Martin v. State

491 S.W.2d 928, 1973 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 2797
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas·Decided February 21, 1973·No. 45708·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinion

OPINION

ODOM, Judge.

This is an appeal from a conviction for the offense of assault with intent to murder without malice. The jury assessed punishment at three years.

Appellant’s sole contention is that the trial court erred in overruling his motion for mistrial in that the state improperly impeached a defense witness with evidence inadmissible under Article 38.29, Vernon’s Ann.C.C.P.

Mary Tyler testified that she went to Joan Martin’s house, intending to spend the night, and that she took with her a .38 caliber pistol which she stated was inoperative. She testified that she watched television in Miss Martin’s bedroom for a period of time, heard a knock at the front door, and upon answering found appellant. Appellant had a pistol tucked in his belt and a can of beer in his hand. She and appellant went upstairs to Miss Martin’s bedroom. As appellant, Miss Tyler and Miss Martin were seated on the bed, a “tussle” began between appellant and Miss Tyler. Miss Tyler was able to free herself from appellant’s grasp, but was knocked to the floor in the process. She testified that appellant kicked her as she lay on the floor and then fired his pistol, wounding her in the neck. She further testified that appellant asked her to say the shooting was an accident. She was taken to the hospital by appellant and others.

G. A. Thompson, a detective with the Homicide Division of the Dallas Police Department, testified that he talked to Joan Martin, and she told him appellant and Miss Tyler were in a “scuffle” when Miss Tyler was shot.

Defense witnesses were Fannie Thomas, Joan Martin and Thomas Tunson.

Fannie Thomas testified that she saw Miss Tyler at the hospital the morning after the shooting; that Miss Tyler first said she did not know who had shot her, then said the shooting was an accident, and then said appellant told her to say it was an accident.

Joan Martin testified that she and Miss Tyler were drinking beer at a friend’s house; that later that night she had a fight with her boyfriend, Thomas Tunson, during which Miss Tyler was present; and that the shooting of Miss Tyler was the result of the “tussle” between appellant, herself and Miss Tyler. She testified that the gun discharged as Miss Tyler slid off the bed, and when appellant reached for the gun that made it discharge, wounding Miss Tyler.

Thomas Tunson testified that he knew Mary Tyler carried a pistol, that she had one in her possession on the afternoon of October 2, 1970, and “pulled” it on him that afternoon at Joan Martin’s house during an argument he was having with Joan Martin. The defense rested its case and Tunson was then recalled by the state.

At this juncture, the state impeached Tunson’s testimony in the following manner:

“O. Are you also one and the same Thomas Jewell Tunson who on October the 18th, 1960 in Dallas County, in the cause of D-1653-I, for the criminal offense of robbery, was duly, lawfully and finally convicted on October the 18th, 1960?
A. I got a provation (sic) and I lived it out.
Q. Are you one and the same who was convicted ?
A. Yes, sir.
MR. MALONEY: Objection, Your Honor. At this time I’m going to move *930 the Court for a mistrial, if there was a probated sentence that was lived out; such was improper impeachment and bad faith on the part of the prosecutor.
THE COURT: Well, I’ll overrule your objection at this time.”

The state then, without objection, impeached Tunson’s testimony by showing his conviction for the offenses of child desertion and misdemeanor theft.

Tunson was then questioned by appellant, outside the presence of the jury, for the purpose of perfecting his bill of exception. The witness testified that his five-year sentence for robbery was probated on October 18, 1960; and that he served out his probation period without a revocation.

James Rolfe, Assistant District Attorney, testified that he was assigned with Jim Johnson in the prosecution of this case; that after Tunson had testified, he checked the records at the District Attorney’s office and found that Tunson had been convicted of robbery, received five years, and that the records he checked did not show that the sentence had been probated. He testified that he acted in good faith when he told the prosecutor at trial to use the robbery conviction for impeachment. However, he also stated that the defense attorney told him, prior to the use of the conviction, that the sentence had been probated, and that he did not check the clerk’s office. The records of the clerk’s office, indicating that probation had been granted, that the period of probation had expired and the conviction had been set aside, were shown to the trial judge. The judge then announced that he would instruct the jury not to consider the robbery conviction for any purpose. Appellant’s motion for a mistrial was overruled.

The jury was returned to the jury box and instructed not to consider the robbery conviction for any purpose. The state was permitted to further question the witness with regard to the conviction for the misdemeanor offense of theft and of child desertion. Any complaint that appellant may have had to the impeachment by use of the child desertion conviction was waived by not timely objecting to the same. Coleman v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 481 S.W.2d 872. The use of the conviction for the offense of misdemeanor theft was proper as it is an offense involving moral turpitude. Article 38.29, V.A.C.C.P.

Appellant’s complaint concerning the use of the robbery conviction to impeach his witness’ testimony presents a different problem. Article 38.29, supra, reads as follows :

“The fact that a defendant in a criminal case, or a witness in a criminal case, is or has been, charged by indictment, information or complaint, with the commission of an offense against the criminal laws of this State, of the United States, or any other State shall not be admissible in evidence on the trial of any criminal case for the purpose of impeaching any person as a witness unless on trial under such indictment, information or complaint a final conviction has resulted, or a suspended sentence has been given and has not been set aside, or stick person has been placed on probation and the period of probation has not expired. In trials of defendants under Article 36.09, it may be shown that the witness is presently charged with the same offense as the defendant at whose trial he appears as a witness.” (Emphasis supplied.)

Referring to Article 38.29, supra, this court, in Goad v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 464 S.W.2d 129, at 133, stated:

“. . . The foregoing statute prohibits the use of a criminal charge unless the same has resulted in a final conviction except where a suspended sentence has been given and not set aside or probation granted and the period of probation has not expired. Rayford v. State, *931

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Martin v. State, 491 S.W.2d 928, 1973 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 2797 (Tex. 1973).

491 S.W.2d 928 (Martin v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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