Small v. State

692 S.W.2d 536, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 7125
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 6, 1985
Docket05-84-00434-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 692 S.W.2d 536 (Small 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.

Bluebook
Small v. State, 692 S.W.2d 536, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 7125 (Tex. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

WHITHAM, Justice.

Appellant appeals a conviction for failure to appear. Punishment was assessed at twenty years confinement in the Texas Department of Corrections and a fine of $10,-000.00. We find no merit in any of appellant’s three grounds of error. Accordingly, we affirm.

In his first ground of error, appellant contends in effect that he was denied his constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel at his trial. In Strickland, v. Washington, — U.S. -, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 2064, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984) the Supreme Court held that to successfully advance an ineffective assistance claim:

First, the defendant must show that counsel’s performance was deficient. This requires showing that counsel made errors so serious that counsel was not functioning as the “counsel” guaranteed the defendant by the Sixth Amendment. Second, the defendant must show that the deficient performance prejudiced the defense. This requires showing that counsel’s errors were so serious as to deprive the defendant of a fair trial, a trial whose result is reliable. Unless a defendant makes both showings, it cannot be said that the conviction or death sentence resulted from a breakdown in the adversary process that renders the result unreliable, [emphasis added].

The test to be applied in determining whether counsel provided constitutionally satisfactory services is the “reasonably effective assistance” standard. Strickland, 104 S.Ct. at 2064; Saylor v. State, 660 S.W.2d 822, 824 (Tex.Crim.App.1983). This right does not mean errorless counsel, or counsel whose competency or adequacy is to be judged by hindsight. Saylor, 660 S.W.2d at 824. Rather, the right to counsel affords an accused an attorney “reasonably likely to render and rendering reasonably effective assistance.” Cannon v. State, 668 S.W.2d 401, 402 (Tex.Crim.App.1984). A fair assessment of counsel’s performance requires that every effort be made to eliminate the distorting effects of hindsight, to reconstruct the circumstances, and to evaluate the conduct from counsel’s perspective at the time. “Because of the difficulties inherent in making the evaluation, a court must indulge a strong presumption that counsel’s conduct falls within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance; that is, the defendant must overcome the presumption that, under the circum *539 stances, the challenged action ‘might be considered sound trial strategy.’ ” Strickland, 104 S.Ct. at 2065-66. A full inquiry into the strategy or tactics of counsel should be made only if from all appearances after trial, there is no plausible basis in strategy or tactics for his actions. Ex parte Burns, 601 S.W.2d 370, 372 (Tex.Crim.App.1980) (en banc). The fact that other counsel might have tried the case differently will not support a finding of ineffectiveness. Blott v. State, 588 S.W.2d 588, 592 (Tex.Crim.App.1979) (en banc). Thus, conduct must be judged on the facts of the particular case, and allegations must be firmly founded. Johnson v. State, 614 S.W.2d 148, 149 (Tex.Crim.App.1981).

Even if a defendant has shown that particular errors of counsel were professionally unreasonable under the aforementioned guidelines, the second “prejudice” prong of the Strickland test requires a showing that “there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different.” A reasonable probability is “a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome.” Strickland, 104 S.Ct. at 2068. It is not enough for the defendant to show that the errors had some conceivable effect on the outcome. Furthermore, in making this determination the assessment of prejudice should proceed on the assumption that the decisionmaker is reasonably, conscientiously, and impartially applying the standards that govern the decision. 104 S.Ct. at 2067-69.

Appellant argues that he was denied effective assistance for the following reasons: (1) counsel failed to question the charges against appellant which, appellant asserts, are faulty; (2) counsel erred by putting a witness on the stand because she eventually recanted her testimony; (3) counsel failed to investigate any possible defense, and (4) counsel should have produced testimony concerning appellant’s lack of knowledge of the elements of this offense. Applying Strickland’s test, we find no merit in any of appellant’s assertions. We conclude that appellant was not denied his constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel at his trial. We overrule appellant’s first ground of error.

In his second ground of error, appellant contends that the trial court erred in finding him guilty of a felony for failure to appear. Appellant bases this contention on his assertion that the underlying offense was not a felony, but rather a misdemean- or. Appellant was charged by indictment, which in pertinent part reads as follows:

[T]hat one Edgar Eugene Small ... did then and there unlawfully intentionally and knowingly fail to appear in accordance with the terms of his release from custody, to-wit: lawful release from custody pursuant to posting a bail bond, after the defendant had been ordered to appear in the 282ND JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT on the 27th day of JANUARY, 1984, for the purpose of a trial before the court, in the case of The State of Texas vs. EDGAR EUGENE SMALL, wherein the defendant was charged with the felony offense of Theft over $200.00.

Appellant claims that the State failed to prove that he was “charged with a felony offense of theft over $200.00.” Relying upon TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. § 31.-03(d)(3) (Vernon Supp.1985), appellant insists that theft over $200.00 is not a felony offense but is a misdemeanor.

At trial, the State introduced an indictment which, in pertinent part, reads as follows:

[T]hat one EDGAR EUGENE SMALL ... on or about the 30th day of August [1983] ... did unlawfully, knowingly and intentionally appropriate property, namely: exercise control over property, other than real property, to-wit: four wheels and four tires of the value of at least $200.00 but less than $10,000.00, without the effective consent of Thi Nguyen the owner of the said property.

Because the indictment for theft alleged that the offense occurred on or about August 30, 1983, appellant’s reliance upon the amended theft statute is misplaced. The amendments to the theft statute did not *540 become effective until September 1, 1983, and were not given retroactive effect by the legislature. The legislature declared in Act of Sept. 1, 1983, ch.

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Bluebook (online)
692 S.W.2d 536, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 7125, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/small-v-state-texapp-1985.