Lemon v. State

298 S.W.3d 705, 2009 Tex. App. LEXIS 6412, 2009 WL 2524917
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 19, 2009
Docket04-08-00405-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by38 cases

This text of 298 S.W.3d 705 (Lemon 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
Lemon v. State, 298 S.W.3d 705, 2009 Tex. App. LEXIS 6412, 2009 WL 2524917 (Tex. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinions

OPINION

Opinion by:

MARIALYN BARNARD, Justice.

A jury found William Andrew Lemon guilty of one offense of indecency with a child and two offenses of aggravated sexual assault of a child. On appeal, Lemon contends the trial court abused its discretion when it allowed the State to engage in an improper jury argument. During the State’s final concluding remarks, the State told the jury that Lemon failed to call an appointed DNA expert as a witness. Although we hold the State’s comment was improper, the comment does not constitute reversible error. We affirm the trial court’s ruling.

Background

Lemon was charged in a three-count indictment with one count of indecency with a child by contact and two counts of [707]*707aggravated sexual assault of a child. Prior to making its final concluding remarks, the State approached the bench and informed the trial judge that it intended to discuss Lemon’s failure to call his appointed DNA expert. The State argued that it could comment on Lemon’s failure to call his appointed DNA expert since the expert was available to testify. The State further argued that the jury could infer that Lemon did not call the DNA expert because the expert’s testimony would have been unfavorable to Lemon. Lemon objected, and the trial court overruled Lemon’s objection.

During the State’s final concluding remarks, the State told the jury: “You know the State bears the burden of proof in a case. We have to prove it. Okay? But there’s a rule out there that says when a Defendant has a credible witness that’s able to rebut the evidence that the State puts on and they don’t do that, that witness is available to testify — [.]” Lemon objected twice to the State’s comment, and the trial court told the jury that the defense has no burden to produce witnesses and overruled the objections. The State then continued:

The Court gave [Lemon] a DNA expert paid for by the County. Just like he told you. He can’t pay for that. It wouldn’t be fair for the State to have its own crime lab. So the Court gave him a DNA expert, and the Defense noticed him as an expert that could come testify here in trial today, but there was no witness that came. There was no testimony challenging DNA evidence.
There was a lot of what? Smoke and mirrors, hocus pocus. There was no expert to say that any of this in any way impacts negatively the result reached in this case. In fact, the only evidence that’s in the record is that every single DNA test that was done in the State’s lab was done in strict accordance with the policies and procedures with zero indications of tampering or invalid results.

After the closing arguments, the jury found Lemon guilty of one offense of indecency with a child and two offenses of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Standard of Review

We review a trial court’s ruling on an objection to a jury argument under an abuse of discretion standard. See York v. State, 258 S.W.3d 712, 717 (Tex.App.-Waco 2008, pet. refd). Proper jury argument must fall within one of the following four categories: (1) summation of the evidence presented at trial; (2) reasonable deduction drawn from the evidence; (3) answer to opposing counsel’s arguments; or (4) a plea for law enforcement. Albiar v. State, 739 S.W.2d 360, 362 (Tex.Crim.App.1987) (en banc); Hernandez v. State, 171 S.W.3d 347, 357 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2005, pet. refd). During its jury argument, the prosecution may comment on the defense’s failure to call a competent and material witness who was available to testify and whose existence is reflected in the record. Albiar, 739 S.W.2d at 362-63; see also Gemoets v. State, 116 S.W.3d 59, 71 (TexApp.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2001, no pet.); Jamigan v. State, 57 S.W.3d 76, 94 (TexApp.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2001, pet. refd). The prosecution may even argue the defense failed to call the witness because the witness’s testimony would have been unfavorable to the defense. Albiar, 739 S.W.2d at 363; see also Gemoets, 116 S.W.3d at 71; Jamigan, 57 S.W.3d at 94.

Discussion

In his sole issue on appeal, Lemon contends the State committed reversible error when it engaged in an improper jury argument during its final concluding remarks. [708]*708Lemon contends the State injected facts that were not before the jury when the State announced that Lemon failed to call his appointed DNA expert. Lemon further contends the State’s argument was improper because it implied that the expert would have given harmful testimony to the defense’s case.

The State contends its comment constituted a proper jury argument because the expert was available to testify and rebut the State’s evidence. According to the State, the expert’s existence was reflected in the record. The State contends the trial court allotted funds for Lemon to use in consulting an independent DNA expert, and Lemon gave the State and the trial court notice of its intention to call the DNA expert. Because these actions are part of the record, the State contends it met the necessary requirements to comment on Lemon’s failure to call his appointed DNA expert.

As a preliminary matter, we will address whether Lemon properly preserved the issue for appeal. According to the State, Lemon failed to preserve the issue for appeal because Lemon’s objection at trial does not comport with his complaint on appeal. We disagree.

To preserve an issue for appeal, the appellant must make a timely and specific objection. Tex.R.App. P. 33.1(a); Turner v. State, 805 S.W.2d 423, 431 (Tex.Crim.App.1991); see also Hernandez, 171 S.W.3d at 358 (explaining that an objection must alert the trial court to what specifically is being objected). The objection made at trial must correspond with the issue presented on appeal. Turner, 805 S.W.2d at 431. “An objection stating one legal basis may not be used to support a different legal theory on appeal.” Edwards v. State, 97 S.W.3d 279, 287 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2003, pet. refd).

Prior to the State’s final concluding remarks, both parties approached the bench. The State informed the trial judge it intended to discuss Lemon’s failure to call the appointed DNA expert. The State argued under Albiar, 739 S.W.2d at 363, it may comment on Lemon’s failure to call the appointed DNA expert since the expert was available to testify. The State further contended Lemon’s failure to call the expert would justify an inference that the expert’s testimony would be unfavorable to Lemon. Thereafter, Lemon objected and stated, “Well, I object to him going into that, Judge, because I don’t have to — ■ the burden is not on me. That would be an inference to the jury talking about why my witnesses didn’t show up when I have no burden to call any witnesses.” The trial court overruled the objection and stated, “I mean, the case says you can do it. I think that’s dangerous, but I’m going to overrule your objection[.]”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
298 S.W.3d 705, 2009 Tex. App. LEXIS 6412, 2009 WL 2524917, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lemon-v-state-texapp-2009.