Priego, Marisol

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 12, 2015
DocketPD-0269-15
StatusPublished

This text of Priego, Marisol (Priego, Marisol) 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
Priego, Marisol, (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

PD-0269-15 PD- -15

IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TEXAS

MARISOL PRIEGO, Appellant

VS.

THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

*******************

APPELLANT’S PETITION FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW

FROM THE COURT OF APPEALS SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT OF TEXAS AT TEXARKANA

No. 06-14-0008-CR 2015 Tex.App. LEXIS 1464 ******************* ON APPEAL FROM THE 124TH DISTRICT COURT GREGG COUNTY TRIAL COURT NO. 41,399-B ********************

EBB B. MOBLEY State Bar #14238000 Attorney at Law March 12, 2015 422 North Center P.O. Box 2309 Longview, Texas 75606 Telephone (903) 757-3331 Facsimile (903) 753-8289 ebbmob@aol.com

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Index of Authorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Statement of the Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Statement of the Procedural History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Statement Requesting Oral Argument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Opinion Below . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Questions for Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Is a driver who is passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle “operating” it for the purpose of DWI?

Is it necessary for the State to establish a temporal link between a defendant’s driving and his intoxication?

Reasons for Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

TRAP 66.3(a): conflict with the court of appeals decision in Murray v. State, 440 S.W.3d 927 (Tex.App. - Amarillo, 2014, pet. granted PD 1230-14)

TRAP 66.3(c): conflict with a court of criminal appeals decision in Kucembia v. State, 310 S.W.3d 460 (TexCrim.App. 2010)

Argument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-7

Prayer for Relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Certificate of Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Certificate of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Appendix: Sixth Court of Appeals Opinion No. 06-14-0008-CR, slip op. 2-13-15, 2015 Tex.App. LEXIS 1464

Page 1 of 8 INDEX OF AUTHORITIES Cases

Johnson v. State, 517 S.W.2d 536, 538 (Tex.Crim.App. 1975) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Kucembia v. State, 310 S.W.3d 460 (Tex.Crim.App. 2010) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5,7

Murray v. State, 440 S.W.3d 927 (Tex.App. - Amarillo, 2014, pet granted PD 1230-14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5,6

Scillitani v. State, 297 S.W.3d 498, 503-05 (Tex.App. - Houston [14th Dist.] 2009) (Hudson, J., concurring) vacated and remanded, 315 S.W.3d 542 (Tex.Crim.App. 2010); Scillitani v. State, 343 S.W.3d 914, 919-20 (Tex.App. - Houston [14th Dist.] 2011, pet. ref’d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..7

State v. Blackman, 254 Neb. 941, 580 N.W.2d 546, 550-51 (Neb. 1998) . . . . . . . . . .7

Rules

TRAP 66.3(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

TRAP 66.3© . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Page 2 of 8 MARISOL PRIEGO, Appellant

V.

TO THE HONORABLE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS:

Now comes MARISOL PRIEGO, Appellant, and respectfully urges this Court

to grant discretionary review in this case.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

This is an appeal from a conviction for felony DWI. The jury found MARISOL

PRIEGO guilty, and assessed her punishment at ten years imprisonment.

STATEMENT OF THE PROCEDURAL HISTORY OF THE CASE

The Court of Appeals rendered its decision and delivered its written published

opinion on February 13, 2015. No Motion for Rehearing was filed.

STATEMENT REQUESTING ORAL ARGUMENT

Oral argument of this case is requested on behalf of Appellant.

Page 3 of 8 THE OPINION BELOW

The Court of Appeals opinion below is found in the Appendix to this petition,

as well as at 2015 Tex.App. LEXIS 1464.

Marisol Priego was found unconscious in the driver’s seat in a vehicle stopped

in the parking lot of a business in Kilgore. The vehicle was running, in gear, and

Priego had her seat belt buckled. No witness saw Priego drive the vehicle. Priego

testified that she bought two bottles of Canadian Mist, drove to the parking lot,

chugged one bottle and part of a second, and passed out. A subsequent test revealed

a blood alcohol content of 0.478.

The court of appeals held that because the defendant was the only person in

control of the motor vehicle where she was found unconscious, there is no other

evidence in the record which tends to suggest that anyone other than her operated the

vehicle, and the vehicle was not in a location where it had been located one hour prior

to her discovery, legally sufficient evidence supports the connection.

Page 4 of 8 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW

Is a driver who is passed out behind the wheel of a running motor vehicle

“operating” it for the purpose of DWI?

Is it necessary for the State to establish a temporal link between a defendant’s

driving and his intoxication?

REASONS FOR REVIEW

TRAP 66.3(a): conflict with the court of appeals decision in Murray v.

State,440 S.W.3d 927 (Tex.App. - Amarillo, 2014, pet granted PD 1230-14).

TRAP 66.3(c): conflict with the court of criminal appeals decision in Kucembia

v. State, 310 S.W.3d 460 (Tex.Crim.App. 2010).

Page 5 of 8 ARGUMENT

This case poses the classic questions when a motorist is found “sleeping it off”

in a parked vehicle. When did the defendant become intoxicated, and when did she

“operate” the vehicle to get to the location where law enforcement found it and the

defendant?

DEFINITION OF “OPERATING”

The facts at bar are factually nearly identical to those in Murray v. State, 440

S.W.3d 927 (Tex.App. - Amarillo 2014, pet granted). Murray was found unconscious

and intoxicated behind the wheel of his running vehicle. The State argued that a

running vehicle always supports the rational inference that it had been started, and

starting it enables its use. The court of appeals rejected that argument and required

“more indicia” allowing a fact finder to reasonably infer that the accused took action

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Related

Jackson v. Virginia
443 U.S. 307 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Kuciemba v. State
310 S.W.3d 460 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Hooper v. State
214 S.W.3d 9 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Clayton v. State
235 S.W.3d 772 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Malik v. State
953 S.W.2d 234 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1997)
Denton v. State
911 S.W.2d 388 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1995)
State v. Blackman
580 N.W.2d 546 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1998)
Hearne v. State
80 S.W.3d 677 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2002)
Johnson v. State
517 S.W.2d 536 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1975)
Strong v. State
87 S.W.3d 206 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2002)
Scillitani v. State
297 S.W.3d 498 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Hartsfield v. State
305 S.W.3d 859 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Dewberry v. State
4 S.W.3d 735 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1999)
Brooks v. State
323 S.W.3d 893 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Dornbusch v. State
262 S.W.3d 432 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008)
SCILLITANI v. State
315 S.W.3d 542 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Barton v. State
882 S.W.2d 456 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1994)
Pfeiffer v. State
363 S.W.3d 594 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2012)
Scillitani v. State
343 S.W.3d 914 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011)
Kirsch, Scott Alan
357 S.W.3d 645 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2012)

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Priego, Marisol, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/priego-marisol-texapp-2015.