Rasbury v. State

832 S.W.2d 398, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 1432, 1992 WL 117099
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 3, 1992
DocketNo. 2-90-334-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 832 S.W.2d 398 (Rasbury 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
Rasbury v. State, 832 S.W.2d 398, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 1432, 1992 WL 117099 (Tex. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION

FARRIS, Justice.

Lyndon Maurice Rasbury appeals his conviction for murder raising five points of error. Points one through four relate to alleged jury misconduct during the deliberations on guilt-innocence and in deliberations on punishment. Point fives raises ineffective assistance of counsel during both the trial and the punishment phase. We abate this appeal based upon a review of points one and three because we find that a new hearing is necessary on Ras-bury’s motion for new trial alleging that jury misconduct occurred at the guilt-innocence phase of trial.

The law as it applies to jury misconduct is the same for both the guilt-innocence and the punishment phases of the trial. However, the law is muddled and is the source of a great deal of confusion since the adoption of Tex.R.CRIm.Evid. 606(b). The rule states:

Upon an inquiry into the validity of a verdict or indictment, a juror may not [399]*399testify as to any matter or statement occurring during the course of the jury’s deliberations or to the effect of anything upon his or any other juror’s mind or emotions as influencing him to assent to or dissent from the verdict or indictment or concerning his mental processes in connection therewith, except that a juror may testify as to any matter relevant to the validity of the verdict or indictment. Nor may his affidavit or evidence of any statement by him concerning a matter about which he would be precluded from testifying be received for these purposes.

Tex.R.Ceim.Evid. 606(b). Commentators have suggested that the “except” language swallows the whole of the rule. See H. WendoRF, D. SchlueteR & R. BaRton, Texas Rules of Evidence Manual (3d ed. 1991); J. Ackerman, Texas Rules of Evidence (1991); see also Shields v. State, 809 S.W.2d 230, 233-34 n. 4 (Tex.Crim.App.1991) (rule difficult to apply due to clear internal contradiction between first and second parts). Some courts interpreting the rule held that a juror could not testify about his mental processes except where relevant to “overt acts” of jury misconduct, apparently in keeping with the pre-rule law. See Goldstein v. State, 803 S.W.2d 777, 798 (Tex.App.-Dallas 1991, pet. ref’d); Hernandez v. State, 774 S.W.2d 319, 324-25 (Tex.App.-Dallas 1989, pet. ref’d). In fact, the Hernandez court held with regard to an “overt act” that “a juror may testify to the fact that the impermissible conduct occurred, but may not testify to the actual content of the statement or statements constituting the impermissible conduct.” Hernandez, 774 S.W.2d at 325. Thus, the test focused upon whether an overt act of jury misconduct had occurred. However, other courts ignored the “overt act” test and merely focused upon the language in the rule providing for testimony on “any matter relevant to the validity of the verdict.” See Brown v. State, 804 S.W.2d 566, 569 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 1991, pet. ref’d); Reese v. State, 772 S.W.2d 288, 291 (Tex.App.-Waco 1989, pet. ref’d). To make matters more confusing, a determination of “any matter relevant” could be made by reference to the permissible grounds for a new trial set forth in Tex. R.App.P. 30(b). Hernandez, 774 S.W.2d at 324-25.

Moreover, with regard to jury misconduct revolving around a discussion of parole law, a five-part test also evolved, which is also pre-rule. See Sneed v. State, 670 S.W.2d 262, 266 (Tex.Crim.App.1984). The five-part test is: (1) a misstatement of the law; (2) asserted as a fact; (3) by one professing to know the law; (4) which is relied upon by other jurors; (5) who for that reason changed their vote to a harsher punishment. Id.

Finally, most recently the Court of Criminal Appeals has attempted to clarify the confusion produced by Rule 606(b). See Buentello v. State, 826 S.W.2d 610 (Tex.Crim.App.1992). The Buentello court reversed the court of appeals’ decision affirming the trial court’s order overruling a motion for new trial based upon the jury’s discussion of parole law at the punishment phase. The court found “no meaningful distinction under Rule 606(b) between acts of jury misconduct and ‘overt acts’ of jury misconduct” and held “the test for admission of juror testimony at a hearing on a motion for new trial is not whether the conduct constitutes an ‘overt act,’ but whether the matter sought to be elicited is deemed by the trial court to be relevant to the validity of the verdict.” Id. at 614. What is “relevant” is to be determined on a case-by-case basis, considering the court’s experience and observations, the grounds for new trial set forth in Tex.R.App.P. 30(b) and case law developed under the predecessor to Rule 30(b), Tex.Code Crim.Proc.Ann. art. 40.03 (Vernon 1979). Id. Moreover, the court approved of the continued use of the five-part Sneed test. Id. Thus, it appears that at least a portion of the Hernandez decision is overruled, that is, a juror may now testify to the content of the statement or statements constituting the impermissible conduct if the statement is relevant to the validity of the verdict. A continued look at Tex.R.App.P. 30(b) is still necessary, as well as the application of the Sneed test.

[400]*400Rule 30(b) provides in pertinent parts for a new trial when: the verdict was decided by lot or in any other manner other than by a fair expression of opinion by the jurors; a juror has received a bribe or has been guilty of other corrupt conduct; after retiring the jury received other evidence; a juror conversed with another in regard to the case; a juror was intoxicated; or the court finds the jury has engaged in such misconduct that the accused has not received a fair and impartial trial. See Tex. R.App.P. 30(b).

Rasbury’s first and third points of error address juror misconduct which allegedly occurred when a juror who professed to know the law of self-defense misstated such law to one of the jurors who had been holding out for a not guilty verdict. We find no cases directly on point with this issue, but find the Buentello decision on juror misconduct concerning parole law instructive. A repetition of the testimony of juror Michael Ivey at the hearing on the motion for new trial is necessary for proper resolution of the issue before us.

BY MR. HERRIDGE [Defense Attorney]:

“Q. All right. After that particular ballot, did you have occasion to be advised by anyone on the jury panel with respect to the law of self-defense?
“A. Yes.
“Q. Could you tell the Court how that occurred, please, sir?
“THE COURT: Hold on just a minute.
(court at ease)
“THE COURT: All right. Go ahead and testify to that.
“THE WITNESS: Okay.
“A.

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Bluebook (online)
832 S.W.2d 398, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 1432, 1992 WL 117099, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rasbury-v-state-texapp-1992.