Lester v. State

498 S.W.2d 927, 1973 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 2583
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas·Decided April 11, 1973·No. 45489·Published·Cited by 12 cases

Opinions

OPINION

DAVIS, Commissioner.

These are appeals from convictions growing out of an assault with intent to murder indictment.

Appellant Shea was found guilty of assault with intent to murder without malice, and the jury assessed punishment at one and one-half years. Appellant Lester was found guilty of aggravated assault, and punishment was assessed by the jury at two years (jail) probated.

A review of the testimony is deemed necessary in order that appellants’ contentions may be discussed with greater clarity.

Out of the presence of the jury, it was developed that a surveillance was established by El Paso narcotic officers on a duplex at 8802 Comet Street, El Paso, on September 8, 1970, as the result of a tip received by a United States Customs Officer that marihuana was going to be delivered to that address. Officers saw appellants make several trips from the duplex to their automobile. Officer Castro, who was watching with binoculars, one hundred feet from the scene, testified that he saw appellant Shea carrying “a plastic baggy with what appeared to be a piece of red paper on it” that the officer thought contained marihuana. When the appellants drove off in their automobile, Castro ordered Metro Squad Officers Timmons and Enriquez to follow appellants and stop them. Castro testified, without objection, that he gave such order because he felt that appellants possessed marihuana. The officers were driving an unmarked 1964 Chrysler automobile and were not in uniform. Enriquez’ hair was down to his shoulders and Timmons was wearing a moustache. When the officers attempted to pull appellants’ car over, numerous shots were exchanged between the officers and appellants followed by a chase until appellants pulled into a lighted gasoline station. The evidence as to who fired the first shot is in dispute. Gunfire continued until uniformed officers arrived.

Officer Timmons and appellant Lester were wounded. A search of appellants’ car revealed two dead doves but no contraband of any kind was found.

Appellants Shea and Lester testified that they had been dove hunting and stopped at the duplex on Comet Street to give a friend some doves; that their friend had plenty of doves, but the other occupant in the duplex, a man by the name of Catoe, wanted them. Appellant Shea went to his car, picked up the birds and returned them to the duplex. He further testified that he had a plastic bag of cherry drop candy that he had taken on the hunting trip that day. According to appellants, the shooting began after a 1964 Chrysler pulled up alongside their car and someone yelled, “Pull over,” and appellant Shea looked around and saw a long haired man holding a shotgun out of the window. Appellants denied seeing either of the men display a badge.

In appellants’ first two contentions, it is urged that the court erred in finding that there was probable cause for their arrest.

Following the arrest of appellants, guns were taken from the appellants by the officers. They were admitted into evidence over objection by appellants that they were the fruits of an illegal search and seizure.

We find it unnecessary to pass upon the legality of the arrest since appellants [929]*929testified on direct examination that they had the guns in their possession. Having voluntarily taken the stand at the guilt stage and on direct examination admitted having an exchange of gunfire with the officers, appellants cannot question the lawfulness of the search where the guns were seized. See Sheridan v. State, Tex. Cr.App., 485 S.W.2d 920; Bradley v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 478 S.W.2d 527; Boothe v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 474 S.W.2d 219; Washington v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 484 S.W.2d 721.

Appellants contend the court erred in denying their request for the grand jury testimony of a witness.

Appellants’ motion alleges that one Doug Stringfield was employed at the service station where the chase concluded, and that appellants believe that his testimony before the grand jury is favorable to them in that appellant Shea hollered to Stringfield, as they drove into the service station, to get down to avoid getting shot by the occupants of the black Chrysler and to call the police; that the said Doug Stringfield has moved to Missouri, and that appellants need his grand jury testimony in advance of trial so that they might know in what regard to exercise their constitutional right to process to secure the attendance of the witness. Appellant Shea testified in support of the motion that String-field had moved to Missouri, and that Stringfield had appeared before the grand jury at his request.

In Brown v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 475 S.W.2d 938, it was stated:

“Appellant next complains of the court’s refusal to grant his ‘Brady v. Maryland’ motion for discovery and his subsequent motion for the production of the grand jury proceedings. This court is well aware of the holding in Brady v. Maryland [373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215] (see i. e., Means v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 429 S.W.2d 490; Ex parte Cherry, Tex.Cr.App., 456 S.W.2d 949), but we fail to find any indication that material evidence that would have affected the determination of appellant’s guilt or the punishment to be imposed was suppressed by the prosecution.
“An accused is not ordinarily entitled to the inspection of grand jury minutes or testimony for the purpose of ascertaining evidence in the prosecutor’s hands or for the purpose of discovery in general, regardless of whether the request therefor is made before or during trial. Garcia v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 454 S.W.2d 400, 403, and cases there cited.
“The production of the grand jury testimony, of course, lies within the sound discretion of the trial court and the accused may be permitted to inspect such testimony where ‘some special reason’ exists or where a ‘particularized need’ is shown so as to outweigh the traditional policy of grand jury secrecy. Garcia v. State, supra; Smith v. State, Tex.Cr. App., 455 S.W.2d 748.”

At the trial, Allen York testified that he and Stringfield were employed at the service station at the time in question when appellants pulled into their station, jumped out of the car and screamed, “Get down. These people are crazy. They’re trying to shoot us.” York further testified that appellants asked them to call the police. Appellant Shea’s testimony as to what occurred when appellants drove into the service station was to the same effect as the testimony of the witness York. No testimony was offered which in any manner refuted the testimony of York or Shea regarding what was said or done at the service station at the time in question. Appellants’ motion and testimony in support thereof does not suggest that Stringfield was in possession of any additional facts.

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Lester v. State, 498 S.W.2d 927, 1973 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 2583 (Tex. 1973).

498 S.W.2d 927 (Lester v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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