Somers v. State

333 S.W.3d 747, 2010 WL 4813681
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 21, 2010
Docket10-09-00387-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 333 S.W.3d 747 (Somers 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
Somers v. State, 333 S.W.3d 747, 2010 WL 4813681 (Tex. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinions

OPINION

TOM GRAY, Chief Justice.

Aaron Zane Somers was convicted of intoxication manslaughter. See Tex. Penal Code Ann. 49.08 (Vernon Supp.2010). The jury assessed his punishment at twelve years in prison and a fine of $8,000. We affirm.

[751]*751BACKGROUND FACTS

As social chairman for his fraternity, Somers planned a “jungle theme” party. The police responded to a noise complaint at the fraternity house at 11:45 p.m. on the night of the party. Somers spoke to the police and informed the officers that he was in charge and to direct any further complaints to him. Police determined that Somers was slightly intoxicated at that time, but did not detain or question him. Police returned to the fraternity house at 2:00 a.m. again in response to a noise complaint. At that time, Somers agreed to shut down the band. The police found Somers to be more intoxicated than at the previous encounter. Police returned at 2:30 a.m. to end the party, but did not see or speak to Somers at that time.

A police officer who responded to the noise complaint at the fraternity house was later called to the scene of a major accident at 3:24 a.m. The officer recognized Somers at the scene. Somers was still wearing his costume from the fraternity party. Somers told the officer that he was not driving the overturned pickup, but he did not know how he got on the highway. The pickup was registered to Somers’s mother. Based upon witnesses and evidence at the scene, the officer believed Somers was driving the pickup at the time of the accident. The officer performed field sobriety tests on Somers and then placed him under arrest for driving while intoxicated.

Michelle Briggs was the sole occupant of the vehicle struck by Somers’s pickup. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she later died.

DRUG USE

Somers brings three issues on appeal relating to the drug use of the victim, Michelle Briggs. The trial court held a hearing during trial on the admissibility of Michelle’s drug use. Somers sought to admit evidence of Michelle’s positive drug test, statements Michelle made three days before the accident, and crack pipes found in Michelle’s purse at the scene of the accident.

Drug Test Evidence

Somers first argues that the State misled the trial court and trial counsel by the Department of Public Safety withholding the true results of Michelle’s drug tests. The DPS crime lab performed drug analysis of Michelle’s blood. DPS performed an enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique, which is a screening test for classes of drugs. DPS tested Michelle’s blood for six different classes of drugs with the EMIT test. The test was positive for benzoylecgonine, called cocaine and its metabolites class. It was also positive for the amphetamine class. EMIT test results are used as a screening device and are not reliable without a confirmation test.

A forensic scientist at DPS testified that she conducted a gas chromatograph test on Michelle’s blood as a confirmation test. The test was negative for cocaine and the two metabolites in cocaine. Because the confirmation test was negative, DPS could not testify that there was cocaine present in Michelle’s blood. The DPS scientist testified that Michelle’s blood sample did not contain the usual preservative. Cocaine breaks down quickly in the blood and the GC test was done almost a year after the EMIT test. The DPS scientist stated that negative confirmation GC test could have been caused by the lack of preservative in the blood sample. However, because the confirmation test was negative, DPS could not report a positive cocaine finding based solely upon the EMIT test. The trial court excluded the EMIT test results.

Somers specifically argues in his first issue on appeal that the State failed to disclose favorable evidence that the GC [752]*752test was not in conflict with the EMIT test in violation of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). The suppression by the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused upon request violates due process where the evidence is material either to guilt or to punishment, irrespective of the good faith or bad faith of the prosecution. Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. at 87, 83 S.Ct. 1194. Evidence is material if there is a reasonable probability that, had the evidence been disclosed to the defense, the outcome of the proceedings would have been different. United States v. Bagley, 473 U.S. 667, 682, 105 S.Ct. 3375, 87 L.Ed.2d 481 (1985). Prosecutors have a duty to learn of any evidence favorable to the defense that is known to others acting on the government’s behalf in the ease, including the police. Kyles v. Whitley, 514 U.S. 419, 437, 115 S.Ct. 1555, 131 L.Ed.2d 490 (1995). Under Brady, the defendant bears the burden of showing that, in light of all the evidence, it is reasonably probable that the outcome of the trial would have been different had the prosecutor made a timely disclosure. Webb v. State; 232 S.W.3d 109, 115 (Tex.Crim.App.2007).

Rod McCutcheon, chief toxicologist and medical examiner for Bexar County who also serves as a private consultant, testified on Somers’s behalf at the motion for new trial. McCutcheon stated that he reviewed the DPS materials provided relating to Michelle’s drug tests results. McCutcheon testified that the DPS analysis shows a small amount of cocaine present in the sample but that it was reported as negative because it was not enough to meet the acceptance criteria to be considered as a positive result. McCutcheon testified that cocaine is easily degraded and needs a preservative. Because the GC test was conducted almost a year after the EMIT test, McCutcheon does not feel the results are inconsistent.

McCutcheon’s testimony was based upon DPS material provided to Somers’s counsel before trial. McCutcheon testified that although the GC test indicated trace amounts of cocaine, he would not report it as positive because it did not meet the acceptance criteria.

The record does not support Somers’s argument that the State withheld the true results of Michelle’s blood tests in violation of Brady. The State provided Somers with the DPS analysis prior to trial. There is no dispute that the records provided indicate a trace amount of cocaine. The DPS scientist testified that there was no “analite” present. McCutcheon stated in reference to that testimony “I would like to know what she meant by that. I don’t really know if she meant there is not even a trace indicated in the record or there is not a trace that we could report that met the criteria.” McCutcheon acknowledged that the trace amount was not enough to be reported as positive. The DPS scientists agreed with McCutcheon’s testimony that the failure to properly preserve the blood sample could have contributed to the negative GC test. We do not find that the State withheld material evidence or misled trial counsel and the trial court. We overrule Somers’s first issue on appeal.

Exclusion of Evidence

Somers next argues that the trial court erred in excluding Michelle’s EMIT and GC drug test results and Michelle’s statements to her employer.

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Related

Aaron Zane Somers v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013
Stephanie Lynn Bekendam v. State
398 S.W.3d 358 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013)
Somers v. State
368 S.W.3d 528 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2012)
Somers, Aaron
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2012
Somers v. State
333 S.W.3d 747 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010)

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333 S.W.3d 747, 2010 WL 4813681, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/somers-v-state-texapp-2010.