Lyons v. State

503 S.W.2d 254, 1973 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 2063
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 12, 1973
Docket47221
StatusPublished
Cited by38 cases

This text of 503 S.W.2d 254 (Lyons v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lyons v. State, 503 S.W.2d 254, 1973 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 2063 (Tex. 1973).

Opinion

OPINION

ODOM, Judge.

The conviction is for unlawful possession of a narcotic drug, to wit: heroin; the punishment, 5 years.

On July 11, 1971, Port Arthur police officers executed a search warrant at a house occupied by appellant and Ivory Lyons, Jr. As a result of the search sixteen papers of heroin were found. The sufficiency of the evidence is not challenged.

By her first two grounds of error appellant contends that the trial court erred in admitting into evidence the fruits of the search because the search warrant was dated March 11, 1971, whereas the affidavit for the search warrant was dated July 11, 1971, and the search was conducted on July 11,1971.

Lt. J. E. Huebel, of the Port Arthur Police Department, testified that he prepared both the search warrant and the affidavit for the search warrant on July 11, 1971. According to his testimony, the date of March 11, 1971, which appeared on the search warrant was a typographical error on his part. Huebel further testified that after he prepared the search warrant and the affidavit for the search warrant he took them to Justice of the Peace Weldon.

*256 Huebel swore to the affidavit before the magistrate on July 11, 1971, and the magistrate issued the search warrant on the same date.

In view of this testimony, which is undisputed, no error is shown to vitiate the warrant. See Martinez v. State, 162 Tex.Cr.R. 356, 285 S.W.2d 221 (1955).

In her fourth ground of error appellant contends that evidence of the search was inadmissible because the original search warrant was never signed. See Article 18.13, Vernon’s Ann.C.C.P.

Lt. Huebel testified that he personally typed the affidavit for the search warrant and the search warrant. He then made two Xerox copies of each of the original typewritten instruments and took the original typewritten instruments as well as the Xerox copies to the magistrate. The original typewritten copy was kept by the magistrate. The magistrate signed one of the Xeroxed copies of the affidavit and one of the Xeroxed copies of the warrant. The signed Xeroxed copy of the affidavit and the signed Xeroxed copy of the warrant itself were the instruments used by Lt. Hue-bel to make the search. The signed Xeroxed copy of the warrant was used by Lt. Huebel to make his return to the magistrate after the search was conducted. The record contains Xeroxed copies of the affidavit and the warrant itself. Both of these instruments bear the signature of the magistrate. We perceive no error.

In her fifth ground of error appellant contends that the search warrant was invalid because the date upon which it was issued was not endorsed thereon by the magistrate as required by Article 18.15, V. A.C.C.P.

The evidence reflects that Lt. Huebel typed the date March 11, 1971, on the search warrant. However, the evidence reflects that the magistrate personally signed a Xeroxed copy of the search warrant and personally wrote in the time “12:35 P.M.” as the hour of its issuance.

The 1965 Revision of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure in Article 18.15 added to old Article 318, Vernon’s Ann.C.C.P. (1925), the requirements that the “magistrate issuing a search warrant . shall endorse on such search warrant the date and hour of the issuance of the same.” In Smith v. State, 478 S.W.2d 518 (Tex.Cr.App.1972), this Court stated that the apparent intent of the legislature in adding these reqiurements was to make certain that the warrant was executed within three whole days, exclusive of the day of its issuance and the day of its execution, as required by Article 18.15, Vernon’s Ann.C.C.P.

In the instant case the evidence reflects that the search warrant was issued, executed, and returned on July 11, 1971. Absent a showing of injury to the appellant any error in the magistrate’s not endorsing the date of its issuance on the warrant is not reversible error. See Smith v. State, supra.

In her third ground of error appellant contends that the affidavit for the search warrant did not state sufficient facts to show probable cause. The pertinent part of the affidavit is as follows:

“I have been informed by an informant whom I have known for two years and who has given me credible and reliable information in the past which I have found to be accurate, and a person whom I have found to be trustworthy and reliable, and who has given me information on at least ten occasions which has proved to be accurate, that said informant had been at the above described premesis (sic) on the night of July 10, 1971, and while at the above described premesis (sic) said informant saw the colored male, known as Tucker Lyons, in the kitchen at the above described premesis (sic), with a plastic bottle filled with small wax-paper wrapped packages, which Tucker Lyons indicated to said informant contained ‘Skag’, which is a slang term for Heroin. This in *257 formant also said that said informant has been on several occasions to this house, but only in the kitchen and on this last occasion saw Tucker Lyons produce the plastic bottle containing the ‘Skag’ from a room off the kitchen. This room appeared to be a bedroom. Informant also said that Tucker Lyons also produced a ‘rig’ from this same room (‘Rig’ being a slang term for a syringe that is used to inject a solution into the body) along with a plastic bottle containing the wax-paper wrapped packages of ‘Skag’. Entrance to the kitchen of the aforesaid apartment is through a door that opens out on the east side of the house where a driveway is located. “I have received information from persons whose credibility has not been established, that Tucker Lyons and Jeanette, who live at 2211-East-lOth Street, deal in heroin and on a number of occasions have traded heroin for stolen merchandise.”

Under this ground of error appellant argues that although the informant was on the premises and “Tucker Lyons” was in the kitchen with a plastic bottle filled with small wax-paper wrapped packages which Lyons “indicated” to the informant contained “Skag” which is the slang term for heroin, the informant does not say in what manner Lyons indicated that she possessed heroin or “Skag”. He further argues that the informant does not say that she was told the substance was heroin or that she saw the heroin. Appellant argues that the affidavit is hearsay upon hearsay, a conclusion on the informant’s part, and not sufficient to constitute probable cause.

In United States v. Ventresca, 380 U.S. 102, 85 S.Ct. 741, 13 L.Ed.2d 684 (1965), the Supreme Court discussed some of its prior decisions and then stated:

“These decisions reflect the recognition that the Fourth Amendment’s commands like all constitutional requirements, are practical and not abstract. If the teachings of the Court’s cases are to be followed and the constitutional policy served, affidavits for search warrants, such as the one involved here, must be tested and interpreted by magistrates and courts in a common sense and realistic fashion.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

James Dwayne Crowley v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2019
State v. Ramiro Garcia Lopez Jr.
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2018
Elder Wilfredo Somoza v. State
481 S.W.3d 693 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015)
Welborn, Casey
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015
State v. Casey Welborn
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015
David Munoz v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013
Moncada, Samuel v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013
Charles Bible v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013
Bernardo Reyes v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013
Wolfgang Fisher v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011
Dennis Salzido v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011
Michael Curtis Schornick v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010
Coiwin Revett Sampson v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2004
Champion v. State
919 S.W.2d 816 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1996)
Nichols v. State
877 S.W.2d 494 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1994)
King v. State
856 S.W.2d 610 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1993)
Meeks v. State
851 S.W.2d 373 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1993)
Green v. State
799 S.W.2d 756 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1990)
Gonzalez v. State
768 S.W.2d 436 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
503 S.W.2d 254, 1973 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 2063, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lyons-v-state-texcrimapp-1973.