Phetvongkham v. State

841 S.W.2d 928, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 2941, 1992 WL 334137
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 17, 1992
Docket13-91-463-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by71 cases

This text of 841 S.W.2d 928 (Phetvongkham 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
Phetvongkham v. State, 841 S.W.2d 928, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 2941, 1992 WL 334137 (Tex. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION .

GILBERTO HINOJOSA, Justice.

Appellant, Phouthasack Phetvongkham, was convicted by a jury of aggravated robbery. See Tex.Penal Code Ann. § 29.03 (Vernon 1990). Punishment was assessed by the jury at fifty years’ confinement in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division, and a $10,000.00 fine. We affirm.

The evidence showed that three men robbed Billings Jewelry store in Houston, Texas on December 7, 1990. Billings Jewelry had an automatic front door which could only be opened by an employee, and which closed automatically behind each person who entered. The first robber who entered the store was a clean-cut hispanic male. One employee let him inside because he looked like a customer. As soon as the door was opened, and the man entered, he stood in the doorway, and kept the door from closing. A man later described as an Asian male and another man described as a “white guy” appeared from around the corner, and entered the store.

Once inside, the men displayed guns, and proceeded to take about $55,000.00 in jewelry and $150.00 in cash. The men then left. The police arrived on the scene immediately after the robbers left. The three employees in the store described the robbers and indicated that the robbery had just occurred. One policeman testified that as he drove to the scene, he saw a person matching one robber’s description entering a wooded area by the store. A search of the area did not turn up the man.

On January 20, 1992, a confidential informant told Officer Virgil Price that an Asian male named “Kit” was involved in the robbery. Officer Price relayed the information to Officer Jess Fondon, who was involved in the Asian Gang task force. Fon-don provided Price with information on “Kit,” including his real name, Phoutha-sack Phetvongkham, and a mug shot. Price then created an array of six pictures and showed it to the employees at the jewelry store. The employees identified the picture of “Kit” as the Asian robber. Based upon this, appellant was arrested.

Appellant was indicted and charged with aggravated robbery. He requested a jury trial. His first trial ended in a hung jury. Appellant was convicted in a second trial.

Appellant’s counsel has filed a brief stating that the appeal is frivolous, referring to nothing in the record which could arguably support a reversal. The brief complies with the requirements found in Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 745, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 1400, 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967). Appellant was informed of his right to review the record and file a pro se brief. He has done so.

*931 By one point of error, appellant complains in his pro se brief of ineffective assistance of counsel. He argues that counsel was ineffective because he failed to 1) thoroughly cross-examine witnesses regarding certain alleged inconsistencies in their testimony; 2) object to improper jury argument; and 3) conduct an investigation into appellant’s alibi.

The right to effective assistance of counsel is guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668,104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). Strickland established a two-part test to determine whether counsel’s representation was so deficient that a new trial is required. To receive a new trial, the defendant must show that “counsel made errors so serious that counsel was not functioning as the ‘counsel’ guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment.” Id. at 687,104 S.Ct. at 2064. The defendant must also show that “counsel’s errors were so serious as to deprive the defendant of a fair trial whose result is reliable.” Id.

Texas law also requires effective assistance of counsel. Article 1, § 10 of the Texas Constitution provides the citizen charged with a crime the right to counsel. The Strickland test has been expressly adopted by the Court of Criminal Appeals for analysis of the effectiveness of counsel’s representation during the guilt/innocence phase of a non-capital criminal trial. Black v. State, 816 S.W.2d 350, 356 (Tex. Crim.App.1991); Hernandez v. State, 726 S.W.2d 53, 56-57 (Tex.Crim.App.1986). These decisions held that the Texas constitution does not require a higher or different standard of effectiveness than the federal constitution. Black, 816 S.W.2d at 356; Hernandez, 726 S.W.2d at 56-57.

To receive a new trial on appeal, the defendant must establish by the preponderance of the evidence facts supporting the Strickland test. Moore v. State, 694 S.W.2d 528, 532 (Tex.Crim.App.1985). These facts must appear in the record. See Holland v. State, 761 S.W.2d 307, 321 (Tex. Crim.App.1988). In addition, the defendant must overcome the 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; Kinnamon v. State, 791 S.W:2d 84, 97 (Tex.Crim.App.1990). And the defendant must overcome the presumption that counsel’s actions were based on a plausible trial strategy. See Holland, 761 S.W.2d at 321 (citing Ex Parte Ewing, 570 S.W.2d 941, 945 (Tex.Crim.App.1978)) (full inquiry into counsel’s trial strategy will be undertaken only if there is no plausible basis for actions at trial); Reeves v. State, 805 S.W.2d 616, 617 (Tex.App. — Beaumont 1991, pet. ref’d); Ross v. State, 800 S.W.2d 262, 267 (Tex.App. — Houston [14th Dist.] 1990, pet. ref’d).

The totality of counsel’s representation is reviewed, and not merely isolated errors. Butler v. State, 716 S.W.2d 48, 54 (Tex.Crim.App.1986). Moreover, we review counsel’s performance based on counsel’s perspective at trial, and not with 20/20 hindsight. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689, 104 S.Ct. at 2065; Holland, 761 S.W.2d at 321.

Appellant’s first complaint is that counsel’s performance was deficient because he failed to cross-examine witnesses based on inconsistencies in their testimony. The Officer who first arrived on the scene testified that he had to wait at the door to be let inside the jewelry store. However, the owner testified that she met him outside the door. One of the employees testified that the store was closed after the robbery, and the owner testified that it remained open for business.

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Bluebook (online)
841 S.W.2d 928, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 2941, 1992 WL 334137, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/phetvongkham-v-state-texapp-1992.