Justin Bryan Tucker v. the State of Texas

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 29, 2024
Docket10-21-00312-CR
StatusPublished

This text of Justin Bryan Tucker v. the State of Texas (Justin Bryan Tucker v. the State of Texas) 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
Justin Bryan Tucker v. the State of Texas, (Tex. Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

IN THE TENTH COURT OF APPEALS

No. 10-21-00312-CR

JUSTIN BRYAN TUCKER, Appellant v.

THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

From the 361st District Court Brazos County, Texas Trial Court No. 19-02932-CRF-361

MEMORANDUM OPINION

A jury found Appellant Justin Tucker guilty of the offenses of sexual assault and

assault family violence by strangulation. See generally TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. §§

22.01(b)(2)(B), 22.011(a)(1)(A). The jury then assessed Tucker’s punishment at eight

years’ imprisonment for each offense. The trial court sentenced Tucker accordingly. This

appeal ensued. We will affirm. Background

Tucker and the complainant began dating in the summer of 2017 and, soon after,

moved in together. The complainant subsequently became pregnant and, in May 2018,

gave birth to their son. Shortly after the birth, Tucker and the complainant ended their

relationship, and the complainant moved out of the residence with their child. But

Tucker and the complainant continued to communicate with each other regularly.

The complainant testified that, on July 16, 2018, she agreed to return to the

residence to pick up some of Tucker’s laundry because she had taken the washer and

dryer when she had moved out. The complainant explained that while she was at the

residence, Tucker would also be able to see his son. The complainant testified that after

she arrived at the residence, however, Tucker made sexual advances toward her. The

complainant stated that she rebuffed the sexual advances. The complainant testified that

Tucker then started to “strangle” her. The complainant explained that Tucker “had one

hand around [her] throat and jaw and the other hand over [her] mouth and nose” such

that she could not breathe. The complainant testified that Tucker then sexually assaulted

her.

Issue One

In his first issue, Tucker contends that the trial court erred by excluding from

evidence Defense Exhibit 12, a text-message exchange from early July 2017 between

Tucker and the complainant, and Defense Exhibits 16 and 17, text-message exchanges

from late October 2019 between Tucker and his then girlfriend, V.R. Tucker argues that

Tucker v. State Page 2 all three exhibits were admissible under Rule of Evidence 803(5) and that Defense Exhibit

12 was also admissible under article 38.371 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

AUTHORITY

If the trial court’s ruling merely offends a statute or the rules of evidence, the

erroneous admission or exclusion of evidence is nonconstitutional error governed by

Rule of Appellate Procedure 44.2(b). Melgar v. State, 236 S.W.3d 302, 308 (Tex. App.—

Houston [1st Dist.] 2007, pet. ref’d); see TEX. R. APP. P. 44.2(b). Rule 44.2(b) provides that

we must disregard nonconstitutional error unless the error affects substantial rights. TEX.

R. APP. P. 44.2(b). In determining whether substantial rights were affected, “appellate

courts must decide whether the error had a substantial or injurious effect on the jury

verdict.” Morales v. State, 32 S.W.3d 862, 867 (Tex. Crim. App. 2000). In conducting this

harm analysis, we consider the record as a whole. Id.

DISCUSSION

Defense Exhibit 12 reflects a text-message exchange from early July 2017 between

Tucker and the complainant in which the complainant stated that she wanted to have a

child, and Tucker stated that he was ready to have a child as well. The trial court excluded

the exhibit from evidence, but the following exchange took place between defense

counsel and the complainant about Defense Exhibit 12 during defense counsel’s cross-

examination of the complainant:

Q. . . . I’m going to show you what I’ve marked as Defendant’s Exhibit 12. If you can, look through this and just tell me if you recognize it.

A. Yes, it was conversations that we had had.

Tucker v. State Page 3 Q. You mean you and [Tucker]?

A. Yes.

Q. Does that refresh your memory about conversations that you- all had about kids?

A. Sure. It said that, yes, I did want a kid, but in here it doesn’t state that I want to have one right now. I said I could get [my IUD] taken out after a few months. There’s no timeline on that.

Q. If we look on the front page, does that say July 3, 2017?

....

Q. . . . Does this at least refresh your memory about the conversation?

Q. Prior to me showing this to you, were you unable to remember all of the specific dates and times and so forth in your communications?

A. Yes. If it has the time stamp on it, then, yes.

Q. But does this refresh your memory that you in fact expressed on July 3 of ’17 that you wanted a baby now?

A. I said I was tempted to.
Q. That’s not what you said, is it?
A. It literally says, I was tempted to.

Q. Well, if you go to the last page, did you indicate on July 4, 2017 at 11:29 a.m. that you were serious about having a kid right now?

A. Yes. Actually that’s his message. His message states that and then I said yes. So I guess, yes.

Tucker v. State Page 4 Therefore, while Defense Exhibit 12 was excluded from evidence, the substance of the

exhibit was admitted into evidence.

Defense Exhibits 16 and 17 reflect text-message exchanges from late October 2019

between Tucker and his then girlfriend, V.R. In Defense Exhibit 16, V.R. sent Tucker

several pictures of his and the complainant’s child and told Tucker not to tell anyone that

she had sent the pictures to him. Tucker replied to V.R. by thanking her for sending the

pictures. In Defense Exhibit 17, Tucker informed V.R. that he was at the hospital where

his mother had taken him because of a dental problem. Tucker and V.R. then continued

to exchange text messages as Tucker left the hospital with his mother and picked up his

medicine. The trial court excluded these exhibits from evidence, but the following

exchange occurred between defense counsel and V.R. about Defense Exhibits 16 and 17

during defense counsel’s cross-examination of V.R.:

Q. . . . I’m going to show you what I’ve marked as Exhibit 16. Could you thumb through that please and tell me if you recognize it?

A. These are messages between me and [Tucker].
Q. That was between you and [Tucker]; is that correct?
A. Yes, I believe so.

Q. Is that an accurate representation of that conversation during that window in time?

A. I don’t even remember everything. It was so long ago. I remember there was pictures being sent.

Q. You actually sent him some pictures in that exchange, correct?
A. Yes, sir.

Tucker v. State Page 5 Q. Please take a look at No. 17. Does that also appear to be an exchange between you and [Tucker]?

A. Okay.
Q. Is that another exchange between you and him?
A. I’m not sure what the conversation was about other than what it says.

Q. . . . October 23, 2019, does this refresh your memory of a text conversation you had with [Tucker]?

A. I’m going to be completely honest, I do not remember this whole conversation. That’s why I read the whole thing because I don’t remember.

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Melgar v. State
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Morales v. State
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Merrick v. State
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