Michael Thomas Milburn v. the State of Texas

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 6, 2022
Docket10-20-00072-CR
StatusPublished

This text of Michael Thomas Milburn v. the State of Texas (Michael Thomas Milburn v. the State of Texas) 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
Michael Thomas Milburn v. the State of Texas, (Tex. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

IN THE TENTH COURT OF APPEALS

No. 10-20-00072-CR

MICHAEL THOMAS MILBURN, Appellant v.

THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

From the County Court at Law No. 1 Brazos County, Texas Trial Court No. 18-01927-CRM-CCL1

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Michael Thomas Milburn was found guilty by a jury of assault family violence.

See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 22.01; see also TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 71.004. In three issues,

Milburn contends: (1) the trial court erred by refusing to instruct the jury on the defense

of consent; (2) the trial court erred by denying his request for a hearing on his motion for

new trial; and (3) he was denied reasonably effective assistance of counsel. We will

affirm. Background

In March 2018, Milburn and his wife were contemplating divorce when a dispute

arose. The incident escalated, and Milburn’s wife ultimately accused Milburn of assault.

Milburn was charged by information with “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly

caus[ing] bodily injury to Melissa Day Milburn, a member of the defendant’s family or

household, by grabbing her hand and twisting it, pushing her into a wall and onto the

ground with his hands, and grabbing her in a bear hug with his arms.” The jury found

Milburn guilty and assessed his punishment at sixty days in the county jail. The trial

court rendered judgment and imposed sentence accordingly.

Issue One

In his first issue, Milburn asserts that the trial court erred by refusing to include an

instruction in the jury charge on the defense of consent.

AUTHORITY

A claim of jury-charge error is reviewed using the procedure established in

Almanza v. State, 686 S.W.2d 157, 171 (Tex. Crim. App. 1985) (op. on reh’g); see Barrios v.

State, 283 S.W.3d 348, 350 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009). First, we must determine whether there

is error in the charge. Ngo v. State, 175 S.W.3d 738, 743 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005). If we find

error, only then will we analyze that error for harm. Id. If there is no error, our analysis

ends. Kirsch v. State, 357 S.W.3d 645, 649 (Tex. Crim. App. 2012).

Milburn v. State Page 2 It is well settled that a defendant has the right to an instruction on any defensive

issue raised by the evidence, whether that evidence is weak or strong, unimpeached or

contradicted, and regardless of what the trial court may or may not think about the

credibility of the evidence. Granger v. State, 3 S.W.3d 36, 38 (Tex. Crim. App. 1999); see

Mendoza v. State, 88 S.W.3d 236, 239 (Tex. Crim. App. 2002). A defense is supported or

raised by the evidence “if there is some evidence, from any source, on each element of

the defense that, if believed by the jury, would support a rational inference that that

element is true.” Shaw v. State, 243 S.W.3d 647, 657–58 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007). The

defendant bears the burden of showing some evidence exists to support each element of

the defense. Juarez v. State, 308 S.W.3d 398, 404 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010); see Shaw, 243

S.W.3d at 657–58. When reviewing a trial court’s decision to deny a requested defensive

instruction, “we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the defendant’s

requested submission.” Bufkin v. State, 207 S.W.3d 779, 782 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006). A

trial court, however, may refuse an instruction on a defensive theory if the issue was not

raised by the evidence. See Shaw, 243 S.W.3d at 657–58. Therefore, when the evidence

fails to raise a defensive issue, the trial court commits no error in refusing a requested

instruction. McGarity v. State, 5 S.W.3d 223, 227 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1999, no pet.).

The defensive issue of “mutual combat” is set forth in section 22.06 of the Penal

Code, titled “Consent as Defense to Assaultive Conduct.” TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 22.06.

Section 22.06 of the Penal Code provides, in relevant part, that “[t]he victim’s effective

Milburn v. State Page 3 consent or the actor’s reasonable belief that the victim consented to the actor’s conduct is

a defense to [the offense of assault] if . . . the conduct did not threaten or inflict serious

bodily injury.” Id. Consent is defined as “assent in fact, whether express or apparent.”

