Jessica G. Castillo v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided September 22, 2015·No. 04-15-00208-CR·Published

Opinion

ACCEPTED

04-15-00208-CR

FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

9/22/2015 9:08:50 AM

KEITH HOTTLE

CLERK

NOS. 04-15-00207-CR & 04-15-00208-CR

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FILED IN 4th COURT OF APPEALS

FOURTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 09/22/15 9:08:50 AM ______________________________ KEITH E. HOTTLE Clerk

JESSICA G. CASTILLO,

Appellant

v.

THE STATE OF TEXAS,

Appellee

ON APPEAL FROM COUNTY COURT-AT-LAW NO. 4 OF BEXAR COUNTY, TEXAS CAUSE NUMBERS 458109 & 458110

BRIEF FOR THE STATE

NICHOLAS “NICO” LaHOOD

Criminal District Attorney Bexar County, Texas

ANDREW N. WARTHEN

Assistant Criminal District Attorney Bexar County, Texas

Paul Elizondo Tower

101 W. Nueva Street

San Antonio, Texas 78205

Phone: (210) 335-2414

Email: awarthen@bexar.org State Bar No. 24079547

Attorneys for the State of Texas

ORAL ARGUMENT WAIVED

IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL Pursuant to TEX. R. APP. P. 38.2(a), the appellee supplements the appellant’s list of parties as follows:

APPELLATE STATE’S Andrew N. Warthen ATTORNEY State Bar No. 24079547 Assistant Criminal District Attorney Paul Elizondo Tower

101 W. Nueva Street

San Antonio, Texas 78205

(210) 335-2414

awarthen@bexar.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

IDENTITIES OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL 2

INDEX OF AUTHORITIES 4 STATEMENT OF THE CASE 5 ISSUES PRESENTED 5

APPELLANT’S FIRST, SECOND, & THIRD ISSUES (combined and reworded) When the trial court 1) limited appellant’s cross-examination and 2) denied appellant’s motion for a continuance, respectively, and 3) because of the cumulative effect those two errors may have had, it abused its discretion.

APPELLANT’S FOURTH ISSUE The apology letter ordered as a condition of community supervision in cause no. 458109 violates appellant’s constitutional right against self-incrimination.

STATE’S RESPONSE TO APPELLANT’S FIRST THROUGH THIRD ISSUES The trial court acted well within its sound discretion when it limited cross- examination because the blood-related evidence was collateral and would have confused the issues. Moreover, appellant’s continuance motion was in improper form and would have made no difference in the outcome of the case. Finally, there being no errors to begin with, cumulative error was impossible.

STATE’S RESPONSE TO APPELLANT’S FOURTH ISSUE This issue is not preserved for review because appellant did not object to it during sentencing when she had an opportunity to do so. Moreover, the issue is both moot and not ripe for review.

STATEMENT OF FACTS 6 SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT 6 ARGUMENT 7 PRAYER FOR RELIEF 20

INDEX OF AUTHORITIES

Page

Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 29.06 13

Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 29.08 14 Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 29.13 15 Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 49.01 9 Cantu v. State, 842 S.W.2d 667 (Tex. Crim. App. 1992) 8 Chamberlain v. State, 998 S.W.2d 230 (Tex. Crim. App. 1999) 15, 16 Commonwealth v. Melvin, 79 A.3d 1195 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2013) 18, 19 Dansby v. State, 448 S.W.3d 441 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014) 16, 17 Delaware v. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. 673 (1986) 10

Dinh Tan Ho v. State, 171 S.W.3d 295 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2005, pet. ref’d) 8, 10

Gallo v. State, 239 S.W.3d 757 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007) 12 Holmes v. State, 323 S.W.3d 163 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009) 11 Love v. State, 861 S.W.2d 899 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993) 8 Mentek v. State, 238 N.W.2d 752 (Wis. 1976) 16 Norman v. State, 523 S.W.2d 669 (Tex. Crim. App. 1975) 9

Nwosoucha v. State, 325 S.W.3d 816 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2010, pet. ref’d) 12, 15

Speth v. State, 6 S.W.3d 530 (Tex. Crim. App. 1999) 16

Woodall v. State, 216 S.W.3d 530 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2007, pet. granted) 11

BRIEF FOR THE STATE

To the Honorable Fourth Court: Now comes, Nicholas “Nico” LaHood, Criminal District Attorney of Bexar County, Texas, and files this brief for the State.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

The State accepts appellant’s Statement of the Case with one exception. In cause number 458110, appellant was sentenced to 180 days’ imprisonment in Bexar County jail, probated for 18 months, not 180 days. (RR5 11.)

