Simmons v. State

456 S.W.2d 66
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 20, 1970
Docket42716
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 456 S.W.2d 66 (Simmons 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
Simmons v. State, 456 S.W.2d 66 (Tex. 1970).

Opinions

OPINION

WOODLEY, Presiding Judge.

The offense is rape by force and threats; the punishment, eight years.

Appellant filed motion, at the time of entering his plea of not guilty, requesting that the jury assess the punishment in the event a verdict of guilty was returned. He also filed written motion for probation in which he swore that he had never been convicted of a felony in this state or any other state.

Appellant’s brief sets forth two grounds of error. Ground No. 1 is: “The Court erred in admitting into evidence State’s Exhibit No. 3, the same being a record of a conviction for theft in the State of Louisiana over appellant’s objection that he was without counsel at the time of such conviction.”

Appellant cites and relies upon Burgett v. Texas, 389 U.S. 109, 88 S.Ct. 258, 19 L.Ed.2d 319, which bars the use of a prior conviction obtained in violation of Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335, 83 S.Ct. 792, 9 L.Ed.2d 799, to support guilt [68]*68or enhance punishment for another offense.

The Supreme Court has not passed upon whether the rule applies where the prior conviction is used to impeach the credibility of the defendant as a witness in his own behalf or to impeach his testimony.

We hold that under the facts of this case Burgett v. Texas, supra, does not apply.

After the state had rested its case in chief and before appellant took the stand in his own behalf, appellant, through his counsel, moved the court to instruct counsel for the state not to discuss or allude to an alleged conviction had in the State of Louisiana “during the year on or about— around the year 1957, for the reason that at such time the defendant was a minor, that the proceedings had against him as a minor in the nature of petition to declare him a juvenile delinquent, that he was declared a juvenile delinquent and committed to a state training school for an indefinite period, that he did serve approximately eight months in state training school in Monroe, Louisiana as a result thereof, the defendant says that such matters are not admissible for any purpose by reason it was a civil proceeding and he was denied his right to counsel at the time and he being an indigent did not waive his right to be represented by counsel.”

The court’s ruling was:

“Counsel this is a premature motion at this point. However, I instruct the State’s Counsel that they may use only the method of impeaching questions that display and are supported by good faith and the reason for asking such question.”

On cross-examination appellant was asked and answered without objection:

“Q. (By Mr. Hancock) Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude in this state or any other state in the past ten years? By moral turpitude I mean stealing or perhaps beating your wife?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Which?
“A. I have been convicted of two misdemeanors.
“Q. In fact, you have been convicted of both of those, beating your wife and stealing, haven’t you?
“A. Misdemeanor theft. Yes, sir.
“Q. Wasn’t that stealing?
“A. Well, you know more about law than I do.
“Q. In fact, the misdemeanor theft conviction was what date, if you know?
“A. I don’t recall the exact date.
“Q. Could it have been March 3rd of 1965?
“A. Yes, sir, probably.
“Q. What was your punishment ?
“A. Six months.
“Q. In the jail?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And what was the date of your conviction for beating your wife?
“A. I don’t recall.
“Q. Could that have been February 3rd, 1964?
“A. Probably.
“Q. What was your punishment for that ?
“A. $25 fine.
“Q. Have you ever been convicted in this state or any other state in the past ten years of a felony offense ?
“A. No, sir, I haven’t.
[69]*69“Q. Is it a fact that on the 17th day of December, 1957, you were convicted of the offense of felony theft in the State of Louisiana, Parish of St. Charles, and received ten years in the State Penitentiary at hard labor?
“A. No, sir, it’s not.

(STATE’S EXHIBIT NO. 3 MARKED FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES.)

“Q. (By Mr. Hancock) I will hand you what’s been marked as State’s Exhibit No. 3. This is purported to be a certified, exemplified copy of a judgment of conviction and sentence for the offense that I mentioned a moment ago.
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. There is also a photograph here.
Isn’t that your picture?
“A. Yes, sir, it looks like it.
“Q. What is the date there that this picture was taken?
“A. It says July 11, 1959.
******
“Q. This State’s Exhibit No. 3 also includes an indicment for that offense, a statement of the case. Now, let’s get to the instrument. Would you mind reading this?”

At this point appellant’s counsel objected, stating: “If he wants to offer it in evidence I think we should have an opportunity to look at it.”

Counsel for the state then tendered Exhibit No. 3 to defense counsel and offered it in evidence. In the jury’s absence appellant’s counsel offered the following objection, which the court overruled:

“Your Honor, the defendant objects to State’s Exhibit No. 3 for the reason it purports to be a judgment of conviction for an offense of theft, wherein it is alleged that the defendant received a sentence of ten years. It would show by its exhibit it was prosecuted upon information filed in the District Court of St. Charles Parish in Louisiana and not upon an indictment. I submit that under the law until proven otherwise is assumed to be the same as here in Texas and a person may not be prosecuted for a felony upon an information, for that reason we object to the commission of this in evidence.”

Appellant was then examined by his counsel in the jury’s absence and testified:

“Q. Mr. Simmons, are you the person named in these papers?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. Were you ever convicted of a felony in Louisiana?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. Did you ever do any sentence in the penitentiary in Louisiana?
“A. No, sir.
******
“Q.

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Related

Van Sickle v. State
604 S.W.2d 93 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1980)
Ex Parte Flores
537 S.W.2d 458 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1976)
Baldwin v. State
499 S.W.2d 7 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1973)
McComb v. State
488 S.W.2d 105 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1972)
Wood v. State
478 S.W.2d 513 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1972)
Loper v. Beto
405 U.S. 473 (Supreme Court, 1972)
Marks v. State
454 S.W.2d 749 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1970)
Simmons v. State
456 S.W.2d 66 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1970)

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456 S.W.2d 66, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/simmons-v-state-texcrimapp-1970.