in Re State of Texas Ex Rel Michael Munk, District Attorney, 106th Judical District

Texas Supreme Court·Decided January 26, 2015·No. WR-81,953-06·Published

Opinion

WR-81,953-06

COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS

Transmitted 1/23/2015 4:56:23 PM Accepted 1/26/2015 8:15:17 AM ABEL ACOSTA

NO. __________________ CLERK

In re STATE OF TEXAS § IN THE COURT OF RECEIVED COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS § 1/26/2015 ex rel MICHAEL MUNK, District § ABEL ACOSTA, CLERK CRIMINAL APPEALS

§

Attorney, 106th Judicial District § IN AUSTIN, TEXAS

STATE’S APPLICATION FOR

WRIT OF PROHIBITION

MICHAEL MUNK

District Attorney

106th Judicial District

P.O. Box 1124

Lamesa, TX 79331

806-872-2259

806-872-3174 fax

michael.munk@co.dawson.tx.us SBN 24052943

ATTORNEY FOR STATE

Oral argument waived January 23, 2015

LIST OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL

Relator Counsel

State Michael Munk, District Attorney 106th Judicial District

SBN 24052943

P.O. Box 1124

Lamesa, TX 79331

(806) 872-2259

(806) 872-3174 fax

michael.munk@co.dawson.tx.us

Respondent Counsel

Hon. Carter T. Schildknecht, Unknown at this time Judge, 106th District Court

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Parties and Counsel.....................................................................................ii Table of Contents...................................................................................................iii Index of Authorities...............................................................................................iv Application..............................................................................................................1 Factual Background................................................................................................2 Argument.................................................................................................................7 Prayer....................................................................................................................11 Certificate of Service............................................................................................12 Certificate of Compliance.....................................................................................13 Appendix...............................................................................................................14

INDEX OF AUTHORITIES

STATUTES TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ART. 39.14..................................................................2, 7-9 TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ART. 44.01..........................................................................1

CASES Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963)..................................................................8 Dalbosco v. State, 978 S.W.2d 236 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 1998, pet. ref’d).......8 Dickens v. Court of Appeals, 727 S.W.2d 542 (Tex. Crim. App. 1987)..................7 Harm v. State, 183 S.W.3d 403 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006).........................................9 Hoffman v. State, 514 S.W.2d 248 (Tex. Crim. App. 1974)....................................7 In re State, 162 S.W.3d 672 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2005, no pet.)...........................7

In re State ex rel. Munk, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 12212 (Tex. App.—Eastland Nov. 10, 2014)..........................................................................................4, 9

In re Stormer, 2007 Tex. Crim. App. Unpub. LEXIS 1154 (Tex. Crim. App.

June 20, 2007)...............................................................................................7

In re Watkins, 2008 Tex. App. LEXIS 1145 (Tex. App.—Dallas Feb. 15, 2008, no pet.).................................................................................. 9

In re Watkins, 367 S.W.3d 932 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2012, no pet.).........................9 In re Watkins, 369 S.W.3d 702 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2012, no pet.).....................7, 9 Kyles v. Whitley, 514 U.S. 419 (1995).....................................................................8 Menefee v. State, 211 S.W.3d 893 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2006, pet. ref’d).........7

State ex rel. Wade v. Stephens, 724 S.W.2d 141 (Tex. App.—

Dallas 1987, no pet.)..................................................................................8-9

State ex rel. Hill v. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Dist., 34 S.W.3d 924 (Tex. Crim. App. 2001).................................................................................9

In re STATE OF TEXAS § IN THE COURT OF §

ex rel MICHAEL MUNK, District § CRIMINAL APPEALS §

Attorney, 106th Judicial District § IN AUSTIN, TEXAS

STATE’S APPLICATION FOR

WRIT OF PROHIBITION

TO THE HONORABLE JUDGES OF THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS:

NOW COMES the State, by and through its District Attorney for the 106th Judicial District of Gaines County, and respectfully requests this Honorable Court to grant this Application and issue a writ of prohibition preventing the 106th District Court from requiring, absent a showing of good cause, that the State generate and provide to defendants criminal histories of the State’s non-law- enforcement witnesses in any future cases. Judge Carter T. Schildknecht of the 106th Judicial District1 has repeatedly ordered the State to produce criminal histories for all of the State’s non-law enforcement witnesses and provide them to defendants, without regard to whether such histories exist or are in the State’s possession. Relator’s right to appeal is limited to those grounds enumerated in TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ART. 44.01, none of which address such orders or would protect Relator from having to produce the discovery contemplated by

1 The 106th Judicial District encompasses a large area and is composed of Dawson, Gaines, Garza, and Lynn Counties. Garza and Lynn Counties lie within the geographic jurisdiction of the 7th Court of Appeals in Amarillo, while Dawson and Gaines Counties lie within the jurisdiction of the 11th Court of Appeals in Eastland.

Respondent’s orders; thus, the State has no adequate remedy at law. Furthermore, Relator has a clear right to the relief sought.

The trial court has no authority to order the State to provide discovery that exceeds the scope of TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ART. 39.14, as that article existed prior to its amendment via the Michael Morton Act or as it exists today.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

As recently as June 17, 2014, at a hearing regarding State v. Bobby Glenn Blair, Garza County cause # 13-2673, Respondent stated on the record: “I am certainly not ordering the State to run any NCIC or TCIC records….If it is not [in the State’s possession], they do not have to go out and seek it.” Since that time, however, Respondent has changed her stance, regularly ordering the State to perform criminal history searches and provide the results to defendants. As a result, Relator has had to repeatedly petition the Courts of Appeals and the Court of Criminal Appeals for mandamus relief.

On August 11, 2014, Relator was ordered to provide criminal histories in the Lynn County case of State v. Sammy Carl Williams, trial cause # 14-3151. Relator immediately filed an emergency petition with the 7th Court of Appeals at Amarillo, since trial was due to begin with jury selection that Friday, August 15, 2014. Relator was unable to obtain a transcript of the pretrial hearing in time to include it with Relator’s petition. The 7th Court of Appeals denied Relator’s petition, stating,

“we do not see the language in Respondent’s order of which Relator specifically complains.” In re Munk, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 9083 (Tex. App.—Amarillo Aug. 15, 2014).

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in Re State of Texas Ex Rel Michael Munk, District Attorney, 106th Judical District, (Tex. 2015).

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Related

Brady v. Maryland
373 U.S. 83 (Supreme Court, 1963)
Kyles v. Whitley
514 U.S. 419 (Supreme Court, 1995)
Hoffman v. State
514 S.W.2d 248 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1974)
Dalbosco v. State
978 S.W.2d 236 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1998)
Menefee v. State
211 S.W.3d 893 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006)
Harm v. State
183 S.W.3d 403 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2006)
In Re the State
162 S.W.3d 672 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005)
Hill v. Court of Appeals for Fifth Dist.
34 S.W.3d 924 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2001)
Dickens v. Court of Appeals for the Second Supreme Judicial District of Texas
727 S.W.2d 542 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1987)
State Ex Rel. Wade v. Stephens
724 S.W.2d 141 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1987)
in Re the State of Texas Ex Rel. Michael Munk
448 S.W.3d 687 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014)
In re Watkins
367 S.W.3d 932 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2012)
In re Watkins
369 S.W.3d 702 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2012)