Larry Dewayne Garrett v. State

Opinion

ACCEPTED 03-14-00138-CR 5970248 THIRD COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 7/7/2015 5:29:31 PM JEFFREY D. KYLE CLERK NO. 03-14-00138-CR

IN THE FILED IN 3rd COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS 7/7/2015 5:29:31 PM JEFFREY D. KYLE Clerk OF THE

THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF TEXAS --------------------

LARRY DEWAYNE GARRETT Appellant vs.

STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee -------------------- Appeal from Cause No. 2C1307176 Bell County Court-at-Law No. Two -------------------- BRIEF FOR THE STATE -------------------- JAMES NICHOLS BELL COUNTY ATTORNEY

Stephen Morris Assist. County Attorney P.O. Box 1127 Belton, Texas 76513 Tel: (254) 933-5135 Fax: (254) 933-5150 SBN: 14501700

ATTORNEYS FOR THE STATE

[Oral argument not requested] NO. 03-14-00138-CR

IN THE

COURT OF APPEALS

OF THE

LARRY DEWAYNE GARRETT, Appellant vs.

STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee -------------------- Appeal from Cause No. 2C1307176 Bell County Court-at-Law No. Two --------------------

BRIEF FOR THE STATE

--------------------

TO THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF THE COURT OF APPEALS:

Comes now the STATE OF TEXAS, Respondent, hereinafter referred to as the

state, and submits this brief, pursuant to the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure,

requesting that the relief prayed for by Appellant be in all things denied.

ii ORAL ARGUMENT IS WAIVED

iii IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL

Appellant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . Larry Dewayne Garrett

Appellant’s Appellate Counsel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bobby Dale Barina Attorney at Law 455 East Central Texas Expressway , Suite #104 Harker Heights, Texas 76548 (254) 699-3755

Trial Counsel for the State. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark Currier Assistant Bell County Attorney P.O. Box 1127 Belton, Texas 76513

Appellate Counsel for the State. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephen Morris Assistant Bell County Attorney P.O. Box 1127 Belton, Texas 76513

Trial Judge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hon. John Mischtian Judge, Bell County Court-at-Law No. Two P.O. Box 485 Bell County Justice Complex 1201Huey Belton, Texas 76513-0781

iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

State’s request that the relief prayed for by appellant be in all things denied. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ii

Waiver of Oral Argument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .....iii

Identity of Parties and Counsel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. iv

Table of Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...v

Index of Authorities.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

APPELLANT’S ISSUE NUMBER ONE. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Argument and Authorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Certificate of Service.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Certificate of Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

v INDEX OF AUTHORITIES

STATE CASES Page

Almanza v. State, 686 S.W. 2d 157, 171 (Tex. Crim. App. 1984). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Barrios v. State, 283 S.W. 3d 348, 350 (Tex. Crim App. 2009) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Barshaw v. State, 342 S.W.3d 91, 93-94 (Tex. Crim. App. 2011). . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Martin v. State, 335 S.W. 3d 867 (Tex. App. Austin 2011). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Motilla v. State, 78 S.W.2d 352, 353-54 (Tex. Crim. App. 2002). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Ngo v. State, 175 S.W. 3d 738, 743 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Price v. State, 457 S.W. 3d 437, 440 (Tex. Crim. App. 2015). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Reeves v. State, 420 S.W.3d 812, 816 (Tex. Crim. App. 2013). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Sakil v. State, 287 S.W.3d 23 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Taylor v. State, 332 S.W. 3d 483 (Tex. Crim. App. 2011). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Warner v. State, 245 S.W. 3d 458 (Tex. Crim. App. 2008) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

STATUTES

Tex. Code Crim. Pro. Art.17.292 and Chapter 7A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .1

Tex. Code Crim. Pro. Chap. 7 A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,2

Tex. Fam. Code Chap. 85 and Sec. 6.504 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Tex. Fam. Code Chap. 88. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Tex. R. App. Proc . 44.2(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .4

vi POINT OF ERROR

The Evidence Was Insufficient To Support Appellant’s Conviction Because The State Failed To Establish Under What Statute The Protective Order Appellant Violated Was Issued.

ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES AS TO POINT OF ERROR

The trial testimony of defendant’s wife, Marina Garrett, established that she

had obtained a protective order from the 264th Judicial District Court, which ordered

appellant not to go within a thousand feet of her residence. Ms. Garrett identified the

defendant as her ex-husband who was present in the courtroom. During the testimony

of Ms. Garrett, the state introduced into evidence, a certified copy of the protective

order as State’s Exhibit No. 1. ( R.R. Vol. 3, p. 16-17 )

The amended information that was presented to the jury at trial states among

other things, that appellant did there and then intentionally and knowingly go to and

within a thousand feet of the residence of Marina Garrett at 1308 S. 13th St. Temple,

Bell County, Texas 76504. Such act was in violation of an order issued under

Section 6.504 and Chapter 85 Family Code and under Article 17.292 and Chapter 7A

of the Code of Criminal Procedures and by another Jurisdiction as provided by

Chapter 88, Family Code, in the 264th Judicial District Court. (C.R. Vol.1 p. 8), (C.R.

