Persons, Marlo Donta

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided October 2, 2015·No. PD-0813-15·Published

Opinion

ZIS-IS

No. 06-14-00109-CR

ORIGINAL

PD-OR13-15

In The Court of criminal Appeals of Texas Austin* Texas

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C0U^O?nRiv;;iAL APPEALS

MARLO DONTA PERSONS,

OCT 02 2015

APPELLANT

v.

THE STATE OF TEXAS

APPELLEE

On appeal from the 354th Judicial District Court of Hunt County, Texas Cause No. 2937,1 Honorable Richard A. Beacom, Judge Presiding

APPELLANT'S

PETITION FOR DTSCRETITIONARY REVIEW

FILED IN COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS

CCT 0<>23i5

Abel Acosta, Clerk Mario Persons 11939454 Eastham Ohit

2665 Prison *d »1

Lovelady, Texas 75851

Pro Se

TABLE OF COWTENTS

Table of Contents «2 Page Tdenty of Parties and counsel *3 Index of Authorities *4 Statement Regarding Oral Argument *5 Statement of the case «5

Statement of Procedural History n5 Grounds for Review "6-7-3-Q

Question for Review «6-7-R-9 Appendix

The Court of Appeals decision is in conflict with this courts decision in Madden V. State, 242 s.W. 3d 504 (Tex. Crim App 2007> Mills V. State, 296 S-W. 3d 843 (Texas App. Austin 2009.

Ground Two

The court of Appeals decision is in conflict with the Texas Rules of Appellate Procectare 66.3 because it Resolves an issue not briefed by either party.

IDENTITIES OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL

Appellant: Mario Donta Persons

Defense Counsel at Trial: Mr. Daniel J. O'Brien 131 North Ludlow st.

Talbott Tower, Suite 1210 Dayton, OH 45402

Mr. scott A. Cornuaud

2611 Lee St.

Greenville, Tx 75401

Appellant's Attorney on Appeal: Mr. Elisha M. Ho11 is 2608 Stonewall St.

P.O. Box 1535

Greenville, Tx 75403

Appellee's Attorney on Appeal: Keli M. Aiken First Assistant District

Attorney

P.O. Box 441

4th Floor Hunt County

Courthouse

Greenville, Tx 75403

Trial Judge Hon.. Richard A. Beacom 354th Judicial District Court 2507 Lee St. 3rd Floor

Greenville, Tx 75401

3.

INDEX OF aTTTHORITTES

state case's

Atkinson V. State, 923 S.W. 2d 27. (Tex. Crim. App. 19961

Madden V. State, 242 S.W., 3d.>504 (Tex. Crim. App. 20071 r(X<\^ L?-1 Mendoza V. State, 88 S.W. 3d 236 (Tex. Crim. App. 20021 P(\«ye."^ Mills V. State, 296 S.W. 3d 843 (Tex. App. Austin 20091 rdX c^^Cp

STATE STATUTES:

V(k<K^ b-1-8

Tex. Code crim.pro-ann.art. 38.23 (al °

Tex.Trans.Code Ann.Art.545.062 J>

4.

STATEMENT REQUESTING ORAL ARGUMENTS

Mr. Persons Respectfully request oral argument's. He presents an important issue which this court may have never dealt with in the past. Oral arguments will benefit the court by careful explanation of the contours and history of Mr. Persons claim and to the facts of Mr. Persons Direct Appeal. The Court's decision may pos sibly set a precedent which may affect every future state Court of Appeals review in a situation of this nature.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

This is an appeal from the judgement and sentence in a criminal case in the 354th District Court in Hunt County, Texas. The Appellant was indicted on October 25, 2013 For Possession of cocaine in an amount of 400 grams or more, further, the grand jury found that Appellant had used or exhibited a deadly weapon during the commission of the offense. After entering a plea of Not Guilty, Appellant el ected to be tried and sentenced by a jury. On June 5, 2014 the jury found Appel lant guilty and assessed punishment at fifty-five (551 years in the Texas Depart ment of Criminal Justice—Institutional Division Appellant filed a notice of appeal on June 18, 2014.

