Michael Lynn Rogers v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided December 5, 2019·No. 05-18-00724-CR·Published

Opinion

AFFIRMED as MODIFIED and Opinion Filed December 5, 2019

Court of Appeals S In The

Fifth District of Texas at Dallas No. 05-18-00724-CR

MICHAEL LYNN ROGERS, Appellant V. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

On Appeal from the 283rd Judicial District Court Dallas County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. F-1800263-T

MEMORANDUM OPINION Before Justices Bridges, Whitehill, and Schenck Opinion by Justice Bridges A jury convicted appellant Michael Lynn Rogers of capital murder, and he received an

automatic life sentence.1 He raises seven issues on appeal. He first argues the trial court abused

its discretion by admitting evidence of his membership in the Aryan Brotherhood. In his six

remaining issues, he contends the State and the trial court misstated the law of transferred intent

during jury selection resulting in six jurors being improperly challenged for cause. As modified,

we affirm the trial court’s judgment.

Background

Greg Collier and appellant met while working together at Texas Highway Markings in

Cedar Hill. Appellant noticed Collier’s tattoos and asked if he was a member of the Aryan

1 His indictment was enhanced by two prior convictions: burglary of a vehicle and murder. Brotherhood. Collier said he was a brother and the two began talking. He learned appellant’s

nickname within the Brotherhood was Texas Mike.

Late in the evening on July 15, 2016, Collier, Shelvie Spriggs (Collier’s girlfriend), and

John Paul Street went to appellant’s home to get methamphetamine and hang out. Appellant had

provided them with meth almost daily for several months. John Paul (“Freight Train”) was a

member of the White Knights and lived with Collier and Shelvie. Shelvie described John Paul as

“Greg’s little sidekick, so pretty much wherever Greg went . . . , he tagged along.”

On this particular night, John Paul planned to “do a tattoo” on appellant’s daughter,

Stephanie Rogers. When they arrived, Collier noticed appellant and Joaquin Garcia doing heroin

and “speedballs,” a mixture of methamphetamine and heroin. Garcia was a member of Tango

Blast.

Around 1 a.m., appellant’s wallet disappeared. He was “freaking out” thinking someone

stole it. In the meantime, Jimmy Patrick, another Brotherhood member known as “Jimbo,” arrived.

The group continued looking for appellant’s wallet.

A short time later, Alberto Gonzalez (decedent) approached Collier and John Paul on

appellant’s front porch and asked if appellant was home. They said yes, and Gonzalez went inside.

When Collier and John Paul went inside, they heard appellant and Gonzalez arguing about money.

Appellant accused Gonzalez of stealing his wallet and $600. The yelling escalated. Shelvie heard

Gonzalez crying for help. Collier went to the kitchen to see what has happening and saw appellant

and Garcia hitting, punching, and kicking Gonzalez. Collier said it seemed like appellant knew

Gonzalez.

Collier joined the fight because he felt like Gonzalez “did [appellant] wrong stealing his

money.” He felt he owed appellant because of their Brotherhood ties and appellant’s leadership

–2– position within the gang. Specifically, appellant was a “major” in Region 2, meaning he was the

second highest ranking member of the Brotherhood in the North Texas area.

At one point during the beating, appellant left the kitchen and went to his bedroom. Garcia

and Collier continued assaulting Gonzalez. Appellant returned to the kitchen after hearing a beer

bottle smash and told the men they were being too loud.2 Appellant then helped Gonzalez to a

chair and started negotiating about the money. Appellant told Gonzalez he could mow his lawn

until the money was paid off. Collier thought the argument was over.

Appellant then left Gonzalez in the kitchen, returned to the living room, and asked if

anyone wanted to get high. Appellant, John Paul, Jimmy Patrick, Garcia, and Collier went to

appellant’s room and did a “bump” of methamphetamine.3 At this point, Collier said Gonzalez

was free to leave but that quickly changed.

After consuming the drugs, appellant retuned to the kitchen with a pipe. Garcia and Jimmy

Patrick followed, but Garcia did not stay long and left. Appellant and Gonzalez started arguing

again about the money and the situation escalated. Collier went to the kitchen and told appellant

he was leaving, but appellant told him to “chill out” and let him “take care of it.” Collier respected

appellant’s rank in the Brotherhood and knew he could “tell anybody in the family to do whatever

he wants.”

Collier then watched John Paul hit Gonzalez “out of nowhere” in his right leg with a

hammer. Appellant heated up a spoon on the stove and handed it to John Paul, who burned

Gonzalez on the cheek like a brand. Collier described Gonzalez as “gritting” and not screaming,

but rather taking the assault and not fighting back. At this point, Collier felt things had gone too

2 Collier smashed the beer bottle on Gonzalez’s head. He claimed he did not want to participate, but he wanted them to think he wanted to. “Like one foot in, one foot out type” of thing. He testified he did not participate any further in the assault. 3 A “bump” causes a “rush” and gives “a lot of energy.”

–3– far, and he went to the living room. He did not feel he could leave the house because he did not

want the others to think he would tell anyone what happened.

Appellant then retrieved a machete from underneath a couch cushion in the living room

and returned to the kitchen where Collier saw him hit Gonzalez’s arm with the blunt side of it.

John Paul and appellant then continued punching Gonzalez.

By this time, the assault had been going on for over two hours. Appellant said they could

not let Gonzalez leave because he would tell.

Appellant went to his bedroom and returned with a drill. He took the drill into the kitchen,

and Collier heard drilling sounds. Shelvie walked passed the kitchen and saw appellant drilling

holes in Gonzalez’s skull near his temple. She saw another hole in his chest and below his

abdomen.4 Shelvie later heard appellant say he stuck a broom handle “up his a**.”

The record is unclear when Gonzalez died but by early morning, appellant wanted to

dispose of the body. Appellant told the others he wanted to use Collier’s car to do it. Collier

refused so John Paul called his brother-in-law, Gary Paul Rench, who agreed to bring his car. As

Collier walked passed the kitchen on his way to meet Rench out front, he saw Gonzalez’s body

rolled up in a blanket against the kitchen stove. Rench brought in a tool box to load up the body.

Collier refused to help load the body until appellant threatened him with “a D,” or a “disciplinary,”

for disobeying a direct order.5 Depending on the seriousness of the situation, the “D” could range

from a beating to something more severe. Given that appellant had drilled Gonzalez’s body,

Collier decided he better help “because their ain’t no telling what [appellant] might do.”

After putting the body in the tool box and loading the truck, appellant told the others to

follow the truck. Rench refused to drive his truck so Jimmy Patrick volunteered. Collier, John

4 Officers later recovered the drill from the kitchen. 5 Shelvie testified that appellant said Collier’s “participation in it wasn’t up to his standards or he wasn’t as sick and twisted as John Paul was, so he was going to get a discipline.”

–4– Paul, and Shelvie followed in Collier’s car, and appellant followed in his Blazer.

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