Vol. 3, p. 5,6).

1 The court’s charge to the jury recites the following:

Now, if you find from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that on or about the 10th day of September, 2013, in Bell County, Texas, the defendant, Larry Garrett, did then and there intentionally or knowingly go to or within a thousand feet of the residence of Marina Garrett at 1308 S. 13th Street, Bell County, Texas 76504, who was then and there a protected individual or a member of the family or household of the defendant, and such act was in violation of a court order issued under Section 6.504 or Chapter 85 of the Family Code in the 264th Judicial District Court, then you will find the defendant guilty of a misdemeanor as charged in the information. But, unless you so find beyond a reasonable doubt, or you have a reasonable doubt thereof, you will find the defendant not guilty.

(C.R. Vol. 1, p. 18)

At the close of the evidence defense counsel, after reviewing the court’s

proposed charge, announced to the court that the defense had no additions or

corrections to the court’s charge on guilt or innocense. (R.R. Vol. 4, p.66)

Failure to preserve jury instruction error is not a bar to appellate review. The

degree of harm required for reversal depends on whether the error was preserved in

the trial court. Warner v. State, 245 S.W. 3d 458 (Tex. Crim. App. 2008). If the error

was not preserved by objection, the error will not result in reversal of the conviction

without a showing of egregious harm. Price v. State, 457 S.W. 3d 437, 440 (Tex.

Crim. App. 2015).

Egregious harm is a “high and difficult standard” to meet, and such a

2 determination must be “borne out by the trial record.” Reeves v. State, 420 S.W.3d3

812, 816 (Tex. Crim. App. 2013). To determine if charge error was egregiously

harmful, the Court of Appeals examines the record as a whole, including the

remainder of the charge, the evidence, including the contested issues and weight of

the probative evidence, and the arguments of counsel. Martin v. State, 335 S.W. 3d

867 (Tex. App. Austin 2011); Taylor v. State, 332 S.W. 3d 483 (Tex. Crim. App.

2011).

Because appellant did not raise a timely objection to the jury instructions,

reversal is required only if the error was fundamental in the sense that it was so

egregious and created such harm that the defendant was deprived of a fair and

impartial trial. Almanza v. State, 686 S.W. 2d 157, 171 (Tex. Crim. App. 1984),

Ngo v. State, 175 S.W. 3d 738, 743 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005); See also Barrios v. State,

283 S.W. 3d 348, 350 (Tex. Crim App. 2009). If no proper objection was made at

trial the accused must claim that the error was “fundamental.” Sakil v. State, 287

S.W.3d 23 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009).

“In the harm analysis under Rule 44.2(b), is an appellate court required to

disregard overwhelming evidence of the defendant’s guilt? The answer is No. We

reaffirm our previous holdings that an appellate court can and should consider

overwhelming evidence of guilt in a harm analysis.” Motilla v. State, 78 S.W.3d 352,

3 353-54 (Tex. Crim. App. 2002)

On appellate review, and pursuant to [TRAP] 44.2(b), a non-constitutional

error must be disregarded it unless it affects the defendant’s substantial rights. This

court will not overturn a criminal conviction for non-constitutional error if the

appellate court, after examining the record as a whole, has fair assurance that the error

did not influence the jury, or influenced the jury only slightly. Barshaw v. State, 342

S.W.3d 91, 93-94 (Tex. Crim. App. 2011)

PRAYER

The STATE OF TEXAS prays this Honorable Court affirm the findings and

judgment rendered by the trial court and deny all relief sought by Appellant.

Respectfully submitted,

/S/ Stephen Morris Stephen Morris Assistant Bell County Attorney P.O. Box 1127 Belton, Texas 76513 Tel: (254) 933-5135 Fax: (254) 933-5150 SBN: 14501700

ATTORNEY FOR THE STATE

4 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I certify that a true and correct copy of the foregoing Brief for the State was this date forwarded in the manner required by the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure to Mr. Bobby Dale Barina, Attorney for Appellant, 455 East Central Texas Expwy Ste. 104, Harker Heights, Texas 76548

Signed: July 7, 2015 /S/ Stephen Morris

Stephen Morris Assistant County Attorney

Comes now the STATE OF TEXAS, Respondent, hereinafter referred to as the

state, and submits this brief, pursuant to the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure,

requesting that the relief prayed for by Appellant be in all things denied.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

In accordance with Rule 9.4, Rules of Appellate Procedure, I certify that the

foregoing brief for the State contains 1,494 words.

/S/ Stephen Morris

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