In Re JDP

85 S.W.3d 420, 2002 WL 1929507
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 22, 2002
Docket2-01-282-CV
StatusPublished

This text of 85 S.W.3d 420 (In Re JDP) 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 JDP, 85 S.W.3d 420, 2002 WL 1929507 (Tex. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

85 S.W.3d 420 (2002)

In the Matter of J.D.P., a Juvenile.

No. 2-01-282-CV.

Court of Appeals of Texas, Fort Worth.

August 22, 2002.

*422 Stephen R. Bjordammen, Wichita Falls, for Appellant.

Barry L. Macha, Criminal District Attorney, Starla Jones, Douglas L. Baker, F. Dobie Kosub, Assistant Criminal District Attorneys, Wichita Falls, for Appellee.

PANEL F: DAY, LIVINGSTON, and HOLMAN, JJ.

OPINION

DIXON W. HOLMAN, Justice.

Appellant J.D.P. was charged with engaging in delinquent conduct by reckless injury to a child and with burglary of a habitation. Upon Appellant's motion, the two offenses were severed by the trial court for separate trials. Trial proceeded on the reckless injury to a child charge and the jury returned an adjudication verdict and a disposition verdict, sentencing Appellant to twenty years in the Texas Youth Commission (TYC). In four issues, Appellant complains of the legal and factual sufficiency of the evidence to support the adjudication and disposition of his case. We affirm.

STANDARD OF REVIEW IN THE ADJUDICATION PHASE

In the adjudication phase of a juvenile case, the criminal legal and factual sufficiency standards of review are employed. In re G.A.T., 16 S.W.3d 818, 828 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2000, pet. denied); see In re J.L.H., 58 S.W.3d 242, 245 (Tex.App.-El Paso 2001, no pet.). In reviewing the legal sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction, we view all the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict. Cardenas v. State, 30 S.W.3d 384, 389-90 (Tex.Crim.App.2000); Narvaiz v. State, 840 S.W.2d 415, 423 (Tex.Crim. App.1992), cert. denied, 507 U.S. 975, 113 S.Ct. 1422, 122 L.Ed.2d 791 (1993). The critical inquiry is whether, after so viewing the evidence, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. McDuff v. State, 939 S.W.2d 607, 614 (Tex. Crim.App.), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 844, 118 S.Ct. 125, 139 L.Ed.2d 75 (1997). This standard gives full play to the responsibility of the trier of fact to resolve conflicts in the testimony, to weigh the evidence, and to draw reasonable inferences from basic facts to ultimate facts. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979).

In reviewing the factual sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction, we are to view all the evidence in a neutral light, favoring neither party. Johnson v. State, 23 S.W.3d 1, 7 (Tex. Crim.App.2000); Clewis v. State, 922 S.W.2d 126, 129 (Tex.Crim.App.1996). Evidence is factually insufficient if it is so weak as to be clearly wrong and manifestly unjust or the adverse finding is against the great weight and preponderance of the available evidence. Johnson, 23 S.W.3d at 11. Therefore, we must determine whether a neutral review of all the evidence, both for and against the finding, demonstrates *423 that the proof of guilt is so obviously weak as to undermine confidence in the verdict, or the proof of guilt, although adequate if taken alone, is greatly outweighed by contrary proof. Id. In performing this review, we are to give due deference to the fact finder's determinations. Id. at 8-9; Clewis, 922 S.W.2d at 136. Consequently, we may find the evidence factually insufficient only where necessary to prevent manifest injustice. Johnson, 23 S.W.3d at 9, 12; Cain v. State, 958 S.W.2d 404, 407 (Tex.Crim.App.1997).

