Meine, Todd

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 11, 2015
DocketWR-82,972-01
StatusPublished

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Bluebook
Meine, Todd, (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ' - March 9, 2015 c/o Hon. Abel Acosta, Clerk

P.O. Box 12308

Austin, Texas 78711-2308

Re: Ex Parte Meine, Cause No.

Dear Honorable Clerk,

Please find enclose Applicant's reply to the State's Supp. Answer. Please file and present to the Court in your usual manner. Should you have any questions or concerns, please, don't hesitate to contact the applicant at the address provided below. Please also nougthe State was properly served according to T.R.A.P. Rule 9.5(b). Thank you for your cooperation andiassi~

stance in this matter.

RECENED \N Very Truly Yours, couRT oFcR\M\NALAPPF_ALS /J 2 y mw 3/0///{

MAR 11 2015 ` Todd Meine, Applicant/ Pro Se TDCJ# 1652556 McConnell Unit §§ ` 3001 S. Emily Dr. ABG\AM°C`S ‘ Beeville, frean 78102-8583

361.362.2300 (ph.) 361.362.3011 (fax)

ND.

IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS ’ OF TEXAS

EX PARTE TODD MEINE TDCJ-ID #16525561 APPLICANT

APPLICATION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS IN CAUSE NO. O9-CR44379-F, FROM THE 214th DISTRICT COURT OF NUECES.COUNTY/ TEXAS, AND €AUSE NO. l3-lO-360-CR IN THE COURT OF APPEALS IN THE THIRTEENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS.

APPLICANT'S REPLY TO STATE'S SUPPLEMENTAL ANSWER;TO APPLICANT'S APPLICATION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS

Todd Meine, Pro Se Applicant TDCJ# 1652556 McConnell Unit 3001 S. Emily Dr.

Beeville, Texas 78102-8583 361.362.2300 (ph.) 361.362.3011 (fax)

cAUsE No. ----------------

IN THE TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS AT AUSTIN/ TEXAS

EX PARTE TODD MEINE TDCJ-ID #1652556/ Applicant

¢0>60?¢0‘>¢0'3

Applicant's Reply to State's Supplemental Answer to Applicant's,Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus

TO THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF SAID COURT:

NOWCOMES, Todd Meine, TDCJ# 1652556, Applicant, Pro Se, and files this his Reply to State's Supplemental Answer. Applicant would respectfully show this Honorable Court his application has merit, there are contested issues of Const- itutional magnitude, thusly the Writ should be issued and relief is warranted.

Applicant would show the following: n STATEMENT OF THE CASE

The applicant, Todd Meine, hereinafter refered to as Meine, was tried by a jury on a facially defective indictment and adjudged guilty of (2) counts of aggravated assault of a public servant and (2) counts of attempted capital murder. (see State's Ex.:A). Unconstitutional punishment was assessed by the jury at confinement in TDCJ for (99) years on counts 1&2 and Life on counts 3&4. Id.

Meine appealed to the 13th COA in that he alleged the trial Court erred by: l) violating bouble Jeopardy; 2) denying requested inclusion of insanity by intoxication to the jury charge and allowing the defense to be heard at punishment; 3) denying the inclusion of a lesser-included offense of deadly conduct in the jury charge; and 4) submission of a charge that did not track -the indictment. (see St. Ex.:B, and App. Br. to 13th COA).

The 13th COA sustained Meine's first issue reversing and vacating the trial Court's judgment as applied to Counts 1&2. The 13th COA affirmed the

remaining issues. Both Meine's and State's P.D.R.'s were refused. (see St.

Ex.:C; Clerk's Notice to Meine Dated: Wed., Dec. 7, 2011; Re: Case No. PD- 1550-11; Refused).

Meine has filed an application for Writ of Habeas Corpus pursuant to Art. 11.07 of the Tex. Code of Crim. Procedure and presents grounds for relief.

GENERAL REBUTTAL

Meine generally rebuts the State's denial in that the facts asserted are -supported by the record and defended by Federal and State Constitution, State Law, and pertinent case law as cited in Meine's Brief in Support of his app- lication for Writ of Habeas Corpus. Meine further submits that responses from counsel are necessary and an evidentiary hearing is requested as his claims have merit based upon the support of the record. (Ex Parte affidavits are in- adequate to resolve whether counsel was ineffective. Smith v. McCormich 914 F.2d 1115, 1170 (9th Cir. 1990)).

Meine's responses to specific issues beyond this general rebuttal are set forth below.

DI SCUSSION

INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL l. STANDARD OF REVIEW

Teras Courts have adopted the standard set out in Strickland 104 S.Ct. 2052 (1984). To prevail on an ineffective assistance of counsel (IAC) claim,

a Habeas applicant must prove; by a preponderance of evidence that: 1) counsel's preformance was deficient{ i.e. it fell below an objective standard of reasona~ bleness, and 2) there is a reasonable probability sufficient to undermine conf- idence in the outcome of the proceedings that, but for counsel's deficiency,

the result of the proceeding would have been different. Id.

Qn its face the term "objective standard of reasonableness" is ambiguous. However, the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional`Conduct set forth basic "rights" to the client~lawyer relationship, specifically Rule 1.01, competent and diligent representation. (also applicable, ABA Crim. Justice Std. 4.4l(a)).

2.

Rule l.Ol(b)(l)&(2) reflect the heart of Meine's argument in so that, trial counsel was ineffective for not only failing to recognize, but failing to

quash the facially defective indictment. The matter of Double Jeopardy, a fundamental constitutional issue was neglected as a legal matter, before

and during Meine's trial on the metits. As required by Meine's 6th Amendment protections, trial counsel failed to effectively and completely fulfill the obligations to Meine. According to Rules of Prof'l. Conduct Rule 1.02, defense of Constitutionally Protected Rights is well within the scope of representation.

Here, Meine can not only show by a preponderance, but prove that, but for counsel's deficiency the result of the proceeding in fact would have been different. Meine would not have received (2) 99 year sentences which violated double jeopardy, or vice versa for that matter. It cannot be said that not to raise that particular point of error either prior to or during trial was trial strategy or reasonable. And, there is no doubt that but for counsel's failure, thanks to appellate counsel, Meine did prevail on appeal. Howeverp` the relief received did not dispense with the error. The reversal & vacation of the sentence resolved the harm, but did not address the ineffective assist- ance of counsel. The remedy for such error is new trial. see T.R.A.P. Rule 44.2(a). The indictment was unchallenged and was presented to the jury in the charge, creating a fundamental error in the charge.

Fundamental error in the jury charge is error that is so egregious and causes such harm as to deprive the accused of a fair and impartial trial. see Webber v. State 29 S.W.3d 226, 231 (Tx. App.-Hou.l4th 2000); see also Taylor v. State 7 s.w.3d 732, 736 (Tx. App.-Hou.14th 1999)(citing Almanza v. state 686 S.W.Zd 157 (Tex. Crim. App. 1985). The fact there was reversable error, (see St. Ex.:B, COA Op.,p.2,7) it cannot be reasonably argued there was no deficient performance resulting in error. In so much as there was fundamental error in the charge to the jury that is egregious error! it Can be Said the

3.

l

conduct challenged here is so outrageous that no competent attorney would have engaged in it. see Goodspeed v. State 187 S.W.3d 390, 392 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005).

Having met both prongs of §§ric§land_with record support, Meine should be entitled to a new trial, due to the fact he received ineffective assistance of trial counsel.

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