Hernandez v. State

18 Tex. Ct. App. 134, 1885 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 73
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 6, 1885
DocketNo. 3449
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 18 Tex. Ct. App. 134 (Hernandez 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
Hernandez v. State, 18 Tex. Ct. App. 134, 1885 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 73 (Tex. Ct. App. 1885).

Opinion

Willson, Judge.

After a careful consideration of the indictment in the light of the exceptions urged against it by counsel for appellant, we have reached the conclusion that, under the decisions in this State, it contains every averment essential to charge the offense of perjury.

1. It charges that the criminal action in which the alleged false statement was made was pending, at the time of the commission of the perjury, in the district court of Bexar county, State of Texas, upon an indictment duly and legally depending in said court, and that said court had jurisdiction of said criminal action. It does not charge directly that said indictment had been presented by the grand jury of Bexar county, nor that the defendant therein had pleaded to said indictment. It charges affirmative facts, however, ■which show that the indictment had been presented in said court by the proper grand jury, and that the defendant therein had pleaded thereto, and had been legally tried and convicted thereon in said court.

2. It is directly averred that the alleged false statement was material, and, besides this direct averment, such facts are alleged as show that the same was material. It is insisted by appellant’s counsel that because the alleged false statement was made on a motion for a new trial, which motion was filed more than two days after the conviction, it could not be considered by the court, and was therefore immaterial. “A new trial must be applied for within two days after conviction; but for good cause shown, the court, in cases of felony, may allow the application to be made at any time before the adjournment of the term at which the conviction was had.” (Code Crim. Proc., art. 779; Bullock v. The State, 12 Texas Ct. App., 42.) It appears from the record that the court entertained the motion for a new trial, although not filed within the prescribed time, and considered the same upon its merits. This action was within the discretion of the court, and must be presumed to have been upon good cause shown. It does not, therefore, affect the question as to the materiality of the matters contained in the alleged false affidavit, that the application for a new trial was not made within the time prescribed by law.

[148]*148It is further insisted that, whether or not Bias Herrera said what defendant’s affidavit charged he said could have had no effect in determining whether or not Louis Hernandez was guilty of the theft of the colt, and therefore the statements in said affidavit of defendant were not material. Bias Herrera had testified in behalf of the State on the trial of Louis Hernandez. While his statements, as detailed in defendant’s said affidavit, might not have been competent evidence upon the issue of the guilt of Louis Hernandez, still they would, upon a proper predicate being laid, be admissible to affect the credibility of the witness Herrera, and to this extent at least would have been material even on the trial of Louis Hernandez. “ Swearing to a falsehood necessarily and absolutely ineffective is not perjury; but.it is otherwise when the falsehood is capable of a prima facie, though only temporary, effect;” and it can therefore make no difference what effect these alleged statements of Herrera might have had on the trial of Louis Hernandez, or whether or not they would have been admissible on that trial. If they were competent to be considered on the motion for a new trial, and wTere material with respect to such motion, and might have any effect upon the decision of the judge thereon, no matter how remote, contingent or ephemeral, they would be material within the meaning of the latv. (2 Whart. Cr. Law, § 1282; 3 Greenl. Ev., § 195.) It is nob with reference to the trial of Louis Hernandez that the materiality of the statements in defendant’s affidavit must be considered and tested, but they must be viewed with reference to their bearing upon the motion for a new trial, and when thus viewed we think their materiality is evident.

Without further discussing the exceptions made to the indictment, we will say that, notwithstanding the difficulty of framing a good indictment upon the rather complex facts of this case, the pleader has succeeded in preparing an indictment which, in our opinion, is unexceptionable, and we commend him for the care and skill evidenced by so perfect a pleading.

It is earnestly contended by defendant’s counsel that the testimony of Bias Herrera, the only witness who testified to the falsity of the statements contained in defendant’s alleged false affidavit, was not corroborated by any other evidence, and that therefore the court should have instructed the jury to acquit the defendant.

In the alleged false affidavit of defendant he stated that, about six months prior to the time of making said affidavit, Bias Hernandez, Sostenes Carrasco, and George De la Zerda said to him, “ let us brand a colt, a filly colt of Sam Barker, with the brand of Louis Hernandez, and afterwards notify Barker that Louis Hernandez [149]*149had branded the filly.” He, the affiant, replied that he would not do so. Bias Hernandez then said, “ I will do it.” Afterwards, Sostenes Carrasco said to affiant: “We (meaning Bias Hernandez, Sostenes Carrasco and George De la Zerda) branded the filly of Barker with the brand of Louis Hernandez, and then killed the mare.” Each of the statements contained in said affidavit is assigned as perjury. It is averred in the indictment, in an innuendo, that “ Bias Hernandez ” meant Bias Herrera, and it seems to have been conceded throughout the trial that the two names referred to and meant the same person, though we find no evidence of that fact in the record. We merely call attention to this matter without pausing to consider and determine the effect of the omission to prove the innuendo, as counsel for appellant has not presented the question in his argument or brief.

On the trial the State, over the objections of the defendant, was permitted to introduce evidence tending to establish the guilt of Louis Hernandez of the theft of the colt, it being the same colt referred to in defendant’s said affidavit, and also to read in evidence the record of the conviction of said Louis Hernandez of said theft. This testimony was relied upon by the prosecution and argued to the jury as corroborative of the testimony of the witness Bias Herrera as to the falsity of the statements in defendant’s said affidavit, and is so relied upon and argued in this court. It is earnestly insisted by the counsel for appellant that this testimony was irrelevant, was not corroborative to any extent, and was, therefore, inadmissible.

Our statute provides that, “in trials for perjury, no person shall be convicted except upon the testimony of two credible witnesses, or of one credible witness corroborated strongly by other evidence, as to the falsity of the defendant’s statements under oath; or upon his own confession in open court.” (Code Crim. Proc., art. 746.) And it is further provided that, “in all cases where by law two witnesses, or one with corroborating circumstances, are required to authorize a conviction, if the requirement be not fulfilled, the court shall instruct the jury to render a verdict of acquittal, and they are bound by the instruction.” (Code Crim. Proc., art. 745.) These are but statutory declarations of the common law regulating prosecutions for the crime of perjury, and are founded on substantial justice. (Gabrielski v. The State, 13 Texas Ct. App., 428.) In such prosecutions, where the evidence presents “only oath against oath,” it is insufficient to warrant a conviction. (2 Bish. Cr.

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

Related

State of Texas v. Moore, Billy
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2007
People v. Field
66 Colo. 367 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1919)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
18 Tex. Ct. App. 134, 1885 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 73, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hernandez-v-state-texapp-1885.