State v. Aguilera

130 S.W.3d 134, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 8072, 2003 WL 22143289
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 17, 2003
Docket08-01-00159-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 130 S.W.3d 134 (State v. Aguilera) 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
State v. Aguilera, 130 S.W.3d 134, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 8072, 2003 WL 22143289 (Tex. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

RICHARD BARAJAS, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal by the State of Texas which complains that the trial court was without authority to reassess a defendant’s sentence, the sentence being within the statutory range and the defendant has begun serving the sentence. Appellee, Angel Aguilera, plead guilty to the offense of aggravated sexual assault of a child and was sentenced by the trial court to twenty-five (25) years’ incarceration in the Texas Department of Corrections. After an adjournment and an in-chambers meeting with counsel, the trial court called the case again and announced that it had reconsidered the original sentence and re-sentenced Appellee to fifteen (15) years’ incarceration. Although the record includes bills of exceptions filed by both parties, the record of the proceedings fails to disclose any specific reason why the trial court reconsidered and reassessed the sentence *136 earlier imposed. The State appeals on the ground that the re-sentencing of Appellee was illegal and void. We agree, and for the reasons stated, we reverse the judgment of the trial court.

I. FACTUAL SUMMARY

Appellee, Defendant below, pled guilty to three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and waived jury trial. The trial court entered a judgment of guilty for the offense. A week later, the trial court held a sentencing hearing. The following took place on the record during the course of the hearing:

THE COURT: Please be seated. We are back on the record, State of Texas versus Angel Aguilera. Let the record reflect that the attorneys and the Defendant are present in the courtroom. This truly is a very difficult, difficult position to put anyone in. Sitting here trying to be in judgment of an individual is very tough, sir. After pleading guilty to the Court and you waived your rights to a jury trial, sir, and after I accepted and— after you pled guilty and I accepted your guilty plea and found you guilty for the offense of aggravated sexual assault, three counts, sir, I hereby assess your punishment at 25 years, sir, in the Texas Department of Corrections, Institutional Division, sir. Is there any reason, Mr. Garcia, why punishment should not be pronounced — sentence should not be pronounced at this time, sir?
MR. GARCIA [Counsel for Appellant]: No, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Okay. Please stand, sir. Mr. Aguilera, upon having nothing to say and you having been found guilty of the offense of aggravated sexual assault, your punishment having been assessed at 25 years, sir, I hereby remand you to the care, custody and control of the sheriffs department so that they may deliver you to the director of the Texas Department of Corrections, Institutional Division, sir, where you will be confined for 25 years, sir. You are going to be— for a period of 25 years, sir. Under the rules and regulations governing the Institutional Division, your sentence is going to commence today, sir, and you will get credit for all time served. Anything further?
MS. HAMILTON [Counsel for the State]: Your Honor, at this time, I believe the victim would like to, off the record, make a victim impact statement.
THE COURT: Very well.
[[Image here]]

The victim-impact statement was made off the record immediately after sentencing. The record does not indicate whether Appellee was absent from the courtroom during the delivery of the victim-impact statement. Following the victim-impact statement the court recessed. Following the recess, the court reconvened and the following took place on the record:

THE COURT: Very well. Let the record reflect that we have had an in-chambers discussion amongst the attorneys regarding my reconsideration of the sentence, and I have informed counsel that I have reconsidered my sentence and intend to reduce it at this time down to 15 years. At this time, Ms. Hamilton, for the record, you wanted to state what?
MS. HAMILTON: Your Honor, for the record, the State would take the position before the Court that after having pronounced legal sentence of 25 years in this cause, after hearing evidence and testimony, that it would be an illegal sentence that the Court would impose— talking about the reduction and the 15 years — so the State objects to the illegal *137 sentence that is about to be imposed on the Defendant.
THE COURT: Very well. It is the Court’s position, though, however, that I do have plenary power and plenary jurisdiction for at least 30 days after the imposition of any sentence, whether it be civil or criminal. So based on that, I’ll go ahead and note your objection; however, it is overruled. At this time, Mr. Aguilera, after pleading guilty to this Court and you waived your rights to a trial by jury, and, remember, I did accept your guilty plea and I found you guilty for the offense of aggravated sexual assault, three counts, I hereby reconsider and I reassess your punishment to 15 years, sir, in the Texas Department of Corrections, Institutional Division.
THE COURT: I want the record to reflect that this Court did reconsider its sentence, and I have set aside the previous sentence of 25 years.

What transpired during and after the victim-impact statement and prior to Ap-pellee’s re-sentencing is disputed between the State and the trial judge. There was a conference, off the record in the trial judge’s chambers, and the record is silent as to what, if anything was said in court as to the precise reasons for the reconsideration of sentence. The State timely filed this appeal. Appellee filed a motion to dismiss this appeal for lack of jurisdiction, but this Court opted to carry the motion to dismiss with the case and address the issue with the rest of the issues on appeal.

II. DISCUSSION

The State’s sole issue on review suggests that the trial court was without jurisdiction to revise and reassess Appellee’s sentence of twenty-five (25) years’ incarceration. Appellee counters by suggesting that this Court lacks appellate jurisdiction.

A. Jurisdiction

We first address Appellee’s motion to dismiss for want of appellate jurisdiction. Appellee contends this case should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction because his second sentence was not illegal. Appellee pled guilty to the offense of aggravated sexual assault of a child. The range of punishment for committing a first degree felony is a term of imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than ninety-nine years or life imprisonment. Tex. Pen.Code Ann. § 12.32 (Vernon 2003). Appellee asserts the trial court’s reduction of his sentence from twenty-five (25) years to fifteen (15) years was not illegal since it was within the statutory sentencing range.

Contrary to Appellee, the State argues this Court has jurisdiction pursuant to Article 44.01(b) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. See Tex.Code Crim. PROC. Ann. art. 44.01(b) (Vernon Supp.2002). Under Article 44.01(b), the State is entitled to appeal a sentence on the ground that the sentence is illegal.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Jose Antonio Fuentes v. State of Texas
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008
State v. Aguilera
165 S.W.3d 695 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
130 S.W.3d 134, 2003 Tex. App. LEXIS 8072, 2003 WL 22143289, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-aguilera-texapp-2003.