Rosalez v. State

190 S.W.3d 770, 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 1338, 2006 WL 349736
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 16, 2006
Docket2-04-363-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 190 S.W.3d 770 (Rosalez 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.

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Rosalez v. State, 190 S.W.3d 770, 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 1338, 2006 WL 349736 (Tex. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION

ANNE GARDNER, Justice.

I. Introduction

Appellant Mario Rosalez appeals his sentence of twelve years’ confinement for sexual assault. In his sole issue, Appellant contends that the trial court erred by overruling his objections to the presentence investigation report. More specifically, Appellant argues that the report contained statements denying him of his Sixth Amendment right to confront and cross-examine witnesses. We affirm.

II. Background

Appellant entered an open plea of guilty to sexually assaulting his estranged wife. In conjunction with his open plea, Appellant executed and filed written plea admonishments, including a document entitled “Written Waiver of Defendant— Joined by Attorney.” In pertinent part, the document states:

(11) I waive, in accordance with Articles 1.13 and 1.15 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, my right to a jury trial both on guilt and punishment; to appearance, confrontation, and cross-examination of the witnesses; and I agree to oral and/or written stipulations of evidence.
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(13) I DO/DO NOT request a presen-tence investigation.

“I DO” was circled, and Appellant signed and dated the document, as well as a judicial confession and an application for community supervision, on May 4, 2004. 1 Additionally, Appellant’s attorney, the prosecutor, and the court signed and approved the plea admonishments the same day.

Subsequently, an officer of the Tarrant County Community Supervision and Corrections Department prepared a presen-tence investigation report, and on July 26, 2004, Appellant filed with the trial court his objections to it, mainly that portions of the report contained inadmissible hearsay that, if considered by the court, would deny Appellant his right to confrontation, as guaranteed by article 1, section 10, of the Texas Constitution and by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. At the sentencing hearing, the trial court considered Appellant’s objections, sustaining some while overruling others. The trial court then took judicial notice of the contents of the presentence investigation report and sentenced Appellant to twelve years’ confinement in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

III.Discussion

In the trial court, Appellant objected to the presentence investigation report under both article 1, section 10, of the Texas Constitution and the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution; however, he limits his complaint on appeal to his right under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Accordingly, we will limit our discussion to Appel *772 lant’s right under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right ... to be confronted with the witnesses against him....” U.S. Const. amend. VI. And in Pointer v. Texas, 380 U.S. 400, 406, 85 S.Ct. 1065, 1069, 13 L.Ed.2d 923 (1965), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the confrontation guarantee of the Sixth Amendment, including the right of cross-examination, “is to be enforced against the States under the Fourteenth Amendment according to the same standards that protect those personal rights against federal encroachment.” Brookhart v. Janis, 384 U.S. 1, 3-4, 86 S.Ct. 1245, 1246-47, 16 L.Ed.2d 314 (1966) (quoting Malloy v. Hogan, 378 U.S. 1, 10, 84 S.Ct. 1489, 1495, 12 L.Ed.2d 653 (1964)). However, the Sixth Amendment right to confront and cross-examine witnesses may be waived. See id. at 4, 86 S.Ct. at 1247; see also Tacon v. Arizona, 410 U.S. 351, 355, 93 S.Ct. 998, 1000, 35 L.Ed.2d 346 (1973) (Douglas, J., dissenting).

There is a presumption against the waiver of constitutional rights; therefore, for a waiver to be effective, it must be clearly established that there was “an intentional relinquishment or abandonment of a known right or privilege.” Brookhart, 384 U.S. at 4, 86 S.Ct. at 1247 (quoting Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U.S. 458, 464, 58 S.Ct. 1019, 1023, 82 L.Ed. 1461 (1938)); see also Tacon, 410 U.S. at 355, 93 S.Ct. at 1000 (Douglas, J., dissenting). “The determination of whether there has been an intelligent waiver ... must depend, in each case, upon the particular facts and circumstances surrounding that case, including the background, experience, and conduct of the accused.” Tacon, 410 U.S. at 355, 93 S.Ct. at 1000-01 (Douglas, J., dissenting) (quoting Johnson, 304 U.S. at 464, 58 S.Ct. at 1023). Furthermore, the U.S. Supreme Court has also held that “[wjaivers of constitutional rights not only must be voluntary but must be knowing, intelligent acts done with sufficient awareness of the relevant circumstances and likely consequences.” Id. at 355, 93 S.Ct. at 1000-01 (Douglas, J., dissenting) (quoting Brady v. United States, 397 U.S. 742, 748, 90 S.Ct. 1463, 1469, 25 L.Ed.2d 747 (1970)).

In Reyna v. State, 478 S.W.2d 481, 482 (Tex.Crim.App.1972), the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals addressed a challenge to the validity of a defendant’s affidavits in which he waived his right to trial by jury, to the confrontation of witnesses, to be free from self-incrimination, and to compulsory process. The appellant claimed the record was silent as to whether he knew he had these rights and, when apprised of them, whether he freely and voluntarily waived them. Id. The court responded:

The record does not support these contentions. It reflects that appellant executed the requisite sworn affidavits, approved by his attorney and the court, waiving the above rights and that the court duly admonished him concerning his rights and the consequences of his guilty plea. This is sufficient to show appellant was made aware of his rights and intelligently waived them.

Id.

Moreover, in Keimig v. State, 669 S.W.2d 121, 124 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 1983), aff'd on other grounds, 753 S.W.2d 400 (Tex.Crim.App.1988), our sister court upheld the waiver of an appellant’s right to a jury trial under similar circumstances.

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