Phillips v. State

597 S.W.2d 929, 1980 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1154
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 26, 1980
Docket58997 to 59000
StatusPublished
Cited by182 cases

This text of 597 S.W.2d 929 (Phillips 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
Phillips v. State, 597 S.W.2d 929, 1980 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1154 (Tex. 1980).

Opinion

OPINION

ONION, Presiding Judge.

These appeals are taken from four convictions, two for aggravated kidnapping (# 58,997 and # 58,998) and two for aggravated sexual abuse (# 58,999 and # 59,000). Punishment was assessed by the jury at life imprisonment in each of the aggravated kidnapping cases, and at twenty (20) years’ imprisonment in each of the aggravated sexual abuse cases.

On appeal appellant advances fifteen (15) grounds of error. In order to put some of the grounds of error in proper perspective, a brief recitation of the facts is necessary. The two complainants, male high school students, were hitchhiking home in Dallas County about 2 a. m. on November 18,1976. Appellant, whom the complainants had not seen before, picked them up in his automobile and headed in the direction of the complainants’ homes. When the complainants pointed out where they wanted to get out, appellant pointed a pistol at the head of the complainant in the front seat and stated that no one was going anywhere. After telling the complainants no one would get *932 hurt if they did what he said, he instructed them to pull down their pants and he fondled their genitals. Then he forced one of the complainants to perform oral sex on the other, and subsequently forced both of them to perform oral sex on him several times while he continued to drive. They finally drove into Bonham and the appellant stopped for gas. As they started to leave, the complainants asked for cigarettes and when the appellant went back into the station, the complainants escaped in appellant’s car. They drove to Grand Prairie in Dallas County and reported the incident to the police there.

In his first two grounds of error he contends the aggravated kidnapping indictments are fundamentally defective for failing to allege the requisite culpable mental state of “knowingly” or “intentionally” for the offense of aggravated kidnapping.

The indictments, identical except for the complainant’s name, allege in each that appellant:

“ . . . did unlawfully, knowingly and intentionally abduct another person, namely (Complainant), in that the defendant did then and there restrain the complainant with the intent to prevent his liberation by using and threatening to use a deadly weapon, namely: a pistol, and the said defendant did then and there abduct the complainant with the intent to violate and abuse the complainant sexually.”

Appellant argues that although the indictments initially allege that the abduction was “knowingly” and “intentionally” that the subsequent reference to abduction in the indictments does not include the necessary culpable mental state of “knowingly” and “intentionally.” Appellant contends this is fatal to the indictments. He argues the indictments are each comprised of one paragraph with two separate conjunctive phrases. He contends the first phrase alleges kidnapping under V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 20.03, 1 and that the second phrase attempts to allege aggravated kidnapping under V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 20.-04. 2 V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 6.02(b), provides, “(b) If the definition of an offense does not prescribe a culpable mental state, a culpable mental state is nevertheless required unless the definition plainly dispenses with any mental element.” Appellant notes the definition of both kidnapping and aggravated kidnapping requires the culpable mental state of intentionally or knowingly (see footnotes # 1 and # 2). He thus contends that in an aggravated kidnapping indictment it is necessary to allege the culpable mental state as to kidnapping and then again allege the same culpable mental state when the element of aggravation is offered in the indictment. We reject such contention.

The elements of aggravated kidnapping, as relevant to the instant case, are that a person

(1) intentionally or knowingly
(2) abducts
(3) another person
(4) with the intent to violate or abuse the person sexually.

The indictments having alleged that the appellant knowingly and intentionally abducted the complainants, the subsequent reference in the indictment to the same abduction need not allege the culpable mental state again with regards thereto in order to render the indictments valid.

Chance v. State, 563 S.W.2d 812 (Tex.Cr.App.1978), cited by the appellant, involved an indictment for aggravated promotion of *933 prostitution, which was held fundamentally defective for failure to allege any culpable mental state at all. The statute in question, by its very definition, called for the necessary allegation of the culpable mental state of “knowingly.” The case was reversed. Chance, however, is clearly distinguishable from the facts in the instant case. In Tew v. State, 551 S.W.2d 375 (Tex.Cr.App.1977), the indictment for possession of a weapon by a felon failed to allege a culpable mental state. Although the statute involved, V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 46.05, did not by definition require a culpable mental state, Tew held that nevertheless the allegation and proof of a culpable mental state were required by V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 6.02. See also Wesley v. State, 548 S.W.2d 37 (Tex.Cr.App.1977). None of the cases cited by appellant involved the situation presented by the present case.

In Jason v. State, 589 S.W.2d 447 (Tex.Cr.App.1979), involving an indictment for aggravated rape of a child, the indictment alleged that the defendant knowingly and intentionally had sexual intercourse with the complainant, then subsequently alleged the defendant compelled submission to said intercourse by threat of imminent infliction of serious bodily injury and death, without further alleging that the compulsion was done with a culpable mental state. Citing Ex parte Smith, 571 S.W.2d 22 (Tex.Cr.App.1978), the court stated, “The allegation that appellant ‘knowingly and intentionally’ had sexual intercourse with the complainant includes the allegation that he also knowingly and intentionally committed the acts by which means he accomplished the rape, i. e., compelling submission by threats.” 589 S.W.2d at 449 (Emphasis in original).

We hold that the indictments, the subject of the initial grounds of error, when read as a whole sufficiently allege the requisite culpable mental state. The grounds of error are overruled.

Next, appellant contends the above discussed indictments for aggravated kidnapping are fundamentally defective because they fail to allege a constituent element of the offense as defined by V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 20.04.

V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 20.04, provides in part:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

The State of Texas v. James Oakley
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2024
Derris Lee Reynolds v. the State of Texas
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2024
Tutankhamun Holt v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2020
Christopher Leverson v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2016
State v. Barbernell
257 S.W.3d 248 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2008)
Michael Lynn Smith v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005
Resendiz v. State
112 S.W.3d 541 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2003)
State v. George Moff
133 S.W.3d 648 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003)
State v. Goldsberry
14 S.W.3d 770 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2000)
Krebsbach v. State
962 S.W.2d 728 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1998)
Holmes v. State
962 S.W.2d 663 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1998)
Butler v. State
928 S.W.2d 286 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1996)
Karnes v. State
873 S.W.2d 92 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1994)
Wiley v. State
820 S.W.2d 401 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1991)
Fisher v. State
803 S.W.2d 828 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1991)
Sallings v. State
789 S.W.2d 408 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1990)
Solis v. State
787 S.W.2d 388 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1990)
Brown v. State
773 S.W.2d 65 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1989)
Clay v. Lynaugh
770 S.W.2d 800 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
597 S.W.2d 929, 1980 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1154, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/phillips-v-state-texcrimapp-1980.