Perez v. State

629 S.W.2d 834, 1982 Tex. App. LEXIS 4014
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 17, 1982
Docket3-81-027-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 629 S.W.2d 834 (Perez 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
Perez v. State, 629 S.W.2d 834, 1982 Tex. App. LEXIS 4014 (Tex. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinions

PER CURIAM.

This is an appeal by four of five co-defendants jointly tried and convicted of the offense of burglary of a habitation with intent to commit a felony. Tex.Pen.Code Ann. § 30.02(a)(1) (1974). After a jury trial, the court assessed punishment at confinement in the Texas Department of Corrections as follows: George Perez, twenty-[836]*836five years; Lorenzo Rocha, fifteen years; Eddie H. Guajardo, ten years; and Manuel Guajardo, twenty-five years.

The record reflects that at approximately 10:30 p. m. on June 15, 1980, in Ballinger, Texas, shortly after a verbal altercation with a female relative of appellants, Abel Martinez was beaten and stabbed to death in the home of his parents. Appellants and their co-defendant, Manuel Martinez, were jointly indicted for, among other counts (including murder), burglary of a habitation with intent to commit aggravated assault. Appellants challenge the resulting convictions.

By the first ground of error, the appellants collectively contend that the trial court erred in the manner in which it charged the jury on the defensive issue of independent impulse. At trial appellants claimed it was the independent act and impulse of the fifth co-defendant, Manuel Martinez, which led to the stabbing and resulting death of Abel Martinez. In support of their contention, appellants argue that the instruction on independent impulse should have been limited to a consideration of whether Manuel Martinez alone committed an act of independent impulse.

As is relevant to a review of appellants’ claim, preserved by specific objection in writing, with reference to each of the respective appellants the trial court instructed the jury as follows:

3. NOW THEREFORE, if you believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, [naming a respective appellant], acting with the intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense solicited, encouraged, directed, aided or attempted to aid
[naming another appellant],
[naming another appellant],
[naming another appellant],
Manuel Martinez,
or any one or more of them, to commit the offense charged, and that the same one or more of said named persons
did in Runnels County on or about June 15, 1980, knowingly and intentionally without the effective consent of RU-DOLPHO MARTINEZ, the owner, enter a building, and that such building was then and there an enclosed structure intended for use and occupation as a habitation, and was then and there in actual use by said owner as a habitation, as that term has been defined, and that the same said one or more of said named persons, at the time of such entry, if any, had the intent then and there to commit a felony, to-wit: aggravated assault,
then you will find the defendant guilty of the offense of burglary of a habitation as alleged in paragraph five of the indictment.
If you do not so believe, or if you have a reasonable doubt thereof, you will find the defendant not guilty of burglary of a habitation as alleged in paragraph five of the indictment.
* # ⅜ ⅜ ⅝: sjs
5. It has been contended as a defense herein that if there was any offense of aggravated assault, as that term has been herein defined, if any, was [sic] committed upon the person of Abel Martinez, same was the result of an independent impulse of another person or persons, that the defendant did not agree to the commission of the offense of aggravated assault, if any, and that the defendant did not act with intent to participate in any such offense of aggravated assault, if any, and that the defendant did not participate, solicit, encourage, direct, aid or attempt to aid in any way in the furtherance of the purpose and design of any other persons who were engaged in such offense, if any was performed . .. [emphasis added].

The trial court also charged the jury on the law of parties, burglary, aggravated assault, and the lesser-included offense of criminal trespass. Appellants do not challenge any part of the charge other than the phrases emphasized above.

In essence, appellants argue that based upon the evidence, the respective charges to the jury should have specifically named the [837]*837fifth co-defendant, Manuel Martinez, rather than “another person or persons” and “any other persons” as each reads. The State responds, “Since there was evidence that all five of the Defendants beat on Abel [Martinez], reference to ‘another person or persons’ was more designed to protect the rights of each Defendant than a specific name.”

As a general rule it is correct that the content of a charge to the jury, among other requirements, must be supported in the evidence, Booker v. State, 523 S.W.2d 413, 415 (Tex.Cr.App.1975), thus suggesting that appellants were entitled to have their defensive theory presented to the jury with the same emphasis on one person, Manuel Martinez, as claimed in trial.1 But this proposition is limited by the principle that a conviction will not be reversed because of an error in the jury charge which is beneficial to the accused. Ex parte Green, 548 S.W.2d 914, 917 (Tex.Cr.App.1977); Green v. State, 32 Tex.Cr.R. 298, 22 S.W. 1094, 1095 (1893). In our view, allowing the jury to consider, in connection with each appellant, whether the act of aggravated assault, if any, was the result of the independent impulse of any of the four other co-defendants, favored rather than harmed each of the appellants. The terms “another person or persons” and “any other persons” necessarily include Manuel Martinez, and while the challenged portion of each charge may otherwise allow the jury to go outside the evidence to acquit, we agree with the analysis stated by the Court of Criminal Appeals in Johnson v. State, 65 S.W. 1071, 1072 (Tex.Cr.App.1901):

This charge simply authorized an acquittal ... upon a state of facts that did not exist. If this charge had submitted a case upon an assumed state of facts which authorized a conviction, the rule would have been quite different; or, if the facts assumed in this charge, although nonexistent, had led or contributed to the conviction of appellant, then there would be reversible error. But, as presented, we have been unable to see how this charge could have in any way been injurious to appellant.

Considering each of the court’s respective charges to the jury as a whole, Crocker v. State, 573 S.W.2d 190, 207 (Tex.Cr.App.1978), we are of the opinion that the defensive theory of appellants was adequately presented. Any error appearing as claimed was not calculated to injure the rights of appellants, or to cause the lack of a fair and impartial trial. Tex.Code Cr.P.Ann. art. 36.19 (1981).

The ground of error is overruled.

By the second ground of error, appellant Eddie Guajardo alone challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain his conviction.

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Perez v. State
629 S.W.2d 834 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1982)

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Bluebook (online)
629 S.W.2d 834, 1982 Tex. App. LEXIS 4014, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perez-v-state-texapp-1982.