Spencer, Christopher Charles v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided March 6, 2013·No. 05-11-01565-CR·Published

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.

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

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.

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. The State responds that the trial court did not err in admitting Exhibit 3 and appellant failed to preserve error as to Exhibit 11, We agree with the State.

We review a trial court’s ruling on the admission or exclusion of evidence for an abuse of discretion. Tilirnan v. State, 354 S.W.3d 425,435 (Tex. Crim. App. 2011). A trial court abuses its discretion only if its decision “lies outside the zone of reasonable disagreement.” Martinez v. State, 327 S.W.3d 727, 736 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010). We consider the ruling in light of what was before the trial court at the time the ruling was made

and uphold the trial court’s decision if it lies within the zone of reasonable disagreement. ihliodeau v 5tate. 277 S.W.3d 34. 39 (Tex. (‘rim. App. 2009).

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