Keeter v. State

105 S.W.3d 137, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 2961, 2003 WL 1787575
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 3, 2003
Docket10-00-169-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 105 S.W.3d 137 (Keeter v. State) 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
Keeter v. State, 105 S.W.3d 137, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 2961, 2003 WL 1787575 (Tex. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinions

OPINION ON PETITION FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW

BILL VANCE, Justice.

On January 8, 2003, we issued an opinion reversing Keeter’s conviction and remanding the cause for farther proceedings, because the State did not disclose material exculpatory evidence at Keeter’s trial. Now, to further address the State’s argument, and the dissent’s, that this issue was not preserved for appellate review, we withdraw our earlier opinion and issue this one.

Background

A jury convicted Jackie Russell Keeter of indecency with a child — his stepdaughter J.K. After trial, J.K. recanted. Keeter filed a motion for new trial which was denied after a hearing. We reversed the conviction after we found that the trial court abused its discretion in disbelieving the recantation and in denying the motion. Keeter v. State, 43 S.W.3d 667 (Tex.App.Waco 2001). But the Court of Criminal Appeals did not find an abuse of discretion, reversed our judgment, and remanded the case for further proceedings. Keeter v. State, 74 S.W.3d 31 (Tex.Crim.App.2002).

In his original appeal, Keeter raised a second issue which we did not resolve because of our finding about the recantation. He claimed the State withheld important exculpatory evidence which he could have used at trial to impeach J.K’s credibility. We will now address the issue.

Standard of Review

Before trial, defense counsel requested that the court issue its standard pretrial discovery order; the request was granted. Number four of the order states: “Any other evidence or information which: (1) is favorable to the Defendant and creates a probability of his innocence sufficient to undermine confidence in a contrary finding, or (2) that tends to negate the guilt of Defendant or mitigates the offense.” Cf. Tex.Code Crim. PROC. Ann. art. 2.01 (Vernon Supp.2003) (The State “shall not suppress facts or secrete witnesses capable of establishing the innocence of the accused.”).

Keeter does not complain on appeal about a violation of the court’s order; rather he complains of a violation of Brady v. Maryland, which requires that a prosecutor disclose to defense counsel material information which is exculpatory. Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963); McFarland v. State, 928 S.W.2d 482, 511 (Tex.Crim.App.1996), overruled on other grounds, 983 S.W.2d 249, 263 (Tex.Crim.App.1998). Information is “material” when “there is a reasonable probability that, had the evidence been disclosed to the defense, the result of the proceeding would have been different.” Little v. State, 991 S.W.2d 864, 866 (Tex.Crim.App.1999); Nickerson v. State, 69 S.W.3d 661, 676 (Tex.App.-Waco 2002, pet. [141]*141ref'd) (citing Little ).1 A Brady violation is one of due process, and a three-part test is used to evaluate whether a violation has occurred: (1) the State failed to disclose evidence, regardless of the prosecution’s good or bad faith; (2) the withheld evidence is favorable to the defendant; (3) the evidence is material, ie., there is a reasonable probability that had the evidence been disclosed, the outcome of the trial would have been different. Ex parte Richardson, 70 S.W.3d 865, 871 (Tex.Crim.App.2002); Little, 991 S.W.2d at 866. The question is “not whether the defendant would more likely than not have received a different verdict with the evidence, but whether in its absence he received a fair trial, understood as a trial resulting in a verdict worthy of confidence.” Kyles v. Whitley, 514 U.S. 419, 434, 115 S.Ct. 1555, 1566, 131 L.Ed.2d 490 (1995); see Cook v. State, 940 S.W.2d 623, 627 (Tex.Crim.App.1997) (confidence in the “outcome”). And as mentioned, the State’s good or bad faith in withholding favorable evidence is irrelevant. Cook, 940 S.W.2d at 627; see United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 110, 96 S.Ct. 2392, 2400-01, 49 L.Ed.2d 342 (1976). Finally, if the appeals court finds a Brady violation, the remedy is a reversal. See Ex parte Richardson, 70 S.W.3d at 870; Nickerson, 69 S.W.3d at 676. We understand that to be so because a Brady analysis includes a “harm” analysis; ie., for there to be a Brady violation, harm must have occurred.

Preservation of Complaint

The State questions whether the complaint was preserved. Courts have reviewed Brady claims preserved by a timely complaint making the trial court aware of the violation. Tex.R.App. P. 33.1(a); e.g., McFarland, 928 S.W.2d at 511 (by pretrial discovery motion); Nickerson, 69 S.W.3d at 672 (by motion for mistrial during punishment phase). Keeter filed a First Amended Motion for New Trial in which he stated, in part: “The verdict in this cause is contrary to the law and the evidence. ... Evidence establishing the defendant’s innocence was withheld by a material prosecution witness.” Attached to the motion was an affidavit from J.K’s stepmother, Rhonda, whom the State called at trial as its “outcry” witness. It read in part: “[J.K.] has change her story to [sic] many times while talking to me about [Keeter]. I told [the prosecutor] that I did not believe that [Keeter] had not [sic] done what [J.K.] said. [The prosecutor] said that he would not put me on the stand due to my beliefs.”

We disagree with the State and find that the motion with the affidavit is sufficient to preserve the complaint. Accordingly, we will review Keeter’s Brady claim.

Brady Claims and Marin

The State also insists, however, that Keeter’s motion was not specific enough to preserve the complaint, and that the affidavit should be given no weight in that determination. Thus, a question is also presented whether, under the rules in Marin v. State, a Brady claim must be preserved. Marin v. State, 851 S.W.2d 275 (Tex.Crim.App.1993).

The Marin Court held that a defendant’s rights arise from distinct rules that generally fall into one of three categories:

(1) absolute requirements and prohibitions;

(2) rights which must be implemented by the system unless expressly waived; and

(3) rights which are implemented only upon request. Id. at 279. Absolute re[142]*142quirements and prohibitions, as well as rights which must be implemented unless waived, cannot be made subject to procedural default on appeal because, by definition, they are not forfeitable. Id. Determining which category a right falls into will usually settle the question of whether a procedural default occurred, and therefore whether the issue was preserved for appeal. Id.

Absolute rights cannot be waived or forfeited, even with consent. Id. at 280. Implementation of these rights is not optional and cannot be waived or forfeited. Id. at 279.

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Bluebook (online)
105 S.W.3d 137, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 2961, 2003 WL 1787575, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/keeter-v-state-texapp-2003.