Manoy v. State

7 S.W.3d 771, 1999 Tex. App. LEXIS 8927, 1999 WL 1075412
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 30, 1999
Docket12-98-00065-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 7 S.W.3d 771 (Manoy 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
Manoy v. State, 7 S.W.3d 771, 1999 Tex. App. LEXIS 8927, 1999 WL 1075412 (Tex. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

ROBY HADDEN, Justice.

Appellant Kelius Gerard Manoy (“Appellant”) pleaded guilty before a jury to the offense of aggravated robbery. After a punishment hearing, the jury sentenced Appellant to ninety-nine years confinement in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Institutional Division and a $10,-000.00 fine. Appellant filed a notice of appeal to this Court. Concluding that Appellant’s appeal was frivolous, Appellant’s original appellate counsel filed a motion to withdraw and a brief pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967). In a previous opinion in this case, we held that appellate counsel’s Anders brief was inadequate because it failed to raise an “arguable claim that might support the appeal,” specifically the trial court’s failure to admonish Appellant as to the range of punishment connected to the charged offense. Jeffery v. State, 903 S.W.2d 776, 779 (Tex.App.— Dallas 1995, no pet.). Accordingly, we granted appellate counsel’s motion to withdraw, struck his inadequate Anders brief, and directed the trial court to appoint new appellate counsel to review the record and file a new brief for Appellant. Id. at 780. The trial court has appointed new counsel and counsel has now filed a new brief presenting four issues for review.

In issues one and two, Appellant argues that the admonishments given by the trial court were inadequate and resulted in the entry of an involuntary guilty plea. In issue three, Appellant asserts that he did not receive the effective assistance of counsel. In issue four, Appellant argues that the trial court erred in accepting his plea of guilty where the evidence was insufficient to support every element of the offense charged in the indictment. We will affirm the trial court’s judgment.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The evidence adduced at the punishment hearing showed that on September 12, 1996, Appellant and Leonard Ross (“Ross”) went to a convenience store in Leagueville, Texas to commit a robbery. *775 Appellant and Ross, who both possessed firearms, waited outside the store for the clerks to exit the store at closing time. Jerry Hester (“Hester”) and his wife, Mary, were working in the store that night. Appellant testified that as Hester and his wife exited the store, Ross approached them and “told them this is a robbery, put their hands up.” Hester testified that at least one of the assailants fired at him first and that he returned fire with a weapon he was carrying. As a result of this exchange of gunfire, Hester was shot in the chest suffering severe injuries.

II. VOLUNTARINESS OF APPELLANT’S GUILTY PLEA

Appellant was sixteen years old at the time of the commission of the aggravated robbery. Following a certification hearing, Appellant was certified to stand trial as an adult for this offense. The indictment alleged that on September 12, 1996, Appellant, while in the course of committing theft, caused bodily injury to Jerry Hester (“Hester”) by shooting Hester in the chest with a firearm. Prior to voir dire at the guilt-innocence phase of the trial, Appellant’s trial counsel informed the court that Appellant would plead guilty to the indictment and have the jury assess punishment. The trial court then announced to the prospective jurors that the Appellant would enter a plea of guilty to the offense charged and that it would be the responsibility of the jurors to determine the appropriate punishment. After the jury was selected and sworn and after the State read the indictment aloud, the following exchange took place in front of the jury:

The Court: To which [the indictment] the Defendant pleads guilty or innocent?
[Defense Counsel]: Guilty, Your Honor.
The Court: Mr. Manoy, are you the same Kevin Jerard [sic] Manoy who is the Defendant in Cause Number C-8430, styled the State of Texas versus Kevin Manoy?
Mr. Manoy: Kelius Manoy.
The Court: I’m sorry, Kelius Manoy. I apologize to you. I don’t have my glasses on. Kelius Manoy is that you, sir?
Mr. Manoy: Yes sir.
The Court: You have heard your attorney plead guilty to the indictment as read by the District Attorney. Is that your understanding, that you’re pleading guilty to the indictment as read by the District Attorney?
Mr. Manoy: Yes, Your Honor.
The Court: And are you doing that after consultation with your attorney and your family?
Mr. Manoy: Yes, Your Honor.
The Court: And are you doing that in recognition of the fact that we will not impanel a jury, this jury will not consider or decide any issues with regard to your guilt or innocence?
Mr. Manoy: Yes, Your Honor.
The Court: We’re doing that with the understanding that no witnesses will be allowed to testify to contest your guilt or innocence?
Mr. Manoy: Yes, Your Honor.
The Court: That the only issue that will go to this jury is one of punishment for yourself for pleading guilty to the offense as alleged in the indictment?
Mr. Manoy: Yes, Your Honor.
The Court: Do you request that I proceed forward at this time and try the case solely upon the question of punishment?
Mr. Manoy: Yes, Your Honor.
The Court: All right, sir. Thank you, Mr. Manoy. You may be seated. Thank you, Counsel.

From our review of the record, the colloquy quoted above consists of the only admonishments given by the trial court prior to the court’s acceptance of Appellant’s plea of guilty. 1 In its brief, the State *776 concedes that “[t]he trial court failed to admonish the appellant of the consequences of his plea of guilty and the range of punishment.” After this exchange, the parties proceeded to put on punishment evidence.

In issues one and two, Appellant argues, in essence, that he received inadequate admonishments resulting in the entry of an involuntary guilty plea. Specifically, he contends that his plea was involuntary due to the trial court’s failure to: (1) admonish him concerning the range of punishment attached to the subject offense; (2) determine whether his plea of guilty was voluntary; (3) conduct an inquiry into his mental capacity; (4) require that Appellant himself enter his plea of guilty rather than Appellant’s trial counsel; and (5) admonish Appellant (a) of his absolute right to trial by jury on the issue of guilt or innocence, (b) of his right to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses, (c) of his right to appeal his conviction, and (d) that he would waive his right to appeal by agreeing to plead guilty to the indictment.

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Bluebook (online)
7 S.W.3d 771, 1999 Tex. App. LEXIS 8927, 1999 WL 1075412, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/manoy-v-state-texapp-1999.