Romero v. State

927 S.W.2d 634
CourtTexas Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 12, 1996
DocketNo. 95-0289
StatusPublished

This text of 927 S.W.2d 634 (Romero v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Romero v. State, 927 S.W.2d 634 (Tex. 1996).

Opinion

ENOCH, Justice

delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.

Rosalinda Romero seeks to set aside a settlement reached in a civil forfeiture action. Romero agreed to divide the proceeds from the sale of her house and lot with the State of Texas. The court of appeals affirmed the trial court’s refusal to set aside the agreement. 893 S.W.2d 550. We affirm the judgment of the court of appeals.

In October 1990, undercover police officers arrested Romero after she arranged for two cocaine sales to take place at her house. The State charged Romero with two offenses of delivery of cocaine, but a jury convicted her of only one offense, a sale involving the delivery of two ounces of cocaine worth $2500. She received five years’ probation for this crime. The jury found her not guilty of the second charge of delivery of five ounces of cocaine worth $6250.

In November 1990, the State initiated civil forfeiture proceedings against Romero’s house and lot. The State alleged that the property was contraband subject to forfeiture because Romero used it in the commission of the felony offense of delivery of cocaine. Tex.Code Crim. PROC. Ann. art. 59.01(2)(B)(ii) (Vernon Supp.1996). The State sought summary judgment, alleging that no genuine issue of material fact existed about whether the house was used in the commission of delivery of cocaine. Without stating its reasons, the trial court granted the State’s summary judgment motion and ordered the forfeiture of Romero’s property.

Romero filed a motion for new trial alleging, in part, that the forfeiture was punitive and thus violated her double jeopardy rights.1 Without stating its reasons, the trial court granted Romero’s motion for new trial and set aside the State’s summary judgment. Romero then sought summary judgment alleging, in part, that double jeopardy barred the forfeiture of her property. Before trial, Romero and the State reached a settlement. Under the settlement agreement, the State agreed to release Romero and her property from all claims and liabilities in exchange for [634]*634her agreement to sell the property and pay half of the estimated $46,000 in net proceeds to the State.

Shortly after settling the forfeiture proceeding, Romero sought to set aside the settlement agreement, alleging that on the day she signed the agreement, the law of double jeopardy changed. On June 28, 1993,- the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in Austin v. United States, 509 U.S. 602, 113 S.Ct. 2801, 125 L.Ed.2d 488 (1993), in which it held that the forfeiture of property in cases such as Romero’s is punishment under the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Romero asserted that although Austin was decided under the Excessive Fines Clause, it also had double jeopardy implications. She argued that under Austin, a separate civil forfeiture proceeding instituted after a criminal conviction amounts to multiple punishments for the same offense and thus violates the federal constitution’s Double Jeopardy Clause. She contended, therefore, that her settlement agreement with the State was voidable because it was contrary to public policy, was induced by mutual mistake, was not supported by consideration, and was unconscionable.

Romero’s motion to modify the judgment and vacate the settlement agreement was overruled by operation of law. The court of appeals affirmed, holding that the settlement agreement did not violate the federal constitution’s prohibition against double jeopardy and was based on well-settled law that was not changed by Austin. 893 S.W.2d at 553.

On application for writ of error to this Court, Romero again urges that under Austin the forfeiture of her property constituted double jeopardy. In addition, although her unconscionability argument is premised primarily upon her double jeopardy claim, Romero argues that the settlement agreement is unconscionable because of the total circumstances surrounding the agreement. Further, Romero contends that her settlement agreement is unenforceable because it did not comply with Rule 11 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.2 We find Romero’s contentions unpersuasive.

I

The Double Jeopardy Clause of the United States Constitution provides: “No person shall ... be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb_” U.S. Const. amend. V. The Double Jeopardy Clause precludes both multiple punishments and multiple prosecutions. United States v. Ursery, — U.S. -, -, 116 S.Ct. 2135, 2139, 135 L.Ed.2d 549, 557-58 (1996). The prohibition against multiple punishments, which is at issue in this case, prevents the State from punishing a defendant twice for the same offense. Ursery, — U.S. at -, 116 S.Ct. at 2139-40, 135 L.Ed.2d at 557-59.

The Supreme Court recently reaffirmed in Ursery its “traditional understanding that civil forfeiture does not constitute punishment for the purpose of the Double Jeopardy Clause.” — U.S. at -, 116 S.Ct. at 2138, 135 L.Ed.2d at 557; see also Various Items of Personal Property v. United States, 282 U.S. 577, 51 S.Ct. 282, 75 L.Ed. 558 (1931); One Lot Emerald Cut Stones v. United States, 409 U.S. 232, 93 S.Ct. 489, 34 L.Ed.2d 438 (1972); United States v. One Assortment of 89 Firearms, 465 U.S. 354, 104 S.Ct. 1099, 79 L.Ed.2d 361 (1984). Whether a civil forfeiture implicates double jeopardy depends on whether the “forfeiture proceeding is intended to be, or by its nature necessarily is, criminal and punitive, or civil and remedial.” Ursery, — U.S. at -, 116 S.Ct. at 2142, 135 L.Ed.2d at 561 (quoting 89 Firearms, 465 U.S. at 362, 104 S.Ct. at 1105). This inquiry is two-fold: [635]*635(1) whether the Legislature intended proceedings under the forfeiture statute to be criminal or civil; and (2) whether the proceedings are so punitive in fact as to persuade us that the forfeiture proceedings may not legitimately be viewed as civil in nature, despite legislative intent. Ursery, — U.S. at -, 116 S.Ct. at 2142, 135 L.Ed.2d at 562 (citing 89 Firearms, 465 U.S. at 366, 104 S.Ct. at 1107).

The Excessive Fines Clause of the United States Constitution provides: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” U.S. Const, amend. VIII. The United States Supreme Court has held that a civil forfeiture may constitute “payment to a sovereign as punishment for some offense” such that the forfeiture is subject to the limitations of the Excessive Fines Clause. Austin v. United States, 509 U.S. 602, 622, 113 S.Ct. 2801, 2812, 125 L.Ed.2d 488 (1993). Romero argues that under Austin the civil forfeiture proceeding in this case constituted a second punishment for her felony drug offense and thus violated her double jeopardy rights.

In Ursery, the Supreme Court concluded that Austin

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

Related

Various Items of Personal Property v. United States
282 U.S. 577 (Supreme Court, 1931)
United States v. One Assortment of 89 Firearms
465 U.S. 354 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Austin v. United States
509 U.S. 602 (Supreme Court, 1993)
United States v. Ursery
518 U.S. 267 (Supreme Court, 1996)
Romero v. State
893 S.W.2d 550 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1995)
EF Hutton & Co., Inc. v. Youngblood
741 S.W.2d 363 (Texas Supreme Court, 1987)
State v. J. M. Huber Corp.
199 S.W.2d 501 (Texas Supreme Court, 1947)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
927 S.W.2d 634, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/romero-v-state-tex-1996.