Quezada v. State

553 S.W.3d 537
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 15, 2018
DocketNo. 08-14-00273-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 553 S.W.3d 537 (Quezada 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
Quezada v. State, 553 S.W.3d 537 (Tex. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

YVONNE T. RODRIGUEZ, Justice

Francisco Quezada appeals his conviction for intentionally or knowingly causing serious bodily injury to a child younger than fifteen. In his first issue, Appellant asserts that the trial court erred in denying his counsel the opportunity to question the venire on probation during his voir dire presentation even though he was eligible for probation. He also contends the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction as alleged in the indictment. Finding Appellant's first issue meritorious, we affirm the judgment of the trial court as to the conviction but reverse and remand for a new hearing insofar as it relates to punishment.

BACKGROUND

This case presents a question regarding a defendant's right to voir dire on the possible punishment range he may face when he has elected to have the jury determine sentencing. Appellant, Francisco Quezada, was charged with intentionally or knowingly causing serious bodily injury to a child younger than fifteen by allegedly submerging the child's hands into hot liquid. The child, C.W.,1 was four-years-old at the time of the injury. C.W.'s mother, Neila Wilson, had been dating Appellant for three years and would let him stay at her home and watch C.W. while she was at work. Wilson testified that on the day of the injury she had gone to work around 7:30 in the morning and left C.W. in Appellant's care. A few hours later, Wilson received a message from Appellant that C.W. had hurt himself. When Appellant sent her pictures of the skin peeling off of the child's hands, Wilson raced home to find C.W. crying and Appellant in an excited state. Appellant told her he had made sandwiches for himself and C.W. and retired to the bedroom to watch television; shortly thereafter, he said he heard C.W. scream and found him in the bathroom with the burns on his hands. Appellant repeatedly stated he did not know what had caused C.W.'s injuries. The three *540quickly left the trailer for a medical clinic nearby, and medical professionals there told Wilson that because of the severity of the burns they would need to go to the El Paso Children's Hospital. When they arrived at the children's hospital, they were told that C.W. would need to be flown to the burn center in Lubbock, so he and his mother flew there and he was ultimately treated there. Appellant was later charged with causing the injuries.

Prior to Appellant's trial, the trial judge exercised his discretion in criminal cases to order an Article 28.012 pretrial hearing. Appellant made several motions at the hearing, including his election to have punishment assessed by the jury, but did not submit an application for probation.3 On the first day of trial, when the venire was present but before questioning had begun, Defense Counsel attempted to submit an application for probation to the court clerk but she refused it and instructed counsel to take the matter up with the trial judge. Moments later, Defense Counsel requested to approach the bench but was interrupted by the trial judge, who, ignoring the request, began the opening address to the venire. No further mention was made of the application until a few minutes into the State's voir dire. As the State began to discuss punishment with the jury, the trial judge asked the attorneys to approach the bench. The following exchange occurred:

THE COURT: It's been brought to my attention that there's no application for probation in this case.
DEFENSE COUNSEL #1: You filed the application.
DEFENSE COUNSEL #2: We have it.
DEFENSE COUNSEL #1: We filed it, Judge.
THE COURT: Show it to me.
DEFENSE COUNSEL #1: I was trying to file it when she showed up, and she told me to approach you. And you said stop, so I didn't.
THE COURT: We can't stop the voir dire.
DEFENSE COUNSEL #1: So I have it, but it's been filed.
PROSECUTOR #1: He's eligible.
THE COURT: No, he's not. You've got to file an application.
DEFENSE COUNSEL #1: File the application-I was trying to bring it to your attention.
PROSECUTOR #1: Filed with their motion to continue-I thought one was filed with their motion to continue.
THE COURT: It's not filed. There is no application for probation.
DEFENSE COUNSEL #1: That's why I approached you.
THE COURT: That's not my job. You filed it.
PROSECUTOR #1: So you're telling me that at this point, he's not?
THE COURT: How are you going to voir dire on probation?
PROSECUTOR #1: Right, Judge. I believed that to be the range of punishment.
THE COURT: You are correct. Go ahead.
DEFENSE COUNSEL #1: So are you going to permit me? Because I tried to give it to her, and she wouldn't accept it.
THE COURT: It doesn't matter what you tried to do. All I'm telling you is that she is saying-I'm not arguing with you.
DEFENSE COUNSEL #1: So-*541PROSECUTOR #1: Am I-do I have to voir dire on probation?
THE COURT: There is not an application for probation.
PROSECUTOR #2: They have one that's written up, just not filed.
THE COURT: I don't care what you think.
DEFENSE COUNSEL #1: Well, then, I need-
THE COURT: Mr. Prieto, would you clear the bench?
THE BAILIFF: Have a seat.

Defense Counsels for Appellant returned to their seats and the State continued its voir dire. The State informed the venire that the punishment range was five-to-ninety-nine years or life, but then stated, "[n]ow to fully consider the full range of punishment ..." and was immediately called to the bench by the trial judge. The record reflects the following exchange occurred during the bench conference:

THE COURT: Did you hear what I said?
PROSECUTOR #1: I'm not going to do it.
THE COURT: Nothing to do with probation. You come to me or-
PROSECUTOR #1: He filed an application for jury.
THE COURT: But you're not going to probation.
PROSECUTOR #1: No, I'm not doing probation. I'm not doing probation. I understand you perfectly, Judge.
THE COURT: Please continue.
DEFENSE COUNSEL #1: I want to make a bill on this, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Go back to your seat, [Defense Counsel], right now.
(Bench discussion concluded.)
DEFENSE COUNSEL #1: Was that on the record, Your Honor?

The State continued its voir dire, informing the venire the minimum punishment upon conviction was five years.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
553 S.W.3d 537, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/quezada-v-state-texapp-2018.