Patterson v. State

458 S.W.2d 658, 1970 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1610
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 23, 1970
Docket42784
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 458 S.W.2d 658 (Patterson v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Patterson v. State, 458 S.W.2d 658, 1970 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1610 (Tex. 1970).

Opinion

OPINION ON APPELLANT’S MOTION FOR REHEARING

ONION, Judge.

Our opinion on original submission affirming the conviction is hereby withdrawn and the following is substituted in lieu thereof.

The offense is indecent fondling; the punishment, assessed by the court after a verdict of guilty, 10 years in the Texas Department of Corrections.

The 7-year-old prosecutrix testified that while she was riding a borrowed boy’s bicycle on July 18, 1968, in the city of Ned-erland, the appellant stopped his automobile alongside her bicycle and asked the location of Lamar Street; that he reached out the car window and grabbed the handle bars of the bicycle and asked if she would like to make some money; that when she said “no” the appellant touched her on her vagina and asked if it tickled and she answered “yes.”

Lynn Paul Stansbury who lived nearby and was mowing his lawn at the time was an eye witness to the event. He testified he had observed the appellant drive slowly up the street a few minutes before and again pass by just before the incident. He related he stood on his riding lawn mower and observed the appellant run his hand down the bicycle seat and come up between the prosecutrix’s legs at which time the prosecutrix jumped off the bicycle and the appellant drove off at a high rate of speed. Stansbury gave chase in his automobile and obtained the license number of appellant’s automobile.

Stansbury then returned to the area where he found the prosecutrix riding the bicycle and asked her, “Little girl, did that man do something to you he wasn’t supposed to?” When the prosecutrix seemed puzzled, he asked “Did that man touch you where he wasn’t supposed to?” The pros-ecutrix then gestured between her legs and said, “He touched me right here.” Stans-bury then told the prosecutrix to go home, he followed and told her father what he had seen.

The prosecutrix’s father testified that after a conversation with Stansbury he asked his daughter what had happened and was allowed to testify what she said. His version of her statement at the time was identical to the prosecutrix’s testimony on the stand.

Testifying in his own behalf, the 41-year-old appellant related that after a few beers he had attempted to locate the house of a friend; that after he had circled the block in question he stopped to ask the prosecutrix the location of a street and had grabbed the bicycle to prevent the prosecu-trix from falling. He denied that he had asked the little girl if she wanted to make money, or touched her or inquired if it tickled her.

In oral argument before this Court appellant’s counsel admitted that grounds of error #1, #2 and #4 are without merit and we agree.

In grounds of error #3 and #6 the appellant complains of the admission, over objection, of the statements of the prosecu-trix to Stansbury in response to his questions and her later statement to her father. *660 The appellant contends that such statements were hearsay and not admissible as res gestae.

The State made little or no effort to lay a proper predicate for the admission of such statements as res gestae. No effort was made to show that spontaneity existed and the evidence is meager as to the time factor. 1 After the incident the prosecutrix continued to ride her bicycle, and her statements to Stansbury were in response to his questions. There was no showing that she was crying, distressed or emotionally upset. She went home at Stansbury’s suggestion. Her father related she was not “upset” when she told him what happened.

The appellant attempts to distinguish the cases relied upon by the State, Hudgeons v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 384 S.W.2d 720; Jundt v. State, 164 Tex.Cr.R. 437, 300 S.W.2d 73; Haley v. State, 157 Tex.Cr.R. 150, 247 S.W.2d 400; Muench v. State, 170 Tex.Cr.R. 437, 341 S.W.2d 653; and Zilka v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 385 S.W.2d 680, by showing that in each case there was some evidence indicating either unusual or uncharacteristic behavior on behalf of the victim or emotional strain coupled with a voluntary outcry.

In determining whether certain statements are admissible as res gestae each case must be considered on its own merits. While this Court has liberally construed the rules of admissibility of res ges-tae statements by victims of sex offenses when of tender age, it would not appear the statements in question were properly admitted.

Reversible error is not, however, presented when the entire record is considered. 2

The complained of statements were not essential to the State’s case.

The prosecutrix gave the same testimony on direct examination that was later attributed to her via the hearsay statements to her father and the witness Stansbury. Her version of the alleged offense was corroborated by the eye witness Stansbury. The appellant admitted being in the area and having his hands on the handle bars of the bicycle. While the hearsay statements may have had a tendency to bolster the testimony of the prosecutrix and Stansbury as claimed, we cannot conclude in the light of the record before us, including the appellant’s testimony, that he was prejudiced thereby on the issue of guilt as to call for reversal. The penalty was assessed by the court at the penalty stage of the bifurcated trial. See Article 37.07, Vernon’s Ann.C. C.P.

*661 In ground of error #5 appellant contends the court erred in permitting the State to introduce a written statement taken from the witness Stansbury shortly after the alleged offense.

On cross-examination the appellant obtained the statement from the prosecutor and proceeded to use it for cross-examination and possible impeachment. The witness was questioned about possible inconsistencies between his testimony and the statement concerning his exact position when he observed the alleged offense and the intersection at which he obtained appellant’s automobile license number. During such examination the appellant also attempted to show that Stansbury had implanted the idea in the prosecutrix’s mind that she had been fondled; that the statement reflected he had identified the appellant in a police lineup which he had not revealed on direct examination. And the statement was used to show that the witness was mistaken as to when and from whom he first learned the appellant’s name. The witness was even asked if his wife had told him what she had seen and then the appellant sought to impeach his answer by use of the wife’s statement.

In 1 Branch’s Ann.P.C., 2nd ed., Sec. 203, p. 225, it is written:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
458 S.W.2d 658, 1970 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1610, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/patterson-v-state-texcrimapp-1970.