STATEMENT OF PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The sixth District Court of §peals rendered its decision affirming the con viction and delivered its written opinion on June 2, 2015 a motion for rehearing was filed on June 17, 2015 and was OVER RULED on June 30, 2015.

5.

GROUNDS FOR REVIEW

GROUND ONE

Where the distance between the vehicle petitioner was traveling in and the vehicle his vehicle was behind was a measurable distance in dispute which the trier of fact could resolve by viewing the police dash cam video, and where trial counsel requested that the jury charge

include an instruction pursuant to Penal Code 38.23(A), did the trial court and the Court of Appeals invade the jury's province by resolving the dispute in justifying the denial of the instruction?

REASON FOR GRANTING REVIEW

The Court of Appeals]) decision is in conflict with this Court's decisions in Madden v. State, 292 S.W. 3d 504 (Tex.Crim.App. 2007) and Mills v. State, 296 S.W. 3d 843 (Tex.App^Austin 2009).

ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES

The Trooper testified that one of the reasons he performed a tra ffic stop of the vehicle petitioner was traveling in was because he observed petitioner's vehicle to close behind another vehicle. (RR Vol. 7, 45:8-10). The Trooper claimed the distance was less than 150 feet and in violation of the Transportation Code. (RR Vol. 7,: 46: 19-47:11). Petitioner's trial counsel raised the issue of a dis pute relevant to the actual distance of the car petitioner was in and the car in front of him. Trial counsel said that an instruction under Penal Code 38.^3 should be included in the jury charge because the measurable distance being disputed could be resolved with the jury's viewing of the Trooper's dash cam video of the cars. The trial court

6.

ruled that the video was not sufficient to resolve the proposed-dispute and denied the instruction (RRVol. 9, 41:19-241. On appeal, the court of appeals .. held that both the trial court and the court of appeals had their selves viewed the video and decided that the distance testified to by the trooper, was supported by the dash cam.video. It is petitioner's contention that neither the trial court nor the court of appeals were authorized under 38.23 to re solve the dispute of the measurable distance and that it was the sole Pro vince of the trier of Fact, the Jury to resolve the dispute.

According to the following Distance statue sec. (545.062) it does not use or state a measurable distance at all, it makes no reference to the 150

feet The trooper testified to during trial on direct and cross-exam RR Vol 7/34-186—RR Vol 8/58-81. The trooper also testified that threw his training,

his opinion is that we were following to close. RR7/121 And when such a stop is not based on objective criteria, the risk of arbitrary and abusive, police practies exceeds torelable limits. Allowing a police officer's opinion to suffice in specific facts' stead eviscerates Terry's reasonable suspicion protection. Mere opinions are ineffective sub stitutes for specific, articulable fact's in a reasonable-suspicion analysis Futhermore, the officer's "following too close" conclusion did not constitute specific articulable facts to support a stop. And cross-examination did reveal that the officer's definition of "following too close" was not in fact a description of conduct proscribed by the statue in question! There fore the Jury was left with a testimony from the officer that in fact was false, mis leading and Perjured. The code of Criminal Procedure Article 38.23 state

in pertinet part that : "In any case where the legal evidence raises an issue hereunder, the Jury shall be instructed that if it believes, or has a reason

able doubt, that the evidence was obtained in violation of the Provisions of this Article, Then and in such event, the Jury shall disregard any such 7.

evidense so obtained" Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. Art. 38.23 (al The terms

of Art. 38.23 (al are, mandatory in nature and grant a statutory right to the defendant. Mendoza V. State, 88 S.W. 3d 236, 239 (Tex.Crim. App. 20021 But for this right to attach to a defendants case, there must be a factual

dispute regarding the legality of the seizure or other act causing evidence to be obtained illega;;y. See Madden, 242 S.W. 3d at 513-14 a cross-examiner's

question do not create a conflict in the evidence, although the witness's answers to those question mighf'l See also Mill v. State, 296, S.W. 3d 843

(Tex. App. Austin 200^1 when such event exists, the .fudge must include in his final charge a 38.23 (al instruction

The trial court's improper refusal to grant the Appellant's request for an Art. 38.23 (al Instruction is Reversible error.

Sec. 545.062 following Distance

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