Jackson v. State

645 S.W.2d 303, 1983 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 926
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas·Decided February 9, 1983·No. 66102-66105·Published·Cited by 494 cases

Opinion

OPINION

' CAMPBELL, Judge.

This is an appeal from an order revoking probation in trial court Cause No. 185,023 *304 and from convictions for attempted capital murder, burglary of a motor vehicle, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in Cause Nos. 297,561; 306,982, and 306,983, respectively. Punishment is ten years imprisonment for each offense, save attempted capital murder which is fifteen years and one day.

Appellant contends that evidence presented at trial is insufficient to support revocation of probation, conviction for burglary of a motor vehicle, conviction for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and conviction for attempted capital murder. Furthermore, appellant contends that fundamental error exists in the failure of the judgment and sentence to comply with the trial court’s decision.

Viewed in a light most favorable to the judgment, the record reflects the following facts:

On May 31, 1979, Ken Gosnell, a truck driver from North Carolina, arrived in Houston. Gosnell spent the night at the Houston Motel on Interstate 45. Prior to retiring at 5:00 o’clock p.m., he locked the back and side doors of his trailer. The trailer contained fifteen eases of frozen soft-shelled crabs addressed for delivery to “Rudi’s Restaurant in care of Magnolia Seafood.”

On June 1, 1979, Gosnell drove his truck to the delivery destination in time for the 7:00 o’clock a.m. opening. Gosnell testified that he did not inspect the trailer doors until arriving at the delivery place. When he started to open the back door he noticed someone had apparently tampered with the lock. He then checked the side door and discovered its lock missing. Inside the trailer Gosnell found only one case of crabs remained, with fourteen cases missing. The police were notified and a burglary was reported. The freight was recovered two weeks later at Houston Terminal Warehouse. Gosnell was able to positively identify the fourteen cases of crabs by the shipping stamp on each case.

During the early morning hours of June 1, 1979, Detective J.D. Cullar of the Houston Police Department’s burglary and theft division was on routine patrol. At approximately 2:00 o’clock a.m. Cullar was investigating an area near the 5000 block of Mara-ble where a number of stolen vehicles had been located previously. Cullar testified he observed a white, 1979 van in an apartment complex parking area, which was reported stolen.

A surveillance of the stolen van was commenced. The surveillance team consisted of Cullar in an unmarked police vehicle, Officer M.E. Hurley in another unmarked police vehicle, a third unmarked police vehicle, and two marked police vehicles on standby in the general area.

At approximately 5:30 a.m. a light blue Ford Econoline van 1 approached the white van and parked beside it. A man got out of the blue van and entered the white van. After approximately five minutes both vans left the parking area, one following immediately behind the other.

The surveillance team then attempted to stop both vans. As the police officers began pursuing the vans, “they started running from us.” Cullar testified that the unmarked police car was equipped with “portable red lights on the top and sirens” which were being used to stop the vans. During the high speed chase of the vans, the fleeing vehicles began proceeding in different directions.

Officer Cullar testified that he pursued the white van which circled the block three times and parked in a vacant lot. A man got out of the white van and began to run on foot. The driver, later identified as Cleotis Roberts, was placed under arrest.

Officer Hurley testified regarding the pursuit of the blue van. When the blue van finally came to a stop it was situated in a vacant field. Appellant exited the blue van from the passenger door. Hurley dismounted his vehicle and yelled, “Police officer,” exhibiting his identification badge to the appellant who was no more than fifteen feet away.

*305 As the appellant was in the process of jumping from the passenger door he aimed a pistol at Officer Hurley and fired one shot. After firing, appellant fled on foot. Hurley, who was unhurt, searched the abandoned blue van, finding fourteen cases of frozen, soft-shelled crabs. Regarding the markings on the cases of crab, Hurley testified, “I believe it said, ‘Consigned to Rudi’s Restaurant, care of Magnolia Seafood, Houston, Texas.’ ” The stolen crabs were transported to Houston Terminal Warehouse where they were eventually returned to their rightful owner.

During April, 1974, appellant was convicted for the offense of possession of heroin. Punishment was imprisonment for ten years. The imposition of sentence was suspended and he was accorded adult probation, among the terms of which was that he: “(a) commit no offense against the laws of this or any other State of the United States.”

On January 14, 1980, the State filed a motion to revoke probation alleging six separate violations of the aforementioned probationary condition. Furthermore, the Harris County grand jury returned indictments which alleged that the appellant had committed the offenses of theft and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, burglary of a motor vehicle, and attempted capital murder of a peace officer. The trial court conducted simultaneously a hearing on the allegations in the motion to revoke probation and a trial on the charges in the indictments.

The trial judge found the allegations of burglary of a vehicle and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle true and did not address the attempted capital murder allegation. Sentence was assessed at ten years confinement. Additionally, the court found appellant guilty of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, burglary of a motor vehicle, and attempted capital murder. Sentence in the unauthorized use and burglary of a motor vehicle cases was assessed at ten years each. Sentence for attempted capital murder was imprisonment for fifteen years and one day.

I.

Appellant asserts that the evidence is insufficient to support revocation of probation premised upon unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and burglary of a motor vehicle with intent to commit theft.

The standard of proof in a revocation of probation is a preponderance of the evidence; in a trial on the substantive charge, proof beyond a reasonable doubt is required. Lloyd v. State, 574 S.W.2d 159 (Tex.Cr.App.1978). The only question presented in an appeal from an order revoking probation is whether the trial court abused its discretion in revoking the appellant’s probation. Rice v. State, 548 S.W.2d 725 (Tex.Cr.App.1977) (Rehearing denied.)

A.

Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle is defined in V.T.C.A. Penal Code, Section 31.07:

“(a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly operates another’s . . . motor-propelled vehicle without the effective consent of the owner.” [Emphasis added.]

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

Jackson v. State, 645 S.W.2d 303, 1983 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 926 (Tex. 1983).

645 S.W.2d 303 (Jackson v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Stephon Moody v. the State of Texas
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2022
Jesse Gregory Narvaiz v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2020
Michael Henry Cossman v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2019
James Dewayne Grumbles v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2018
Kimeele Carolyn Black-Thomas v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015
Johnny Hiliberto Lopez, Jr. v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014
William Donald Stanley v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014
Gregory Odell Tucker v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014
Amanda Jean Weast v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014
Phillip Leo Torres, Jr. v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014
Kendra Draughan v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014
Weldon Dudley Harris v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005
Brian A. Woods v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005
Richard McCabe v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005
Tommy Ray King v. State
156 S.W.3d 669 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005)
Brooks v. State
153 S.W.3d 124 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2004)
Harold Robert Plants v. State
124 S.W.3d 414 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003)
In the Matter of T.R.S., a Juvenile
115 S.W.3d 318 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003)
Phuong Nguyen v. State
109 S.W.3d 820 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003)
Tracy Dean Nowell v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003