ISSUES PRESENTED

APPELLANT’S FIRST, SECOND, & THIRD ISSUES (combined and reworded) When the trial court 1) limited appellant’s cross-examination and 2) denied appellant’s motion for a continuance, respectively, and 3) because of the cumulative effect those two errors may have had, it abused its discretion.

APPELLANT’S FOURTH ISSUE The apology letter ordered as a condition of community supervision in cause no. 458109 violates appellant’s constitutional right against self-incrimination.

STATE’S RESPONSE TO APPELLANT’S FIRST THROUGH THIRD ISSUES The trial court acted well within its sound discretion when it limited cross- examination because the blood-related evidence was collateral and would have confused the issues. Moreover, appellant’s continuance motion was in improper form and would have made no difference in the outcome of the case. Finally, there being no errors to begin with, cumulative error was impossible.

STATE’S RESPONSE TO APPELLANT’S FOURTH ISSUE This issue is not preserved for review because appellant did not object to it during sentencing when she had an opportunity to do so. Moreover, the issue is both moot and not ripe for review.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

The State challenges the factual assertions contained in appellant’s brief.

See TEX. R. APP. P. 38.2(a)(1)(B). The State will supply supplemental pertinent facts supported with record references within its response to appellant’s points of error. The Reporter’s Records in both cases are identical (though, this brief used the Reporter’s Record in cause number 458109) and will be referenced as “RR,” followed by the respective volume number. The Clerk’s Record in cause numbers 458109 and 458110 will be referenced as “CR1” and “CR2,” respectively.

SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT

In her first three points of error, appellant claims that the trial court abused its sound discretion when it made several rulings related to blood evidence. Concerning her first issue, the trial court did not err because the proposed cross- examination of blood-related evidence was unnecessary to the resolution of the case. The State made it clear that it was not going to introduce any blood evidence but, instead, prove that appellant was driving while intoxicated because she lost the normal use of her mental and physical faculties. Therefore, any blood-related evidence would only serve to confuse the issues and introduce collateral evidence. As for appellant’s second point of error, the trial court properly denied appellant’s motion for a continuance because her motion was not in proper form and the proposed witnesses, even if located and called, would have made no difference in

this case. And, because appellant’s first two issues did not establish error, her third issue cannot do so on its own because non-errors cannot be accumulated into an independent error.

Appellant’s fourth issue has not been preserved. Appellant failed to object at trial, thus forfeiting review of this issue. However, even if preserved, there was no error. This issue is moot because appellant is not required to write the letter before her appeals are resolved. If resolved in her favor, there will be no letter- writing requirement. If not, then there will be no danger of self-incrimination because appellant would have already been incriminated. The issue is also not ripe for review because the letter has not yet been introduced against appellant, meaning no right against self-incrimination has been implicated. Accordingly, the ruling of the trial court should be affirmed.

ARGUMENT

I. The trial court did not abuse its discretion with regard to appellant’s first three claimed points of error.

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Related

Delaware v. Van Arsdall
475 U.S. 673 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Mentek v. State
238 N.W.2d 752 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1976)
Chamberlain v. State
998 S.W.2d 230 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1999)
Dinh Tan Ho v. State
171 S.W.3d 295 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005)
Love v. State
861 S.W.2d 899 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1993)
Norman v. State
523 S.W.2d 669 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1975)
Holmes v. State
323 S.W.3d 163 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Nwosoucha v. State
325 S.W.3d 816 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Speth v. State
6 S.W.3d 530 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1999)
Woodall v. State
216 S.W.3d 530 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Gallo v. State
239 S.W.3d 757 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Cantu v. State
842 S.W.2d 667 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1992)
Dansby, Michael Edward Sr.
448 S.W.3d 441 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2014)
Commonwealth v. Melvin
79 A.3d 1195 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2013)