Jovante Charles Banks v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided January 26, 2016·No. 01-15-00184-CR·Published

Opinion

Opinion issued January 26, 2016

In The

Court of Appeals

For The

First District of Texas

sentencing him to 14 years in prison. In one issue, Appellant asserts that the trial court abused its discretion in granting the State’s motion to adjudicate.

We affirm.

Background

Appellant was placed on eight years’ deferred adjudication community supervision after pleading guilty to the offense of aggravated sexual assault of a child. The conditions of his community supervision required Appellant (1) to report to his community supervision officer on the scheduled dates; (2) not to travel outside Harris County, unless permitted by his community supervision officer; (3) to comply with sex offender registration requirements; (4) to participate in sex offender treatment; (5) not to reside within a 1,000 feet of a place where children commonly gather; (6) to display a sign on the exterior door of his home warning that that children were not allowed to enter; and (7) not to access the Internet.

On November 26, 2013, the State filed its motion to adjudicate, alleging that Appellant had violated the foregoing conditions. The trial court conducted an evidentiary hearing on the motion. Appellant did not deny that he had violated the conditions of community supervision as alleged by the State. Instead, Appellant asserted that, due to his mental deficiencies, he had not understood the conditions of his community supervision or the consequences of violating them.

At the hearing, the State called court liaison officer Jackie Scurry, who testified that she had met with Appellant on July 9, 2013, the first day of his community supervision. She stated she had reviewed the conditions of Appellant’s community supervision with him, and Appellant had signed the conditions in her presence.

On cross-examination, Scurry remembered that, when she explained the conditions, Appellant had not been “serious enough” and had been “just playing and laughing.” After she explained the conditions to him, Scurry told Appellant that he would begin reporting to a community supervision officer at a satellite office. The written terms and conditions of community supervision, signed by Appellant and Scurry, were admitted into evidence at the hearing.

Scurry also testified that, after the State filed the motion to adjudicate, Appellant was arrested in New Orleans. Scurry confirmed that Appellant had never received permission to leave Harris County, as required by the terms of his community supervision.

Janet Ford was Appellant’s assigned community supervision officer. She testified that, when she initially met with him, she read and explained each condition of community supervision to Appellant. At that time, Appellant indicated to Ford that he understood the conditions. One of the conditions that

Ford explained to Appellant was his duty to report to her. Appellant indicated that he understood that condition.

Appellant reported to Ford on his first required report date of July 11, 2013.

Appellant did not, however, report on July 18, as required. Ford sent a failure-to- report letter to Appellant, telling him to report on July 25. When he did not report on that date, Ford sent another letter directing Appellant to report on August 1. Because he did not report on August 1, Ford prepared a motion to adjudicate Appellant’s guilt. The trial court did not grant the motion but instead permitted Appellant to remain on community supervision. The trial court instructed Appellant to report on September 20, 2013. Appellant complied, reporting on that date.

Appellant was also required to report to the sex-offender unit on September 27, but he failed to report on that date. Ford left a voice message for Appellant and sent a letter to him, instructing him to report on October 3.

Ford received a phone call from Appellant on September 30. Appellant told her that he had forgotten to report on September 27. Appellant also told Ford that he had an appointment on October 3 with the Houston Police Department to complete his sex-offender registration. Ford told Appellant to keep that appointment and to disregard her letter instructing him to report to her on October 3. She told him to instead report to her on October 4.

Ford testified that when she met with Appellant on October 4, “I went over all of his conditions of probation with him and I explained each condition to him and he stated he understood all the conditions, but he wasn’t going to do any of them, because we were just trying to violate him.” Ford testified. “[Appellant] didn’t say he didn’t understand [the conditions]. He just said he wasn’t going to do anything because he felt like we were trying to set him up.” Appellant told Ford that he thought that the State “had it good” with the trial court judge and that the judge would revoke his community supervision if the State simply asked. Ford indicated that Appellant was “well aware” of what he was saying when he stated that he was planning not to comply with the conditions.

Ford testified that, during the October 4 meeting, Appellant repeatedly said, “Mama, come and get me.” Ford asked Appellant what he meant by this remark, and Appellant told her that he wanted to move back to New Orleans to live with his mother. Ford told Appellant that she would determine whether his case could be transferred to New Orleans. To do this, Ford told Appellant that she would need his mother’s address.

Ford also referred Appellant to the Greater Houston Psychological Institute for a sex-offender evaluation and for a mental health evaluation. Ford indicated that, despite the referral, Appellant made no apparent effort to have the evaluations.

Ford next met with Appellant on October 10, 2013. Throughout the meeting, Appellant said that he wanted to return home to New Orleans to live with his mother. Ford again told Appellant that she needed his mother’s address to facilitate the transfer of his community supervision to New Orleans, but Appellant said he did not know the address. During this visit, Appellant also admitted that he had accessed the Internet, which was a violation of the conditions of his community supervision.

Appellant next met with Ford on October 16. Appellant advised Ford that his mother no longer wanted him to live with her.

Appellant did not report to Ford on the next scheduled report date of October 23. Ford called the contact numbers provided by Appellant. Ford also sent a letter to Appellant, instructing him to report on October 30. Appellant called Ford on October 29, and left a message for her. In the message, Appellant apologized for missing his appointment, and he asked Ford to call him. However, Appellant did not leave a contact number at which Ford could reach him. Appellant did not report to Ford on October 30, as instructed. Ford sent Appellant a letter, instructing him to report to her on November 12; however, Appellant failed to report on that date, too. Ford called Appellant’s contact numbers, some of which were disconnected. She sent him another letter, instructing him to report to her on November 25.

On November 20, Appellant called Ford. He told her that he had been kidnapped. Ford asked Appellant whether he had reported the kidnapping to the authorities. Ford requested Appellant “to come in and report” to her and asked him his location; however, Appellant would not provide information to Ford and did not report to Ford. After the November 20 phone call, Ford did not hear from Appellant again.

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Jovante Charles Banks v. State, (Tex. Ct. App. 2016).

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