Hill v. State

902 S.W.2d 57, 1995 Tex. App. LEXIS 1186, 1995 WL 324650
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided June 1, 1995·No. 01-94-00698-CR to 01-94-00700-CR·Published·Cited by 40 cases

Opinion

*58 OPINION

HEDGES, Justice.

Appellant Ricky Jermain Hill (also known as Ricky Brooks) pled guilty to the felony offense of aggravated robbery, and the trial court assessed his punishment at 30-years confinement. Contemporaneously, appellant signed a stipulation of evidence in the two causes in which the State had moved to revoke his probations in two earlier offenses. The trial court assessed punishment at seven years confinement on each revocation to be served concurrently with the 30-year sentence. In four points of error, appellant contends the trial court erred in: (1) denying his motion to suppress his written confession; (2) revoking probation in the two earlier offenses; and (3) refusing to set an appeal bond in the probation revocation causes. We affirm.

Facts

On January 19, 1993, Sergeant J.W. Belk of the Houston Police Department interviewed appellant concerning several criminal episodes, including the “kick burglary” of the home of an alleged Colombian drug dealer that ended in the dealer’s death. Denying involvement in the incident, appellant stated that he had heard at the carwash that “Tutu” had shot the victim and that certain other named individuals had been with Tutu. During the interview, the following exchange took place:

Belk: ... How do you think you got caught?
[Appellant]: Somebody had to say something.
Belk: Somebody had to say something, that’s right. Why don’t you think Ricky’s in jail right now?
[Appellant]: I am in jail.
Belk: I mean why don’t you think Pat’s in jail right now?
[Appellant]: Umm ...
Belk: Why don’t you think Bill’s in jail right now:
[Appellant]: He is.
Belk: Well he was in jail around Christmas.
[Appellant]: Oh.

The interview was tape recorded, and a written transcription was introduced into evidence at the hearing on appellant’s motion to suppress. Appellant was released at the conclusion of the interview.

On February 8, 1993, Sergeants Ladd and J.W. Belk of the Houston police department arrested appellant pursuant to a warrant for aggravated robbery in Richmond, Texas. Appellant was in custody in Fort Bend County for an offense unrelated to this appeal. Judge Elliott of the 268th district court of Fort Bend County informed appellant of the charge and admonished him of his rights, both orally and in writing.

Officers Belk and Ladd took appellant to the homicide division of the Houston Police Department, where he indicated he was willing to give a written statement. When Sergeant Ladd once read him his rights, appellant indicated he understood each of the warnings and still desired to make a statement. Appellant then dictated a description of the aggravated robbery and shooting to Sergeant Ladd, who typed the statement. Appellant then signed and initialled each warning, read and signed his statement, and initialled each page.

At his suppression hearing, appellant recanted his February 8 statement. He testified that during the January 19 interview, Sergeant Belk had given him the impression that he would receive favorable treatment if he talked to the police. He stated that “[Belk] told me, you know [other participants in the robbery] cooperated with [the police] so he didn’t charge them and if I cooperated, he would let me go.” Sergeant Belk testified he did not tell appellant that if he gave a statement, he would be released. The trial court denied the motion to suppress, announcing from the bench that “the Court finds that the statement made by [appellant] was freely and voluntarily made without coercion or persuasion....”

Appellant contends that Sergeant Belk’s questions during the January 19 interview, as set forth above, constitute an improper promise to release him if he gave them a statement. That promise, he argues, wrongfully *59 induced his statement in violation of the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution and article I, section 10 of the Texas Constitution.

Motion to Suppress Written Confession

In points of error one and two, appellant contends the trial court erred, under U.S. Const, amend. V, and under Tex. Const, art. I, § 10 and Tex.Code CrimProCAnn. art. 1.05 (Vernon 1977) in admitting into evidence a written confession induced by an improper promise.

The trial court is the sole finder of fact in a motion to suppress hearing. Arnold v. State, 878 S.W.2d 27, 30 (Tex.Crim.App.1993). The trial judge is free to believe or disbelieve any or all of any witness’ testimony. Taylor v. State, 604 S.W.2d 175, 177 (Tex.Crim.App.1980). Abuse of discretion is the standard of review by which we measure the trial court’s ruling on a motion to suppress evidence. Long v. State, 823 S.W.2d 259, 277 (Tex.Crim.App.1991). We will not overturn a trial court’s ruling if it is supported by the record. Johnson v. State, 803 S.W.2d 272, 287 (Tex.Crim.App.1990).

The proper test by which to measure whether a confession was improperly induced by a promise is set forth in Fisher v. State, 379 S.W.2d 900 (Tex.Crim.App.1964):

To render a confession inadmissible upon the ground that it was induced by the promise of some benefit to defendant, such promise must be positive, and must be made or sanctioned by a person in authority and it must also be of such character as would likely influence the defendant to speak untruthfully.

Id. at 902; see also Colorado v. Connelly, 479 U.S. 157, 163-67, 107 S.Ct. 515, 519-22, 93 L.Ed.2d 473 (1986). Although a “positive” promise can be something less than unequivocal, it must carry the suggestion of a quid pro quo. Smith v. State, 779 S.W.2d 417, 428 (Tex.Crim.App.1989).

The record clearly supports the trial court’s finding that the confession was voluntarily made because the alleged “promise” made by Sergeant Belk is anything but a positive offer to release appellant if he gave a statement. It is indeed a stretch to conclude that the officer’s “rhetorical” questions projected a positive promise of the type appellant would have had the trial court adopt at the suppression hearing. Neither federal nor state constitutional guarantees require that appellant’s confession be suppressed.

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

Hill v. State, 902 S.W.2d 57, 1995 Tex. App. LEXIS 1186, 1995 WL 324650 (Tex. Ct. App. 1995).

902 S.W.2d 57 (Hill v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Kevin Scott Kellerby v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015
Denetra Marie Harris v. State
468 S.W.3d 248 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015)
Florence, Thomas Wayne
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015
Odel Rodrick Allen v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015
Edward Contreras Torres v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014
Terrence Anthony Reed v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2012
Ex Parte: Tricha Ann McLendon
356 S.W.3d 541 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011)
EX PARTE McLENDON
356 S.W.3d 541 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011)
Manuel Chapa Garcia v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010
Teodoro Velasquez-Anariba v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008
Jose Luis Garcia v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008
Daniel Lee Gerth v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008
Marcus Dwayne Colvin v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006
Antonio Trejo v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006
Norton, Roland v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006
Casey, Larry v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006
Monreal, Marcelino Hernandez v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006
Guerrero, Victor Alfonso v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005
Flores v. State
172 S.W.3d 742 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005)
Flores, Douglas Huff v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005