Shannon v. State

942 S.W.2d 591, 1996 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 247, 1996 WL 709370
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 11, 1996
Docket71805
StatusPublished
Cited by220 cases

This text of 942 S.W.2d 591 (Shannon 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
Shannon v. State, 942 S.W.2d 591, 1996 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 247, 1996 WL 709370 (Tex. 1996).

Opinions

OPINION

MEYERS, Justice.

Appellant, Willie Marcel Shannon, was convicted of capital murder in November, 1993.1 Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 19.03(a)(2). During the punishment phase, the jury affirmatively answered the special issue set forth in Texas Code of Criminal Procedure art. 37.071 § 2(b) and negatively answered the special issue set forth in Article 37.071 § 2(e). The trial judge sentenced appellant to death as required by Texas Code of Criminal Procedure art. 37.071 § 2(g). Direct appeal is automatic. Tex. Code CRiM. Proo. Ann. art. 37.071 § 2(h). We will affirm.

Appellant raises sixteen points of error, but does not challenge the sufficiency of the evidence at either stage of trial. Therefore, we shall dispense with a recitation of the facts. We will address the points of error in the order they are presented.

In points one through four, appellant complains that the trial court erred in refusing to instruct the jury that appellant would be “parole ineligible” until he had served thirty-five (35) calendar years in prison if sentenced to “life” imprisonment. He alleges that this was in violation of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment; the Eighth Amendment; the due course of law provision under Article I, § 19 of the Texas Constitution; and Article I, § 13 of the Texas Constitution. Appellant relies primarily on Simmons v. South Carolina, 512 U.S. 154, 114 S.Ct. 2187, 129 L.Ed.2d 133 (1994), as his authority.

In Smith v. State, 898 S.W.2d 838 (Tex.Crim.App.1995)(plurality opinion), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 116 S.Ct. 131, 133 L.Ed.2d 80 (1995), the same issues were presented to this Court. Pursuant to the presentation of those issues, we engaged in a comprehensive discussion of Simmons as it relates to the law in Texas. We reiterated that parole is traditionally not a matter for jury consideration in a Texas capital murder trial. And, thus, it is not error for a trial court to refuse to admit testimony concerning parole. Jones v. State, 843 S.W.2d 487, 495 (Tex.Crim.App.1992), cert. denied 507 U.S. 1035, 113 S.Ct. 1858, 123 L.Ed.2d 479 (1993). Further, we “absolutely rejeet[ed]” the premise that Simmons has been extended to parole eligible defendants. Smith, 898 S.W.2d at 848. As such, we hold that the requested instruction which is the subject of these points was appropriately refused by the trial court. Smith, supra.

Appellant has given us no reason to revisit our analysis of Smith, nor has he shown us any distinguishing evidence in the record2 or provided us with any other reason why Smith should not control in this case. See Broxton v. State, 909 S.W.2d 912(Tex.Crim.App.1995). Points of error one through four are overruled.

In related points five and six, appellant advances that the trial court erred in refusing to instruct potential jurors on the length of appellant’s “parole ineligibility,” because “the prosecutor opened the door to that subject.” In point seven, appellant maintains that this failure to instruct potential jurors on the length of appellant’s “parole ineligibility” prevented him from asldng relevant questions which violated his rights under Article I, § 10 of the Texas Constitution.

Appellant notes that, throughout voir dire, the prosecutor informed venirepersons that a “life” sentence does not mean “life without parole.” However, his basic complaint seems to be that the judge should have elaborated on this. Specifically, in point of error five, appellant contends that the prosecutor [595]*595“opened the door” to the subject of appellant’s “parole ineligibility” when he said to venireperson A. Smith:

[THE STATE:] Why do you feel that the life imprisonment is more effective than the death penalty?
[VENIREPERSON:] Well, hopefully, with that there can be some rehabilitation.
[THE STATE:] What if there’s not? [VENIREPERSON:] What if there’s not? [THE STATE:] Yes.
[VENIREPERSON:] Who’s to say? I mean, just have to go on good faith.
[THE STATE:] In the State of Texas we don’t have life without parole. [VENIREPERSON:] Okay.
[THE STATE:] So, the two punishments someone can give in capital murder is life or death. If the person gets life, if it’s not life without parole, obviously, there’s an opportunity potentially somewhere down the line that person might commit another crime. My question was why you think that life imprisonment is more effective than capital punishment.

This last statement then caused the venire-person to ask, “What is ... the law as far as when someone can be released?” Appellant asked that the venireperson be instructed as to the law in that area and the trial court denied the request.

In point six, appellant complains that the prosecutor again “opened the door” to the subject of appellant’s “parole ineligibility” when questioning venireperson J. Ford.

[THE STATE:] So, before you get [to the punishment stage] you’ve had very horrible facts presented to you. You’ve made a decision someone intentionally killed someone with the specific intent to kill during the course of a robbery. Now you must determine the answer to those questions.
Some people say, I am so upset with violence and the prospect that people who get out on early release, and we just have a revolving door — I think one of the jurors before you said, in a situation where they go in, they get out, they go in, they get out, that if I find someone intentionally killed someone with the specific intent to kill during the course of a robbery and I know if they get life imprisonment, there’s a possibility that they may parole at some point in time, I don’t have control over that, that I’m going to automatically give that person the death penalty or vote for the death penalty regardless of anything else. I’ve heard enough.

Sometime later when appellant was questioning the venireperson, the following occurred:

[APPELLANT:] Would it help you to know, if it existed, that there was minimum amount of time that someone would have to serve before they would even become eligible for parole?
[VENIREPERSON:] Yes.
[APPELLANT:] Obviously, if it was a lengthy period of time and they were there and availed themselves of whatever educational processes were available, that could be a factor in rehabilitation?
[VENIREPERSON:] Certainly it could be.

At this point, appellant requested that the judge give the venireperson an instruction concerning the minimum time a person would have to serve in prison, which request was denied. The juror was asked to step out into the ‘hallway and appellant elaborated on his request, stating that:

Judge, at this time I am requesting that you give the juror an instruction that if a life sentence is returned in a capital murder such as this that the defendant would be required to serve 35 calendar years prior to becoming eligible, even becoming eligible, for consideration for parole.

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Bluebook (online)
942 S.W.2d 591, 1996 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 247, 1996 WL 709370, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shannon-v-state-texcrimapp-1996.