Jones v. State

505 S.W.2d 903, 1974 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1413
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas·Decided February 27, 1974·No. 48151·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

OPINION

ODOM, Judge.

This appeal is from a conviction for the offense of robbery by assault. Punishment was assessed by the court at eight years.

The record reflects that one Jack Wier was robbed and beaten to death on February 15, 1971. The indictment charged appellant in two separate counts for murder *904 and one count for the robbery of Wier. Appellant’s trial began before a jury on his plea of not guilty. After considerable evidence and testimony had been presented by the State, the appellant changed his plea of . not guilty to a plea of nolo contendere to the robbery count before the court. The State then elected to drop the two murder counts. The trial judge, after properly admonishing appellant, accepted his plea.

Appellant contends the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction as an accomplice by robbery by assault.

The record reflects .that Wier was killed during the robbery by a blow to the head, apparently inflicted by an automobile starter. Appellant’s written statement, admitted into evidence, stated that he went with Eldridge Joubert to a graveyard about a block from Jack Wier’s Auto Parts, where Joubert told him he needed $15.00 to pay his probation fee. After appellant loaned Joubert his pocket knife and shirt, Joubert said that he was going back to “Jack’s” but he didn’t say what he was going to do. He then left the graveyard and later came back with a large bag in his hand. Joubert pulled out a wallet from his front pocket, took out two ten’s and three one’s, threw the wallet away and gave appellant $2.00, a pistol, and his shirt back.

Officer W. C. Tatum, a detective for the Beaumont Police Department, testified that on February 15, 1971, he began his investigation into the death of Jack Wier. He went to Jack’s Auto Parts located on Pine Street in Beaumont, where he took a series of photographs. He found two pair of glasses, a small chain, a “U” bolt, some cigars, a pocket protector, and three buttons, two red and one white, at the scene. He had cut one of the red buttons off the deceased’s shirt and had also cut a piece of cloth from the back of deceased’s shirt.

W. P. Hayes, an investigator with the District Attorney’s office, testified that he first came into contact with appellant at about 5:00 on the afternoon of February 17, 1971. At approximately 1:00 P.M. on that day, Joubert wás brought into his office and told him that the instrument used to kill the deceased was in a cemetery across the street from Jack Wier’s Auto Parts. When Joubert was taken to the cemetery, he told them that he had met appellant earlier on the day of the murder and appellant had gone with him to the cemetery and sat there while he made two or three trips back and forth to Wier’s place “without any idea in mind” of robbing Wier. During one of his trips, he and appellant changed shirts and he borrowed appellant’s knife. After the killing he went back to the cemetery where appellant was waiting and gave appellant the pistol, at which time they changed shirts again and left the cemetery. He also told Hayes the gun was in appellant’s possession. Hayes went on to testify that after they left the cemetery they went to a church where Joubert said appellant might be playing basketball; there they found and arrested appellant. They then went to appellant’s house, where Joubert pointed out some clothing and a pocket knife.

Officer Eddie Cole, a detective for the Beaumont Police Department, testified that he obtained a warrant for Joubert’s arrest and that he also arrested appellant without a warrant on the same date at a place where he was playing basketball. At the time he arrested appellant he told him he was under arrest for the murder of Jack Wier and, after appellant was given the “Miranda” warning, he told him that they wanted to go over and pick up the gun. Appellant at first denied knowing anything about it, but after another party in the car (apparently Joubert) told appellant that “he had told them everything” they went to appellant’s house and got the gun. They then went to Joubert’s house where they picked up a shirt and pocket knife. Cole also testified that he knew at the time in question appellant was 17 years old.

Appellant, testifying in his own behalf, out of the presence of the jury, stated that he was arrested on February 18, 1971, by Detective Cole. After he was arrested, he *905 was put in Detective Cole’s car and Joub-ert was in the car at the time. Cole asked him about a gun, to which he replied that he did have a gun which Joubert had given him. They then proceeded to his house and retrieved the gun in question, and then went to Joubert’s house. After leaving Joubert’s house, they went to the District Attorney’s office, where he made the written statement in question. Appellant also testified that at the time he made the statement he did not know he was being charged with the murder of Jack Wier and after he gave them the pistol, he thought he would be able to leave. At the time he was arrested he didn’t know why the police officers wanted to see him, and Joubert had said nothing to him when he got into the car, except that he had told the officers that he had given him the gun. He then told Cole “Yes, I have the gun.” After they had gone to his house and gotten the gun, they said they now wanted him to “clear up how I got the pistol.” After appellant had signed the statement, he was taken back to his house, whereupon he gave the police the shirt that he had given Joubert the day Wier was killed.

Appellant introduced a letter into evidence, dated March 8, 1971, from Dr. C. L. Adkins that was addressed to Pat Hayes of the District Attorney’s office. The State stipulated that if Dr. Adkins were there he would testify to what was contained in the letter. The letter in question stated that Dr. Adkins had talked to Joubert and appellant. Both appellant and Joubert told him that appellant “really had nothing to do with the robbery and murder” and appellant stated to him that he didn’t even know the murder had been committed until the police picked him up. He stated that appellant had an I. Q. of 81.

After Pat Hayes had again testified to substantially the same facts as he had previously testified to and the court had recessed overnight, the appellant entered a plea of nolo contendere. The State then moved to strike the first two counts of the indictment and proceed on the third count, robbery by assault. Appellant’s counsel thereupon stated that they had “no objection to the evidence already elicited before the court and will stipulate to that fact.” Both appellant and his counsel then signed a stipulation of testimony agreement and a waiver of trial by jury. The court then properly admonished appellant as required by Article 26.13, Vernon’s Ann.C.C.P. and accepted his plea.

The prosecutor then introduced the investigation reports of the officers and patrolmen who participated in the investigation of the case. The contents of these reports, which were admitted without objection, contained substantially the same facts as had already been testified to. Also introduced was appellant’s written statement, the shirt recovered from his house that he had lent Joubert, appellant’s pocket knife, the pistol recovered from appellant’s house, and the automobile starter and paper bag discovered in the cemetery where Joubert had pointed it out. Next, the State tendered into evidence a report made by Fred R.

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Jones v. State, 505 S.W.2d 903, 1974 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1413 (Tex. 1974).

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