Muhammad v. State

846 S.W.2d 432, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 3247, 1992 WL 387199
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 31, 1992
DocketC14-91-00951-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 846 S.W.2d 432 (Muhammad v. State) 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
Muhammad v. State, 846 S.W.2d 432, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 3247, 1992 WL 387199 (Tex. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION

ROBERTSON, Justice.

Appellant brings this appeal from a conviction for the offense of delivery of a controlled substance, namely cocaine. Upon finding the appellant guilty, and the two enhancement paragraphs true, the jury *434 assessed punishment at 56 years confinement in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Appellant brings five points of error. 1 We affirm.

In his first point of error, appellant maintains the trial court erred in overruling his objection to statements made by the prosecutor during voir dire concerning the proof necessary for conviction. Appellant was indicted for the delivery of a controlled substance. The indictment alleged all three available methods for proving delivery: (1) actual; (2) constructive; and (8) by offering to sell. During his presentation, the prosecutor explained to the jury that delivery could be proved by any of the above methods. He went on to say the judge would only allow them to consider a method supported by the evidence, but if more than one method were submitted, then the appellant could be found guilty of delivery even if all the jurors did not agree upon the method used. At that point, appellant’s counsel objected to the prosecutor’s presentation as a misstatement of the law. The trial court overruled his objection.

Appellant contends that because the prosecutor was allowed to explain all three methods, the eventual jurors were possibly confused about what they would be allowed to consider in finding appellant guilty. Although the prosecutor told the panel that the judge would only allow conviction by the means introduced into evidence, appellant argues he was harmed because the jurors might have come away from voir dire believing they could convict on all possible theories. Appellant’s argument is without merit.

The prosecutor correctly explained to the jury the law of delivery. The indictment alleged all three methods of delivery. Tex. Health & Safety Code Ann. § 481.002(8) (Vernon 1992); See Daniels v. State, 754 S.W.2d 214, 217 (Tex.Crim.App.1988). The prosecutor merely explained the three methods to the panel. More importantly, he informed them that the judge would only allow conviction on the evidence produced at trial. The trial court committed no error in overruling appellant’s objection.

If we found the trial court had erred in allowing an explanation during voir dire of all available methods of delivery, when the prosecutor knew the evidence would only show an actual transfer, it would be harmless error. Tex.R.App.P. 81(b)(2). The evidence at trial only suggested actual delivery. The instruction and charge to the jury only discussed conviction based upon a finding beyond a reasonable doubt that the appellant actually delivered the substanee, thereby limiting any possibility of harm that might have occurred. Appellant’s first point of error is overruled.

Appellant, in his second point of error, complains of the trial court’s failure to conduct a Batson hearing once the jury had been selected and he had made his Batson motion. See Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986). In order to challenge possible discriminatory selection of a venire, the defendant must make a prima facie showing that: (1) he is a member of a cognizable racial group; (2) the prosecutor has exercised peremptory challenges to remove from the venire members of the defendant’s race; and (3) these facts, and any other relevant circumstances, raise an inference that the prosecutor excluded the venirepersons from the panel because of their race. Id. at 96, 106 S.Ct. at 1722; Henry v. State, 729 S.W.2d 732, 734 (Tex.Crim.App.1987). The burden of establishing a prima facie case is on the criminal defendant. Bean v. State, 816 S.W.2d 115, 117 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 1991, no pet.). This burden is not an onerous one. Linscomb v. State, 829 S.W.2d 164, 167 (Tex.Crim.App.1992). Once a prima fa-cie case is established, the burden shifts to the state to articulate racially neutral reasons for the peremptory strikes at issue. Dewberry v. State, 776 S.W.2d 589, 590 n. 1 (Tex.Crim.App.1989); Batson, 476 U.S. at 97, 106 S.Ct. at 1723.

*435 Appellant’s counsel brought his motion by stating that appellant was an African American male; there were eight African Americans on the panel; that the state used at least three peremptory strikes against them; and only two African Americans remained on the jury. The prosecutor corrected appellant’s counsel by stating he had struck four' African Americans and that the panel had consisted of six African Americans. The trial judge then asked appellant’s counsel if he had anything else to present. Appellant’s counsel replied he had nothing further to offer and the trial judge then denied his motion.

Appellant contends his trial counsel presented enough evidence to create a prima facie case. The court of criminal appeals has said a purely statistical analysis can be enough to create a prima facie case. Linscomb, 829 S.W.2d at 166. In Linscomb, the court was faced with circumstances very similar to those presented by appellant. The venire panel also consisted of six African Americans and the state used its peremptory strikes against four. The court used a statistical analysis to hold the defendant had met his prima facie burden. Id.

However, the court in Linscomb did not hold that a statistical analysis would always create a prima facie case. Specifically, it stated that such a finding based on a purely statistical analysis was “not impossible.” Id. The court said:

“[¡judges at all levels must frankly assess the legitimate inferences to be drawn from statistical evidence made available to them before making up their minds. Sometimes such evidence will be telling.”

Id. (emphasis added) (footnote omitted). Sometimes the evidence will be telling; however, this also means that sometimes it will not support a prima facie case. The record before us illustrates an example of when a purely statistical analysis fails to support a defendant’s prima facie case.

The trial judge was in the best position to “frankly assess” the voir dire proceedings. The third prong faced by a defendant in establishing a prima facie case is to show these facts, and any other relevant circumstances, raise an inference that the prosecutor excluded the venirepersons from the panel because of their race. Henry, 729 S.W.2d at 734. The facts and circumstances do not raise an inference of discrimination on the part of the prosecutor.

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Bluebook (online)
846 S.W.2d 432, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 3247, 1992 WL 387199, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/muhammad-v-state-texapp-1992.