Mozee, Stanley Orson

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided December 18, 2015·No. WR-82,467-01·Published

Opinion

SUSAN HAWK . CRIMINAL DISTRICT ArroRNF.Y DALLAS CO_UNTY, TEXAS

December 15, 2015

Texas Court of Crirninal Appeals P.O. Box 12308 Austin, Texas 78711

Re: Exparte Stanley O. Mozee; WR-82,467-0l , W99-0263l(A) and Exparte Dem'zz`s L. Allen; WR-56,666-03, WOO-OlBOS(B)

Dear Mr. Acosta:

Enclosed are the following documents related to the above-referenced case numbers: State ’s Objections to Trial Court's Supplemental Findings of Fact on Remana’ and State's Motion for General Remand. Please file the original and return the enclosed copy, tile-marked, to me at Patricia Curnrnings; Assistant Distiict Attorney; 133 N. Riverfront Blvd., LB 19; Dallas, Texas 75207.

Please contact me at 2l4~653-3600 if you have any questions.~ Tliank you for your time and attention in a ance.

/Sineerely,

_ f RECE{VED lN

s pATRICIA C MMINGS COURT OF CRll\/HNAL APPEALS Assistant Distn Attorney Conviction lntegrity Unit y ' Dallas Co_unty, Texas DEC 1 8 2015

Encl.

Abel Acosta, C|erk - .

Frank Crowley Courts Building, 133 North Riverfront Bou]evard, LB-l9 Dallas, Texas 75207-439_9 (214) 653-3 600

gqlclu):\ ~Ol

NOS. WR-82,467-01& WR-56,666-03 CAUSE NOS. F99-02631-R, F00-01305-R WRIT NOS. W99-02631-R(A) and W00-01305-FR(B)

RECE|VED lN COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS

EX PARTE . § IN THE DISTRICT CoURT |EC 13 2015 203“” JUDICIAL DISTRICT DALLAS CoUNTY, TEXAS

§

§ .

§ AND Abe| Acosta, C|erk § § §

STANLEY ORSON MOZEE ` & - ' THE TEXAS COURT OF DENNIS LEE ALLEN t § CRIMINAL APPEALS

STATE'S OB|ECTIONS TO TRIAL COURT'S SUPPLEMENTAL FINDINGS OF FACT ON REMAND

The State, having been notified of the Trial Court’s Findings of Fact on Rernand in the above numbered and entitled causes, respectfully asserts the following objections in these habeas corpus proceedings:

l.

THE TRIAL COURT'S SUPPLEMENTAL FINDINGS ARE UNSUPPORTED BY THE RECORD

On 0ct0ber 28, 2014, after considering the entire record in these causes, the trial court signed Agreed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of LaW finding v

that the State suppressed exculpatory evidence1 in violation of Brady v.

l The suppressed exculpatory evidence is numerous letters from two testifying jailhouse informants and the substantive discussions the State had with the informants underlying the correspondence . '

Stale’s Objeclions to the Trial Court's F indings of F act on Remand Page l of ll

Stanley O. Mozee - WR-82,467-0]; W99-0263 l-R(A); F99-0263 l-R

Dennis L. Allen - WR-56,666~03; W00-01305-R(B); F00-01305-R

Maryland and that the State presented false testimony from one of the informants that Went uncorrected by the State. On February 4, 2015, this Court issued a remand order directing the trial court to provide the trial

prosecutor an opportunity to respond to the_Brady claims. Following receipt of

the remand order, the judge recused herself sua-sponte and Applicants' cases

Were transferred to the-203rd ]udicial District Court.2

An evidentiary hearing Was held on 0ctober 26 - 27, 2015, during which testimony_from the lead trial prosecutor -` Rick ]ackson - Was heard. On 0ctober 27, 2015{ ]ackson informed the trial court and the parties that he had `a doctor’s appointment early that afternoon. As a result, the trial court and the

parties agreed to excuse jackson early With the understanding that he Would

be kept under the rule and remain available for further testimony. Then,

before either party_rested and .closed,‘the trial court entered its Findings of Fact oh Remand3 on November 10, 2015 - approximately ten days before the reporter's record Was prepared.

The trial court's supplemental findings specifically find ]ackson’s

testimony to be credible. They also find that, even though ]ackson has no

2 The term of the Judge of the 265th Judicial District Court who signed the Agreed Findings of Fact - the Honorable Mark Stoltz - expired on December 31, 2014. The new Judge of the 265th Judicial District Court, the Honorable Jennifer Bennett, recused herself from these cases upon its

remand. As a result, the cases were reassigned to the Judge of the 203rd Judicial District Court -

the Honorable Teresa Hawthome. 3 Herei_nafter referred to as the trial court’s supplemental findings

State ’s Ubjections to the Trial Court 's F indings of F act on Remand ~ Page 2 of _ll Stanley O. Mozee ~ WR-82,467-01; W99-0263 l-R(A); F99-0263 l-R - Dennis L. Allen - WR-56,666-03; W00-01305-R(B); F00-01305-R

independent recollection of turning over the informant letters, both ]ackson’s meticulous trial notes, and ]ackson’s belief that an entry he found on one of those notes, support that the informant letters Were "turned over” to defense counsel for both Applicants.4

The State respectfully objects to the trial court's supplemental findings in ' both cases because they are unsupported by the record. See Ex parte Bagley, 509 S.W.Zd 332 (Tex. Crim. App. 1974) (holding that the Court of Criminal - Appeals is not bound by 'the trial court's findings in a habeas corpus proceeding and may make contrary findings when the trial court's findings are not supported by the record.) y

A. The Trial Record

A thorough review of the entire trial record in both cases establishes the informant letters were not disclosed to~ defense counsel. 'l`he State's circumstantial case against Applicants relied heavily on informant testimony.

At the time of trial, Applicant Allen Was represented by ]im Oatman Who

4 Although the trial court’s supplemental findings say “tumed over,” Jackson testified he Was unable to say whether the informant letters were shown or copies provided. The trial court also entered a finding that Jackson testified that he did not violate Braa'y v. Maryland in this cause.

This finding is not supported by the record. -

State 's Objections to the Trial Court’s F indings of F act on Remand Page 3 of ll Stanley O. Mozee - WR-82,467-01; W99'-0263l-R(A); F99-0263 l-R ' Dennis L. Allen - WR-56,666-03; W00-0130_5-R(B); F00-01305-R

argued to the jury he personally believed he Was representing an innocent man.5 Applicant Mozee Was represented by Matt Fry.6

On August 28, 2000, the day Applicant Allen’s jury trial'began, the trial court conducted a pretrial hearing before voir dire affording both sides an opportunity to address matters that needed to be resolved prior to trial. During the hearing, the defense made an extensive record regarding the issue l of exculpatory evidence. Oatman started out by discussing exculpatory evidence that had been previously disclosed by the State and then followed up by specifically requesting additional information regarding those exculpatory disclosures.7 Then Oatman made a record regarding exculpatory information that had not been disclosed by the State. Throughout the hearing, the defense requested copies of all documents that contained the exculpatory information.y

A significant amount~of time during the pretrial hearing Was spent

discussing the State's failure to disclose exculpatory information regarding a

5 Oatman is deceased and his trial file no longer exists. During the Writ hearing, both Rick Jackson and former District Judge John Cruezot testified that Jim Oatman was a very good attomey. `

6 Fry’s trial file was,turned over to Applicant Mozee. Part of the evidence Applicant Mozee intended to introduce once the writ hearing was reconvened was either testimony or an affidavit from Fry. Unfortunately, the trial court’s supplemental findings were entered before the hearing could be reconvened.

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