In re D.D.

938 S.W.2d 172, 1996 Tex. App. LEXIS 5866
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 30, 1996
DocketNo. 2-95-280-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 938 S.W.2d 172 (In re D.D.) 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
In re D.D., 938 S.W.2d 172, 1996 Tex. App. LEXIS 5866 (Tex. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

OPINION ON REHEARING

LIVINGSTON, Justice.

Our opinion of October 17, 1996 dismissed Appellant’s claims on jurisdictional grounds. The opinion raised concerns about our interpretation of recently enacted article 44.47 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.1 Both the Appellant and the State have filed motions for rehearing in this case. We grant the motions for rehearing, withdraw our prior opinion and judgment, and substitute this opinion in its entirety.

This is a direct appeal from a waiver of juvenile jurisdiction and a transfer to district court for adult criminal proceedings. Appellant contends that there was insufficient evidence to support the juvenile court’s finding that it is in the best interests of Appellant and society to transfer this case for adult criminal proceedings. Both the State and Appellant implicitly rely on section 56 of the Family Code2 as authorizing appellate review of the transfer order pretrial. Recently enacted article 44.47 of the Code of Criminal Procedure states that the appeal of a transfer order may only take place with an appeal on the merits. Tex.Code CRIM. PROC. Ann. art. 44.47 (Vernon Supp.1997). In our original opinion, we applied this new procedural rule to this case and dismissed the appeal for want of jurisdiction.

The Effective Date of New Article 44.47 C.C.P.

There are no reported Texas cases ruling on our jurisdiction to directly review transfers from a juvenile court in light of recently enacted article 44.47 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Article 44.47 reads as follows:

Art. 44.47. Appeal of transfer from juvenile court
(a) A defendant may appeal an order of a juvenile court certifying the defendant to stand trial as an adult and transferring the [174]*174defendant to a criminal court under Section 54.02, Family Code.
(b) A defendant may appeal a transfer under Subsection (a) only in conjunction with the appeal of a conviction of the offense for which the defendant was transferred to criminal court.
(e) An appeal under this section is a criminal matter and is governed by this code and the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure that apply to a criminal case.
(d) An appeal under this article may include any claims under the law that existed before January 1, 1996, that could have been raised on direct appeal of a transfer under Section 54.02, Family Code.

Tex.Code CRiM. PROC. Ann. art. 44.47 (Vernon Supp.1997).

The 1995 Act enacting this change provides in section 106(a) that the revision applies “only to conduct that occurs on or after January 1,1996.”3 While the intent of the statute is obviously to consolidate appeals, we agree with the parties that the revised statute applies to transfer order appeals relating to conduct violating a penal law of the state that occurred on or after January 1, 1996. However, subsection (d) of article 44.47 also allows appellants to include “claims under the law that existed before January 1, 1996, that could have been raised on direct appeal.” Tex.Code Chim. PROC. Ann. art. 44.47(d) (Vernon Supp.1997). Thus, we hold a juvenile defendant may appeal the juvenile court’s waiver of jurisdiction if the conduct occurred prior to January 1, 1996 by direct appeal at that time or at the time of appeal on the merits. Since the alleged conduct in this ease took place on or about August 4,1995, this court has jurisdiction to hear the direct appeal of the juvenile court’s determination to waive its jurisdiction.

Discussion On The Merits

In one point of error, Appellant contends that the evidence is factually insufficient to support the juvenile court’s waiver of jurisdiction and discretionary transfer to district court. Because we find the evidence factually sufficient, we affirm.

On August 4, 1995, Appellant, two other juveniles, and one adult stopped Reverend James C. Thompson, Jr., and asked him for a ride to another location in Wichita Falls, Texas. Rev. Thompson was directed to drive to a rural area of Wichita Falls where he was shot in the back of the head, robbed, placed in a drainage ditch, and his vehicle was stolen. All four suspects were arrested the next day in Lawton, Oklahoma. Appellant was returned to Wichita Falls where he gave a statement implicating himself in the crime.

On September 13, 1995, the Wichita County Criminal District Attorney’s Office filed its First Amended Petition for Discretionary Transfer alleging five counts of delinquent conduct and requesting Appellant’s transfer to the district court for adult criminal proceedings. After a hearing, the juvenile court waived its jurisdiction and transferred Appellant to district court on October 25, 1995. Appellant now appeals the sufficiency of the evidence supporting the transfer order to criminal district court.

When the factual sufficiency of the evidence supporting a transfer order is challenged, we must consider all the evidence to determine if the trial court’s issuance of a transfer order is so against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence as to be manifestly erroneous or unjust. In re C.M. v. State, 884 S.W.2d 562, 563 (Tex.App.—San Antonio 1994, no writ); In re A.T.S. v. State, 694 S.W.2d 252, 253 (Tex.App.—Fort Worth 1985, writ dism’d). When the transfer hearing was held, the required findings for transferring a case from juvenile court to district court were:

(1) the child is alleged to have violated a penal law of the grade of felony;
(2) the child was 15 years of age or older at the time he is alleged to have committed the offense and no adjudication hearing has been conducted concerning that offense; and
(3) after full investigation and hearing the juvenile court determines that there is probable cause to believe that the child [175]*175before the court committed the offense alleged and that because of the seriousness of the offense or the background of the child the welfare of the community require criminal proceedings.4

Additionally, subsection 54.02(f) of the Family Code outlines the factors that the trial court should consider when making the above findings.5 The trial judge is the sole fact finder in a transfer hearing and absent an abuse of discretion we will not disturb the trial court’s findings. In re J.P.O., 904 S.W.2d 695, 698 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1995, writ denied); In re D.W.L., 828 S.W.2d 520, 525 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1992, no writ).

In the instant case, the trial judge appropriately considered the factors set forth in subsections (a) and (f) of section 54.02, and made the following findings of fact:

a. [D.D.] is a male child of the age of 15 years, born on December 18, 1979, and whose residence is 1520 Harding, Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas.
b. [D.D.] was 15 years of age at the time of the offenses upon which the Motion for a discretionary transfer to criminal court was made.

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Bluebook (online)
938 S.W.2d 172, 1996 Tex. App. LEXIS 5866, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-dd-texapp-1996.