Perrett v. State

871 S.W.2d 838, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 253, 1994 WL 26940
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 3, 1994
DocketC14-92-01134-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 871 S.W.2d 838 (Perrett 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
Perrett v. State, 871 S.W.2d 838, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 253, 1994 WL 26940 (Tex. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

OPINION

DRAUGHN, Justice.

Appellant was charged -with the felony of-' fense of aggravated sexual assault of a child under fourteen (14) years of age. Appellant pleaded guilty, without an agreed recommendation as to punishment, to the charge. The trial court accepted appellant’s plea as voluntary and assessed his punishment at five (5) years confinement in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Appellant filed a motion for new trial alleging ineffective assistance of counsel, which the trial court denied. In a single point of error, appellant contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion for new trial because he was denied effective assistance of counsel at the time of his plea. We affirm.

In his sole point of error, appellant alleges that the trial court erred in denying his motion for new trial because he did not have effective assistance of counsel at the time he pled guilty. Specifically, appellant alleges that his trial counsel, Hector Chavana, misinformed him about the possibility of deportation and failed to meet with him while in jail.

The granting of a motion for new trial on the ground of ineffective assistance of counsel is a matter entirely within the trial court’s discretion. Tex.R.App.P. 30(b); State v. Thomas, 768 S.W.2d 335, 336 (Tex.App.— Houston [14th Dist.] 1989, no pet.); Messer v. State, 757 S.W.2d 820, 827 (Tex.App.— Houston [1st Dist.] 1988, pet. ref'd) (opinion on rehearing); Jiminez v. State, 727 S.W.2d 327, 328 (Tex.App. — Houston [1st Dist.] 1987, no pet.). When considering a motion for new trial, the trial judge possesses broad discretion in assessing the credibility of witnesses and in weighing the evidence to determine whether a different result would occur upon retrial. Messer, 757 S.W.2d at 827. The trial judge’s findings should not be disturbed unless an abuse of discretion has been shown. Tollett v. State, 799 S.W.2d 256, 259 (Tex.Crim.App.1990).

*840 At the hearing on the motion for new trial, the trial court is authorized to hear evidence by affidavit or otherwise and to determine the issues. Tex.R.App.P. 31(d). In this case, appellant’s motion for new trial was heard on affidavits and testimony. The affidavits of appellant and his trial counsel, Hector Cha-vana, were presented at the hearing. After hearing all of the evidence, the trial court denied appellant’s motion for new trial. We must now determine if the trial court abused its discretion.

A defendant in a criminal case is entitled to reasonably effective assistance of counsel. Wilkerson v. State, 726 S.W.2d 542, 548 (Tex.Crim.App.), cert. denied, 480 U.S. 940, 107 S.Ct. 1590, 94 L.Ed.2d 779 (1986); Ex parte Duffy, 607 S.W.2d 507, 513 (Tex.Crim.App.1980). We are guided by the federal standard enunciated in Strickland v. Washington in determining whether a defendant received effective assistance of counsel. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984); Wilkerson, 726 S.W.2d at 548. The defendant must show: (1) counsel’s performance was deficient, and (2) the deficient performance may have fatally prejudiced the defendant’s case. Essentially, appellant must show that (1) counsel’s representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness, based on prevailing professional norms, and (2) that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. A reasonable probability is defined as a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome. Miniel v. State, 831 S.W.2d 310, 323 (Tex.Crim.App.), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 113 S.Ct. 245, 121 L.Ed.2d 178 (1992).

Judicial scrutiny of counsel’s performance must be highly deferential. We must indulge a strong presumption that counsel’s conduct falls within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689, 104 S.Ct. at 2065. An ineffectiveness claim cannot be demonstrated by isolating one portion of counsel’s representation. McFarland v. State, 845 S.W.2d 824, 843 (Tex.Crim.App.1992), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 113 S.Ct. 2937, 124 L.Ed.2d 686 (1993). Therefore, in determining whether the Strickland test has been met, counsel’s performance must be judged on the totality of the representation. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 670, 104 S.Ct. at 2056. The defendant must prove ineffective assistance of counsel by a preponderance of the evidence. Cannon v. State, 668 S.W.2d 401, 403 (Tex.Crim.App.1984).

In the present case, appellant contends that his trial counsel, Chavana, was ineffective for two reasons. First, appellant alleges that Chavana told him that if he pleaded guilty and received deferred adjudication, he would be subject to deportation. He claims, in effect, that this assertion induced him to plead guilty. In Chavana’s affidavit, he stated that he told appellant that “even if he were granted any form of a probated or deferred sentence, that he would be subject to deportation, denial of naturalization, or exclusion from admission to the United States, based on the fact that he was not a citizen.” We note appellant’s trial counsel’s statement was correct as to regular probation, but not as to deferred adjudication because the trial court makes no finding of guilt. See Tex.Code CRIM.PROC.Ann. art. 42-12, § 5 (Vernon Supp.1993). Chavana’s advice, even though partially incorrect, did not automatically result in ineffective assistance of counsel warranting reversal. Appellant has failed to show that but for the advice he would have changed his plea.

The record reveals that on August 21, 1992, appellant pled guilty to the charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child under fourteen (14) years of age. Before accepting the plea, the trial court fully admonished appellant concerning the consequences of his plea in accordance with article 26.13 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. Appellant signed the written admonishments, which specifically set out the possibility of deportation for non-citizens. The written admonishments expressly stated:

Pursuant to Article 26.13(d), Code of Criminal Procedure, the court admonishes you the Defendant as follows and instructs you to place your initials by each item if you fully understand it:
*841 (6)

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871 S.W.2d 838, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 253, 1994 WL 26940, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perrett-v-state-texapp-1994.