State v. Morales

804 S.W.2d 331, 1991 Tex. App. LEXIS 403, 1991 WL 18747
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 20, 1991
DocketNo. 3-90-099-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 804 S.W.2d 331 (State v. Morales) 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. Morales, 804 S.W.2d 331, 1991 Tex. App. LEXIS 403, 1991 WL 18747 (Tex. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

JONES, Justice.

The State appeals from the trial court’s dismissal of an information charging Raul Morales, Jr., with the offense of driving while intoxicated. Tex.Code Cr.P. Ann. art. 44.01 (Supp.1991). We will reverse and remand.

Morales was charged in Cause No. 90CR-161 with driving while intoxicated, allegedly committed in Comal County on November 29, 1989. While that charge was pending, Morales was again arrested and charged with the same offense in Cause No. 90CR-374, allegedly committed on January 19, 1990. The results of intoxi-lyzer tests showed a 0.22 alcohol concentration for the first incident and 0.26 for the second incident. The State and Morales’s attorney reached a plea bargain agreement wherein Morales agreed to plead guilty to both offenses and the State agreed to recommend punishment of a $300 fine, $126.50 court costs, and sixty days in jail for each offense, with the jail sentences to run concurrently. Upon presentation of this agreement to the trial court at a hearing on March 30, 1990, the court rejected it. In lieu thereof, the court found Morales guilty in Cause No. 90CR-161 and sentenced him for that offense to a $600 fine, court costs, a one-year driver’s license suspension, and thirty days in jail; the court then dismissed Cause No. 90CR-374. The written dismissal order later signed by the trial court recites that it was on the motion of the defendant. No appeal was taken in Cause No. 90CR-161. The State argues in this [332]*332appeal that the trial court was not authorized to dismiss Cause No. 90CR-374.

This Court has recognized that “in the absence of constitutional or statutory authorization, a trial court cannot dismiss a prosecution except on the motion of the prosecuting attorney.” State v. Gray, 801 S.W.2d 10 (Tex.App.1990, no pet.); see also State v. Anderson, 119 Tex. 110, 26 S.W.2d 174 (1930); State v. Torres, 805 S.W.2d 418 (Tex.Cr.App.1991) (Clinton, J., concurring); Wallace v. State, 145 Tex.Crim. 625, 170 S.W.2d 762 (1943); Malley v. State, 125 Tex.Crim. 625, 69 S.W.2d 765 (1934); State v. Fox, 772 S.W.2d 455 (Tex.App.1989, no pet.); State v. Chandler, 767 S.W.2d 211 (Tex.App.1989, no pet.). The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure requires the prosecutor to obtain the trial court’s permission before dismissing a charge, but otherwise does not diminish the prosecutor’s traditional responsibility for and control of criminal prosecutions. See Tex.Code Cr.P.Ann. art. 32.02 (1989).

Morales asserts three arguments in support of the trial court’s dismissal: (1) the trial court never accepted the original plea agreement, and the State and Morales entered into a new plea arrangement in open court; (2) the State waived any alleged error by failing to object at the trial level; and (3) a retrial would subject Morales to double jeopardy.

Morales first argues that after the trial court rejected the initial plea bargain agreement, the State agreed to or acquiesced in a new arrangement suggested by the trial court. Our review of the record does not reveal any express agreement by the State. Accordingly, we must determine whether a new plea bargain agreement was formed merely through the State’s acquiescence. In this regard, we note initially that a plea bargain agreement is essentially a contract. Thi Van Le v. Perkins, 700 S.W.2d 768, 773-74 (Tex.App.1985), appl. for writ of mand. denied, 738 S.W.2d 276 (Tex.Cr.App.1987). In civil proceedings, the rule regarding formation of a contract is stated that “[sjilence on the part of the offeree does not constitute an acceptance of the offer unless the relationship of the parties, their previous dealings, or other circumstances are such as to impose on him a duty to speak.” 17 C.J.S. Contracts § 41(e) at 670 (1963).

We are uncertain whether such a rule of contract formation applies in the present setting. Even if it does, however, the statement of facts reveals neither special circumstances giving rise to a duty on the part of the prosecutor to speak, nor any indication of conduct by the prosecutor that could lead us to infer acceptance of the “offer” being proposed. A review of the relevant portions of the statement of facts is instructive. After the prosecutor and the defense attorney had informed the court that a plea bargain had been reached whereby Morales would plead guilty to both charges as described above, the following dialogue occurred:

THE COURT: Let’s see. On 90-161, I find you guilty. And I tell you what you ought to do here. You know, why don’t you just trade one of these cases out, do one plea on this.
MR. BRAZLE (defense attorney): I — I asked for that, Your Honor. Mr. Brown didn’t think that that was ...
MR. BROWN (prosecutor): Well—
MR. BRAZLE: ... the proper way to do it.
* * * * * *
THE COURT: Well, let’s just roll — roll it into one case here. I’ll dismiss 90-0246 [sic]; however, give you a $600 fine—
MR. BRAZLE: The 374, Your Honor, that—
THE CLERK: The newest?
THE COURT: Yeah, the latest case.
THE CLERK: Dismiss that—
THE COURT: I’ll find the evidence insufficient and, however, on — well, all this paperwork is made out — which one is the—
MR. BROWN: Your Honor—
THE COURT: 90-161 is the first case?
MR. BRAZLE: Yes, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Okay.
MR. BROWN: Your Honor, my concern is not the amount or the fines as much as [333]*333it is having the two convictions so the next, if he — if he—
THE COURT: I understand the State’s position. Be fined — in 90-161, be fined $600 ...
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: ... court costs, $200 in attorney’s fees ...
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: ... 60 days to do.
MR. BRAZLE: Your Honor, we have prepared an inmate’s work release program, also, for your signature.
THE COURT: Okay. And you are going to want to do the work release?
MR. BRAZLE: Yes, Your Honor.
******
THE COURT: How did you-all come up with 60 days?
MR. BROWN: That was just the—

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804 S.W.2d 331, 1991 Tex. App. LEXIS 403, 1991 WL 18747, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-morales-texapp-1991.