Satterwhite v. State

726 S.W.2d 81
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 1, 1987
Docket67220
StatusPublished
Cited by58 cases

This text of 726 S.W.2d 81 (Satterwhite v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Satterwhite v. State, 726 S.W.2d 81 (Tex. 1987).

Opinions

OPINION

W.C. DAVIS, Judge.

This is an appeal from a conviction for the offense of capital murder. The punishment is death.

The appellant contends that the trial court erred in overruling his motion for new trial. He asserts that the State selectively discriminated against him in violation of the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment by prosecuting him for capital murder. The appellant contends that he was sexually discriminated against since females in similar situations received more lenient treatment.

At a hearing on the appellant’s motion for new trial, three attorneys, who had practiced criminal law in the county, testified. One of them stated that he felt it was the prosecution’s practice to seek greater penalties for men than women. Another stated that it was his experience that females got better deals than males. Finally, appellant’s counsel testified that in every case he had seen where the co-defendants are male and female, the female always got the better deal. The State presented no evidence.

In order to establish a constitutional violation by the selective prosecution of a defendant, it is necessary to show more than mere unequal application of a state statute. As the Supreme Court stated in Oyler v. Boles, 368 U.S. 448, 82 S.Ct. 501, 7 L.Ed.2d 466 (1962): Therefore, it is necessary that the accused show an intentional or purposeful discrimination in the enforcement of the statute against him. A discriminating purpose will not be presumed; a showing of clear intentional discrimination is required. Armendariz v. State, 529 S.W.2d 525 (Tex.Cr.App.1975); S.S. Kresge Co. v. State, 546 S.W.2d 928 (Tex.Civ.App., Dallas, 1977); Super X Drugs of Texas, Inc. v. State, 505 S.W.2d 333 (Tex.Civ.App., Houston, 1974); Enntex Oil and Gas Co. (of Nevada) v. State, 560 S.W.2d 494 (Tex.Civ.App., Texarkana, 1977). The appellant has failed to show actual or purposeful discrimination. His ground of error is overruled. Also see U.S. v. Hayes, 589 F.2d 811 (5th Cir.1979); U.S. v. Heilman, 614 F.2d 1133 (7th Cir. 1980); U.S. v. Diggs, 613 F.2d 988 (D.C.Cir. 1979); U.S. v. Larson, 612 F.2d 1301 (8th Cir.1980); U.S. v. Choate, 619 F.2d 21 (9th Cir.1980).

[T]he conscious exercise of some selectivity in enforcement is not in itself a federal constitutional violation. Even though the statistics in this case imply a policy of selective enforcement, it was not stated that the selection was deliberately had upon an unjustifiable standard such as race, religion, or other arbitrary classifications. (Emphasis added)

In two grounds of error the appellant argues that the trial court erred by refusing his challenge for cause to a prospective juror. The appellant contends that this prospective juror admitted having a bias or prejudice against a law upon which the defense was entitled to rely. See Art. 35.16(c)(2) V.A.C.C.P. Appellant argues that the juror had a bias against allowing a defendant not to testify or defend himself. During voir dire of venireman Mavis Corderman, the following occurred:

ON BEHALF OF THE DEFENSE BY MR. TAKAS:
Q. Now, you have heard people talk about presumption of innocence. The presumption of innocence that every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, do you understand that concept or do you believe you understand that concept.
A. Yes, sir.
Q. So to say what it means is that I don’t have to say anything to disprove his guilt. I do not have to take any affirmative action to say I’m not guilty. I do not have to answer accusers because I’m innocent and the law presumes I’m innocent and the Consti[85]*85tution of the State of Texas and United States of America says I am innocent and until they lift that cloak of innocence by fair and competent evidence. Do you have any quarrel with that concept?
A. You are telling me that in other words you don’t have to defend yourself.
Q. If you have a quarrel with that say it. My mother has a quarrel with it.
A. Well, I guess I do. I don’t know if I would call it quarrel, but—
Q. Do you have a bias against the law that says that the Defendant does not have to defend himself?
A. There again, I guess maybe I do. I haven’t thought about that.
Q. Okay.
MR. TAKAS: We challenge for cause, Judge. Bias or prejudice exists on the basic theory of law.
• THE COURT: Do you wish to inquire?
MR. HARRIS: Yes, sir.
* *****
ON BEHALF OF THE STATE
BY MR. HARRIS:
Q. There are a number of ways a defendant can defend himself. One of those ways can be merely asking questions of the witnesses against him, that being cross examination. I think the real question is the 5th Amendment to the United States Constitution says a person shall not be required to testify against himself or offer evidence against himself.
What that means is you will be instructed in a case where a defendant does not testify, you are instructed that you cannot and must not, first of all, it says you are instructed that the Defendant in this case has elected not to testify. You are instructed that you must not and you cannot consider that as any evidence against him. The mere fact that he did not testify. Do you think you could follow an instruction like that?
A. Yes.
THE COURT: What was your answer?
THE WITNESS: Yes. I don’t quite understand what he is saying.
THE COURT: Let me see if I can help you a little, Mrs. Corderman.
BY THE COURT:
Q. The Defendant doesn’t have to prove his innocence. We have talked about presumption of innocence.
A. Right.
Q. The State has the burden of proving his guilt which means they have to put on the evidence. He doesn’t have to put on anything. If he and his attorneys think it’s better for him to just sit there and see what they do, the law permits him to do that and you must reach your verdict based on the evidence that is offered, not the evidence that is not offered.
A. I think I can make a decision.
MR. TAKAS: Judge, I don’t think that is a correct statement.
THE COURT: I will overrule the challenge for cause. You may question.
MR.

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Bluebook (online)
726 S.W.2d 81, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/satterwhite-v-state-texcrimapp-1987.