Id. § 1.07(a)(11).

“[T]he issue (of mutual combat) arises out of an antecedent agreement to fight.

The agreement must exist.” Lujan v. State, 430 S.W.2d 513, 514 (Tex. Crim. App. 1968)

(quoting Carson v. State, 89 Tex. Crim. 342, 344, 230 S.W. 997, 998 (1921)) (internal quotes

omitted). When a party claims the defense of “mutual combat,” there must be evidence

of an antecedent agreement to fight. Davis v. State, 533 S.W.3d 498, 513–14 (Tex. App.—

Corpus Christi–Edinburg 2017, pet. ref’d) (citing Lujan, 430 S.W.2d at 514, and Miller v.

State, 312 S.W.3d 209, 212 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2010, pet. ref’d)).

MELISSA’S TESTIMONY

Melissa testified that during an ongoing argument, Milburn showed her that he

was typing up the terms of a potential divorce agreement on his cell phone. Melissa said

she wanted to see the phone better so she “reached out, not to hurt him” but to get a

better look. When she did, Milburn “roughly” grabbed her hand and said, “[D]on’t you

dare hurt me; the law is on my side.” Milburn did not let Melissa look at the phone and

read the agreement off to her. After Milburn read the terms, Melissa suggested a couple

of things that he had promised her be added to the agreement. Milburn stated that

Melissa did not deserve her request and spit in her face. The argument continued, and

Milburn v. State Page 4 Milburn demanded that Melissa turn over the keys to the car and a phone, which Melissa

refused to do. Melissa had the keys, phone, and a wallet in her pocket and was

“gripping” them with her hand. Melissa again refused to give Milburn the keys and

phone, and that is when Milburn “went after [her].” Milburn rushed her, grabbed her

hand, and grabbed at her pockets, causing her pocket to rip. Milburn did manage to get

her wallet out and tossed it aside because he was after the keys and phone. Milburn came

at her again for the keys and phone, and Milburn was being “relentless physically.”

Milburn shoved Melissa around and was “body slamming [her] around.” Milburn

“threw the full weight of his body and shoulders into [her] like a football player would .

. . .” Melissa recalled that Milburn hit her with his body more than once and pushed her

into a wall. Melissa stated she was able to keep the phone, but Milburn twisted and pried

the keys from her hand when he had her arm pinned down and had slammed her hand

on the pavement. Melissa guessed that her hand broke when Milburn twisted the keys

off her finger because that is when her hand weakened. Her hand began to swell after

the incident while talking with law enforcement officers. A fracture of the fourth

metacarpal bone was subsequently discovered after an X-ray. Melissa stated that she did

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Related

Strickland v. Washington
466 U.S. 668 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Ngo v. State
175 S.W.3d 738 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2005)
In Re Estate of Wilson
252 S.W.3d 708 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008)
Miller v. State
312 S.W.3d 209 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Juarez v. State
308 S.W.3d 398 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Rylander v. State
101 S.W.3d 107 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2003)
Campbell v. Fort Worth Bank & Trust
705 S.W.2d 400 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1986)
Saylor v. State
660 S.W.2d 822 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1983)
Ex Parte Welborn
785 S.W.2d 391 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1990)
Smith v. State
286 S.W.3d 333 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Roberts v. State
220 S.W.3d 521 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Hobbs v. State
298 S.W.3d 193 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Granger v. State
3 S.W.3d 36 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1999)
Shindler v. Mid-Continent Life Insurance Co.
768 S.W.2d 331 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1989)
Barrios v. State
283 S.W.3d 348 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Mendoza v. State
88 S.W.3d 236 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2002)
Bone v. State
77 S.W.3d 828 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2002)
Goodspeed v. State
187 S.W.3d 390 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2005)
McGarity v. State
5 S.W.3d 223 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1999)
Bufkin v. State
207 S.W.3d 779 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2006)

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