State v. Rosenbaum

852 S.W.2d 525, 1993 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 95, 1993 WL 138804
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 5, 1993
Docket865-92
StatusPublished
Cited by60 cases

This text of 852 S.W.2d 525 (State v. Rosenbaum) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal 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. Rosenbaum, 852 S.W.2d 525, 1993 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 95, 1993 WL 138804 (Tex. 1993).

Opinions

OPINION ON STATE’S PETITIONS FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW

MILLER, Judge.

Appellee was indicted for perjury and aggravated perjury. Because the District Attorney could be called to testify, the district attorney moved that he and his staff be disqualified. The district judge [526]*526granted the motion and disqualified the District Attorney and his staff from prosecuting the case. By court order, the district judge appointed a special prosecutor1 to “investigate” and “prosecute” the case. Subsequently, the trial court quashed the indictment of appellee for aggravated perjury. The State appealed the court order to quash as authorized by Article 44.-01(a)(1), Vernon’s Annotated Code of Criminal Procedure. Moreno v. State, 807 S.W.2d 327 (Tex.Crim.App.1991); Garrett v. State, 824 S.W.2d 181 (Tex.Crim.App.1992). The special prosecutor timely filed notice of appeal with the Fourteenth Court of Appeals.

The Court of Appeals relied on State v. Muller, 829 S.W.2d 805 (Tex.Crim.App.1992), and held that it was without jurisdiction to consider the merits of the appeal because the requirements of Art. 44.01(d), V.A.C.C.P., had not been met. The court of appeals held that the requirements were not met because no express or specific authorization2 to make the appeal was given to the special prosecutor by the District Attorney. State v. Rosenbaum, 830 S.W.2d 793 (Tex.App.—Houston 1992).

We granted review of the State’s petitions for discretionary review to determine if a proper appeal may be made by a special prosecutor, appointed by court order to replace a disqualified district attorney, without authorization from that district attorney. We will reverse the court of appeals and remand for consideration of the merits of the State’s appeal.

In State v. Muller, 829 S.W.2d at 809, this Court held “prosecuting attorney” as used in 44.01(d) means “the county attorney, district attorney, or criminal district attorney who has the primary responsibility of prosecuting cases in the court hearing the case and does not include an assistant prosecuting attorney.” Muller, 829 S.W.2d at 809. In Muller, an assistant prosecuting attorney filed an appeal. This Court held that Art. 44.01 did not allow the elected district attorney’s subordinate to make an appeal. We held that Art. 44.01(d) plainly on its face did not include an assistant prosecutor or other subordinate. Id. We also held that this interpretation of Article 44.01(d) applied to all parts of Article 44.01. Ibid. at 810.

Because of 44.01(d) we held that “the phrase ‘make an appeal’ clearly requires ... the prosecuting attorney to personally supervise and authorize the appeals to be undertaken by his office on behalf of the State.” Id. However, we also pointed out that the appeal does not necessarily need to carry the prosecuting attorney’s signature. This just requires the prosecuting attorney to “ ‘make an appeal’ by personally authorizing — in some fashion — the specific notice of appeal in question. More specifically ... he must either physically sign the notice of appeal or personally instruct and authorize a subordinate to sign the specific notice of appeal in question.” Id.

In the instant case the Honorable John L. Placke disqualified the District Attorney, Charles J. Sebesta, Jr., and his staff by granting the State’s Motion for Appointment of Special Prosecutor. The district attorney’s office was disqualified because the DA could be called to testify in appel-lee’s trial for penury. Judge Placke then appointed special prosecutor, Jim W. James, by a court order to “investigate” and “prosecute” the case.3

At a pretrial hearing after the appointment of James, the Honorable Larry Gist quashed a portion of the indictment for lack of materiality. James gave timely notice of appeal of the order to quash which he signed and filed in the Fourteenth Court of Appeals. The elected District Attorney did not sign the notice of appeal as prior to the filing of the notice of the appeal, the disqualified district attorney made motion [527]*527to the court that he not be required to sign the appeal.

The State agrees with Judge Ellis’ dissenting opinion in the Court of Appeals and contends that the special prosecutor is authorized to perform all duties of the district attorney and has all the powers of the district attorney; thus, the special prosecutor “steps into the shoes” of the district attorney. The State alleges that the power to make an appeal is included in the powers of the district attorney; therefore, the State claims the appellate court had jurisdiction to consider the merits of its appeal.

Appellee counters that the requirements for a proper appeal by the state in Art. 44.01(d) were not met. Appellee claims that the special prosecutor was without authority to make the appeal under Article 44.01(d); and, therefore, notice of appeal was never properly given by the State. Appellee asserts that since notice was not properly given, the appellate court was without jurisdiction to consider the appeal.

The result reached by the Court of Appeals is reasonably understood from our language in Muller, 829 S.W.2d 805, where we stated that Article 44.01 requires the elected “prosecuting attorney” (and not his assistant) to “make” the State’s “notice of appeal ...”, and that the prosecuting attorney “must physically sign it [the notice of appeal], or personally instruct and authorize a subordinate to sign the specific notice of appeal in question.” However, we agree with the State that the case before us is distinguishable, on its facts, from State v. Muller, 829 S.W.2d 805.

According to Muller, 829 S.W.2d at 809, this Court interpreted Article 44.01 to mean that only the actual prosecuting attorney, not a subordinate to the prosecuting attorney, may make an appeal for the state. However, Muller did not cover the situation presented in this case where the district attorney is altogether removed from a case and a special prosecutor is substituted for that district attorney.

Article 2.07(b-1), V.A.C.C.P., allows the district attorney to recuse himself from a case if necessary. Upon approval of the recusal request by the judge, the district attorney is considered disqualified. Art. 2.07(b-1), V.A.C.C.P. Article 2.07(a) provides that if the attorney for the state 4 is disqualified5, a judge “may appoint any competent attorney to perform the duties of the office during the absence or disqualification of the attorney for the state.” V.A.C.C.P. 2.07(b-1). Article 2.07(a) states plainly that the pro tem attorney will perform the duties of the district attorney.6

In addition, over 120 years ago the Texas Supreme Court (then vested with general authority over criminal matters) held that “an attorney pro tem appointed by the court has all the powers and duties of the regular prosecuting attorney.” State v. Lackey, 35 Tex. 357 (1872).

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

Related

Keith White v. the State of Texas
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2025
Nathan Grider v. the State of Texas
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2022
Alberto Alba Villarreal v. State
504 S.W.3d 494 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2016)
Mark Ken Tafel v. State
524 S.W.3d 687 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2016)
State v. Surratt
2016 NMSC 004 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 2015)
Melissa Adler v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014
Michael Geiger v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013
Keith White v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013
Haywood v. State
344 S.W.3d 454 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011)
Ferguson v. State
335 S.W.3d 676 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011)
Coleman v. State
246 S.W.3d 76 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2008)
Coleman, Thomas
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2008
In Re Guerra
235 S.W.3d 392 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Delapaz v. State
228 S.W.3d 183 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Coleman v. State
279 S.W.3d 681 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Thomas Coleman v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006
Darnell Hartsfield v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006
Hartsfield v. State
200 S.W.3d 813 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
852 S.W.2d 525, 1993 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 95, 1993 WL 138804, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-rosenbaum-texcrimapp-1993.