EVIDENCE PRESENTED IN THE ADJUDICATION PHASE

Appellant was accused of recklessly shooting and killing another juvenile with a nine millimeter handgun on September 2, 2000. B.S., Appellant's fifteen-year-old friend, was the first to testify at the trial. B.S. testified that on Friday, September 1, 2000, Appellant came home from school with him during lunch and B.S. showed Appellant his stepfather's nine millimeter handgun. The handgun was in his parents' bedroom and there was a clip in the gun and a box of bullets laying beside it. Appellant tried to pick up the gun, but B.S. did not allow him to touch it. B.S. testified that he had some informal training on firearm safety from his stepfather because he had gone hunting in the past. B.S. stated that his stepfather had taught him never to point a gun at anyone because it might go off, even if it was unloaded.

Next, the State called B.M., Appellant's sixteen-year-old friend. B.M. testified that Appellant pulled him into the bathroom at school on September 1, 2000, around 1:00 p.m., and showed him a nine millimeter handgun, bullets, and a clip Appellant had in his backpack. B.M. further testified that Appellant again showed him and another boy, K.D., the handgun at a park after the three got off of the school bus that afternoon. B.M. stated that he held the handgun and pulled back the slide and there were no bullets in the chamber. He stated he did not point the gun at anyone because he had been taught "you don't point [a gun] at anybody even if it's not loaded, because it could still be."

K.D. testified after B.M., reiterating the same story about seeing the handgun in the park. He testified that Appellant showed him and B.M. a box of bullets, then removed the handgun from his backpack and pulled out the clip of the gun and showed it to them. K.D. testified that the clip was "fully loaded" with bullets. Next, Jeremiah Carter, a nineteen-year-old, testified that Appellant attempted to sell him the handgun on September 2, 2000 at Carter's house. Carter asked to see the gun, but Appellant did not have it with him at that time.

After Carter, A.F., a sixteen-year-old girl who lived in Appellant's neighborhood, testified. A.F. stated that either the day of the shooting or the day before the shooting, Appellant pulled up his shirt and showed her the handgun in his waistband. A.F. further testified that, on the day of the shooting, she and her friend saw Appellant walk by with the victim, D.B., and another boy shortly before they heard a gunshot. A.F. and her friend went to the vacant house where the boys had been and saw D.B., who appeared to be dead, lying on the back porch.

The State next called L.R., A.F.'s friend that was with her the day D.B. was shot. L.R. reiterated the story A.F. told about hearing the gunshot and finding D.B. dead on the porch of the vacant house.

The State also called E.O., who was with D.B. and Appellant when D.B. was shot. E.O. testified that D.B. had come over to his house earlier that day and that Appellant called E.O. and told E.O. and D.B. to *424 meet him at the vacant house so he could show them something. E.O. and D.B. met Appellant on the back porch of the house and Appellant showed them the handgun, a clip loaded with bullets, and a box with bullets in it. E.O. testified that when he and D.B.

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

Related

Jackson v. Virginia
443 U.S. 307 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Cardenas v. State
30 S.W.3d 384 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2000)
Cain v. State
958 S.W.2d 404 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1997)
Narvaiz v. State
840 S.W.2d 415 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1992)
Johnson v. State
23 S.W.3d 1 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2000)
McDuff v. State
939 S.W.2d 607 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1997)
Clewis v. State
922 S.W.2d 126 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1996)
In re E.Q.
839 S.W.2d 144 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1992)
In re J.R.
907 S.W.2d 107 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1995)
In re C.C.
930 S.W.2d 929 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1996)
S.A.M., Matter Of
933 S.W.2d 744 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1996)
In re A.S.
954 S.W.2d 855 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1997)
Matter of K.L.C.
972 S.W.2d 203 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1998)
Matter of T.A.F.
977 S.W.2d 386 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1998)
In the Matter of T.K.E.
5 S.W.3d 782 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1999)
In re G.A.T.
16 S.W.3d 818 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2000)
In re J.L.H.
58 S.W.3d 242 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2001)
In re J.D.P.
85 S.W.3d 420 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
85 S.W.3d 420, 2002 WL 1929507, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-jdp-texapp-2002.