Spencer, Christopher Charles v. State

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 6, 2013
Docket05-11-01565-CR
StatusPublished

This text of Spencer, Christopher Charles v. State (Spencer, Christopher Charles 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
Spencer, Christopher Charles v. State, (Tex. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

REFORM and %FFIRM; Opinion filed March 6, 2013,

In The (!ourt rif Apprita iftI! utritt uf ixa tt attx No. OS-I 1-01565-CR No. 05-11-01566-CR

CHRISTOPHER CHARLES SPENCER, Appellant

V.

THE STATE oF TEXAS, Appellee

On Appeal from the Criminal District Court No. 5 Dallas County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. F-11-50836-L and Fl 1-50837-L

OPINION Before Justices Lang-Miers, Myers, and Richter’ Opinion By Justice Richter

A jury found appellant guilty of evading arrest and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Appellant entered into a plea agreement with the State as to punishment and pled true to the

enhancement allegations. In accordance with the plea agreement, the trial court sentenced

appellant to twenty years’ imprisonment in the evading arrest case and twenty-five years’

imprisonment in the possession of a firearm case. In seven issues, appellant now argues:

(1) the deadly weapon finding should be deleted from the judgment in cause number Fil

l The Honorable Martin E. Richter, Retired Justice, sitting by assignment. 50X37L because there was no associated felony facilitated by appellant’s possession of the

firearm: (1) the trial court erred in admitting hearsay statements: (3) the trial court erred in

overruling appellant’s objection to testimony regarding typical behavior during a traffic stop:

(4) the trial court erred in denying appellant’s request for an instruction to disregard the

State’s closing argument; (5) the trial court erred in instructing thejury; (6) the evidence was

insufficient to support appellants conviction br unlawful possession of a firearm; and (7)

the judgment should be reformed to reflect a conviction for a third degree felony in cause

number Fl l-5036-L. We reform thejudgment in cause number Fl l—50837-L to delete the

deadly weapon finding and reform the judgment in cause number F 11 -50836-L to reflect a

conviction for a third degree felony. As reformed, we affirm the trial court’s judgment.

BACKGROUND

On January 4, 2011, there was an active felony warrant for appellant’s arrest. Dallas

Police Officer Derick Walker contacted Officer Brandon Thompson, also of the Dallas

Police Department, with information that the Ford Taurus appellant was believed to be using

belonged to appellant’s mother, and was located outside an apartment complex. After

Officer Thompson set up surveillance, appellant got into the Taurus and drove away.

Detective Thompson notified the uniformed officers that appellant was leaving the complex,

and followed appellant until the officers in the marked squad car could take over. Initially,

the squad cars passed appellant’s vehicle, and as they turned around, appellant increased his

rate of speed to “approximately 80 to 85 miles per hour.” Appellant’s driving was erratic and

reckless and he refused to pull over.

—2— After traveling through a series of roads and through a car wash, appellant drove into

a field and exited the vehicle, The car was still in gear, and continued to roll until it hit

another vehicle, Appellant ran through a nearby apartment complex and jumped a fence. The

uniformed police officers that had been pursuing appellant in squad cars with lights and

sirens on chased appellant through the apartment complex on foot. Appellant was ultimately

apprehended about 100 yards from the vehicle.

One officer secured appellant’s car and observed a small semi-automatic pistol in

plain view on the driver’s side floorboard. The gun was loaded with four bullets. After his

arrest, appellant gave the police a written statement explaining that a friend gave him the gun

for self defense.

Deadly Weapon Finding

In his first issue, appellant asserts because there was no associated felony facilitated

by his possession of the pistol in cause no. Fl I -50837-L, the affirmative finding of use of

a deadly weapon should be deleted from the judgment. The State responds that the finding

should not be deleted because the pistol facilitated appellant’s commission of the offense of

unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon as well as the offense of evading arrest. We

agree with appellant.

An affirmative deadly weapon finding may be made where it is shown that a deadly

weapon “was used or exhibited during the commission of a felony offense ... and that the

defendant used or exhibited the deadly weapon . . . .“ TEx. CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN.

art.42. 12 § § 3g (a)(2) (West Supp. 2012). An affirmative deadly weapon finding will not be

—3— supported where the crime is mere possession, as opposed to possession that facilitates the

commission of a separate and distinct felony. Narron v. State, 835 S.W.2d 642 (Tex, Crim,

App. 1992): Ex Parte Petix, 833 S.W.2d 145 (Tex. Crim. App. 1992), abrogated on other

ç’rounc[v by Es Parte Nelson. 1 37 S.W.3d 666 (Te’c Crirn. App. 2004). In Narron and Petty,

the defendants were charged with unlawful possession of a deadly weapon. They were found

guilty of simple possesslon, and the trial courts entered affirmative deadly weapon findings.

The Court of Criminal Appeals found that because the weapons were not used to facilitate

the associated felony, the affirmative deadly weapon findings were erroneous. The court

stated:

This court has interpreted ‘use” of a deadly weapon in the context of Article 42.12 § 3g (a)(2) . . to include simple possession if such possession .

facilitates the associated felony.. .in order to “use” a deadly weapon for affirmative finding purposes, the weapon must be utilized to achieve an intended result, namely, the commission of a felony offense separate and distinct from “mere” possession

Narron, 835 S.W.2d at 644 (emphasis in original): Es Parte Petty, 833 S.W.2d at 145

(emphasis in original).

Citing Tyra v. State, 897 S.W.2d 796, 801 (Tex. Crim. App. 1995), the State argues

that Narron and Petty limit, but do not prohibit, the entry of an affirmative deadly weapon

finding in cases involving prosecution for illegal possession of a firearm. In support of this

argument, the State insists this was not a case of simple possession because appellant had “

a pistol and was ready to use it if necessary.” We are not persuaded by this argument.

-4- The record reflects that the gun was found in appellant’s car, Appellant was not in

the car when the gun was found, nor did he brandish the weapon as the officers pursued him

or as he attempted to flee. Appellant was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.

The gravamen of the offense is possession of the firearm and the offense was complete upon

possession. See Trva, 897 S.W.2d at 801 (Baird. J.. concurring). Therefore, the weapon was

not “used” in furtherance ot any collateral felony. Because there was no associated felony

facilitated by appellant’s possession. the affirmative finding of use of a deadly weapon was

error. Appellant’s first issue is sustained, and the judgment in cause number 05-41-01566-

CR (Fll—50837) is reformed to delete the following language: “Findings on a deadly

weapon: Yes, a firearm.”

Hearsay

In his second issue, appellant asserts the trial court erred in admitting hearsay

statements contained in State’s Exhibits 3 and 11. Exhibit 3 was a recording of appellant’s

telephone conversations while incarcerated. Exhibit 11 consisted of a transcript of portions

of these conversations.

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