Issac v. State

982 S.W.2d 96, 1998 Tex. App. LEXIS 2711, 1998 WL 237580
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 7, 1998
DocketNo. 01-96-00750-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 982 S.W.2d 96 (Issac 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
Issac v. State, 982 S.W.2d 96, 1998 Tex. App. LEXIS 2711, 1998 WL 237580 (Tex. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

OPINION ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

O’CONNOR, Justice.

Linda Sue Issac, the appellant, pled not guilty to three counts of driving while intoxicated, was found guilty by the jury, and was assessed punishment by the court of nine months in jail, probated for two years, and a $4,000 fine probated to $400. In one point of error, the appellant argues the trial court erred in not granting her motion for new trial. We withdraw our earlier opinion and substitute this in its stead. We affirm.

Facts of the Arrest

On April 16, 1995, Officers Hall and Hicks saw the appellant driving her vehicle in a reckless manner and followed her until she drove off the road and into the driveway of her apartment complex. The officers left their car and walked to the appellant’s vehicle. When the appellant opened her window, Hicks noticed a strong smell of alcohol and saw vomit on the dashboard, across the steering wheel, and all over the appellant’s clothes. After the appellant admitted she had had a couple of drinks, Hicks asked her to get out of the ear.

Hicks administered a field sobriety test, during which the appellant was orally combative and cursed at the officers. Because she was swaying and could not keep her balance, the officers believed she was intoxicated and took her to jail. The appellant did not take a breathalyzer test.

The Argument on Appeal

In one point of error, the appellant argues the trial court erred in denying her motion for new trial because approximately 35 minutes of testimony was lost and, consequently, the entire direct examination of Hall is missing from the record. She contends that the trial court was required to grant her a new trial under the rule 50(e) of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure. The State argues that, even if there was error, we should apply a harmful error analysis to the missing testimony. The State claims Hall’s testimony was duplicated by the later, recorded testimony of Hicks. We requested the parties submit briefs addressing the issue of which rule should apply, former Tex.R.App. P. 50(e) or new Tex.R.App. P. 34.6(f), and what effect the application of the new rule would have on this appeal.1

Comparison of the Old & New Rules

Under the old rule, rule 50(e), missing testimony was not subject to a harmful error analysis. Perez v. State, 824 S.W.2d 565, 568 (Tex.Crim.App.1992). Under that rule, if part of the record was missing and the appel[98]*98lant was not at fault, the court would reverse. Id. Rule 50(e) provided:

[I]f the appellant has made a timely request for a statement of facts, but the court reporter’s notes and records have been lost or destroyed without appellant’s fault, the appellant is entitled to a new trial unless the parties agree on a statement of facts.

Former Tex.R.App. P. 50(e) (repealed effective Sept. 1,1997).

Under the new rule, rule 34.6(f)(3) (effective Sept. 1, 19972), a court should grant a new trial only when the missing record is necessary to the appeal. The new rule provides:

An appellant is entitled to a new trial under the following circumstances:
(1) if the appellant has timely requested a reporter’s record;
(2) if, without the appellant’s fault, a significant exhibit or a significant portion of the court reporter’s notes and records has been lost or destroyed or - if the proceedings were electronically recorded - a significant portion of the recording has been lost or destroyed or is inaudible;
(3) if the lost, destroyed, or inaudible portion of the reporter’s record, or the lost or destroyed exhibit, is necessary to the appeal’s resolution; and
(4) if the parties cannot agree on a complete reporter’s record.

Tex.R.App. P. 34.6(f) (emphasis added). Rule 34.6(f)(3) requires the appellant to show the missing portion is necessary to the appeal before the trial court can grant a new trial based on a missing portion of the reporter’s record.

Order Adopting New Appellate Rules

The first issue in this case is whether the old or new rules apply. The Court of Criminal Appeals’ order adopting the new Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, states in part that:

2. These amended rules take effect September 1, 1997. Unless this order provides otherwise, they shall govern all proceedings in motions for new trial, appeals, petitions for discretionary review, and petitions or applications for extraordinary writs thereafter brought and in all such proceedings then pending, except to the extent that in the opinion of the court their application in a particular proceeding then pending would not be feasible or would work injustice, in which case the former procedure may be allowed.

Under this order, we should apply the new appellate rules unless, in our opinion, it would not be feasible or it would work an injustice.

The Missing Record

At the hearing on the appellant’s motion for new trial, the trial court heard testimony from David Fortson, the court reporter. Fortson testified his recording machine did not engage at the beginning of trial, and it did not record the first 30 to 35 minutes of the proceedings. Fortson testified the missing parts of the record included the appellant’s arraignment, the opening statements of both parties, Officer Hall’s direct examination, and part of her cross-examination. Fortson testified there were no other recordings made and there was no other way to provide a transcript of Hall’s testimony. The gap in the record was not discovered until after trial, when the appellant requested the reporter’s record be sent to this Court for appeal.

The State responded at the hearing by arguing the missing testimony was duplicated by the later testimony of the other arresting officer. The trial court denied the appellant’s request for a new trial, stating that all the evidence was presented to and considered by the jury and that the record was sufficient for appellate review.

In the appellant’s original brief, the only point of error she alleged was that we should remand for a new trial. After we requested additional briefs, the appellant filed a brief in which she argued the old rule should apply, [99]*99and, if we apply the new rule, we should not overrule the line of cases mandating a new trial when parts of the record are missing or destroyed.

We find that nothing prevents the application of rule 34.6(f), the new rule, and its application will not work an injustice.

Application of Rule 34.6(f)

Under rule 34.6(f), before the appellant is entitled to a new trial, she must establish the elements outlined in rule 34.6(f). In this ease, there is no question that the appellant timely requested a reporter’s record, and that part of the record was not electronically recorded through no fault of the appellant. The issues that are unresolved are: (1) whether a “significant portion” of the court reporter’s recording was lost; and (2) if the lost portion of the reporter’s record is necessary to the resolution of the appeal. Tex. R.App. P. 34.6(f).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
982 S.W.2d 96, 1998 Tex. App. LEXIS 2711, 1998 WL 237580, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/issac-v-state-texapp-1998.