT: No, ma'am.
THE COURT: Mr. Curley, is there anything you want to put on the record at this point before I find her guilty and recess the hearing?
EXAMINATION BY [DEFENSE COUNSEL] MR. CURLEY: Q. Ms. Hallmark, you understand the importance of showing up on the 21st of January-
A. Yes.
Q. -is that right? do you have any questions about that?
THE COURT: I think she will show.
THE DEFENDANT: I will.
THE COURT: That's what I'm saying, I think she will show.
...
THE COURT: On your plea, and the evidence introduced, I find there's sufficient evidence to find you guilty. I find you guilty of the offense of hindering apprehension in Cause No. 15CR-064.
I will assess your punishment on January 21st, 2016, at nine o'clock, to three years on the condition you are here. If you are not here, then I will assess the punishment within the range.

(Rep. R. vol. 2, 11-13). An Agreed Plea Recommendation form was filled out, putting the agreement into writing including the condition that sentencing would take place on January 21, 2016, and if Appellant did not show, the trial court would sentence her within the range of punishment.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
541 S.W.3d 167, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hallmark-v-state-texcrimapp-2017.