Steven Xzavier Medina v. the State of Texas

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 22, 2024
Docket04-22-00345-CR
StatusPublished

This text of Steven Xzavier Medina v. the State of Texas (Steven Xzavier Medina v. the State of Texas) 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
Steven Xzavier Medina v. the State of Texas, (Tex. Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

Fourth Court of Appeals San Antonio, Texas MEMORANDUM OPINION

No. 04-22-00345-CR

Steven Xzavier MEDINA, Appellant

v.

The STATE of Texas, Appellee

From the 144th Judicial District Court, Bexar County, Texas Trial Court No. 2020CR4174 Honorable Michael E. Mery, Judge Presiding

Opinion by: Irene Rios, Justice

Sitting: Patricia O. Alvarez, Justice Irene Rios, Justice Lori I. Valenzuela, Justice

Delivered and Filed: May 22, 2024

AFFIRMED

Appellant Steven Xzavier Medina appeals the trial court’s deadly weapon finding

associated with his intoxication manslaughter conviction. See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN.

§§ 1.07(17)(B), 49.08. We affirm the trial court’s final judgment.

BACKGROUND

After a night out and consuming multiple intoxicating substances, including

amphetamines, methamphetamines, and marijuana, Medina drove several teenage girls around

until they asked him to stop and let them out because of his erratic driving. While the girls exited 04-22-00345-CR

the car, Jessica Medina got caught in her seatbelt. Before she could untangle herself, Medina sped

away with Jessica still entangled in her seatbelt. Medina dragged Jessica to her death.

In an open plea, Medina pled “no contest” to intoxication manslaughter in exchange for a

maximum punishment of fifteen years: the trial court accepted Medina’s plea. At the conclusion

of the sentencing proceeding, the trial court followed the plea agreement and sentenced Medina to

fifteen years in prison. The trial court also found that Medina used his car in a manner warranting

a deadly weapon finding and included the deadly weapon finding on Medina’s final judgment.

In four issues, Medina appeals the deadly weapon finding contending (1) the evidence was

insufficient to support the finding, (2) the trial court violated Medina’s due process rights by not

allowing one of the investigating officers to provide his expert opinion at the punishment

proceeding as to whether Medina used his car as a deadly weapon in the commission of the offense;

(3) the trial court abused its discretion by excluding the investigating officer’s expert opinion as to

whether Medina used his car as a deadly weapon in the commission of the offense, and (4) the trial

court violated Medina’s due process rights by predetermining that Medina used his car as a deadly

weapon prior to the sentencing proceeding and thereby, failed to consider the entire range of

punishment when assessing Medina’s punishment.

SENTENCING PROCEEDING

At the onset of the sentencing proceeding, and prior to the admission of any other evidence

pertaining to the incident, the trial court informed the parties that because Medina had stipulated

to the facts regarding the manner in which he used his car in the commission of the offense, the

trial court would be including a deadly weapon finding. The trial court then instructed counsel to

limit the evidence at the punishment proceeding to new information not otherwise contained in the

record.

-2- 04-22-00345-CR

Two of the girls that rode in Medina’s car with Jessica testified. Both girls described

Medina’s erratic driving while they were in the car the night of the offense. One girl stated that

Medina was driving “recklessly and hitting the medians” multiple times. The other girl also said

Medina drove recklessly, and that he was “swerving and stuff” and hit a curb. As a result, the girls

requested Medina stop and let them out of the car. One of the girls explained that while they were

exiting the car, Jessica was the last one getting out, and it appeared she was caught on something.

Before Jessica could get loose, Medina “took off” very fast when he “[h]eavily pressed the gas.”

The other girl testified that as soon as everyone got out, Medina sped away, dragging Jessica with

the car. The witness added that they did not “even have enough time to react” before Medina sped

off in an unsafe manner. The girls ran after Medina’s car, yelling for him to stop.

San Antonio Police Department Sergeant Tommy Johnson investigated the incident.

Sergeant Johnson testified Medina dragged Jessica behind his car for a total distance of 3.8 miles

before finally coming to a stop. During cross-examination, Medina’s counsel asked Sergeant

Johnson whether he believed Medina used his vehicle as a deadly weapon. The State objected

claiming the answer called for a legal conclusion. Medina’s counsel claimed Sergeant Johnson

was an expert and could answer. The trial court sustained the State’s objection and explained that

it did not require expert testimony to make its determination regarding a deadly weapon finding.

Nonetheless, Medina’s counsel was allowed to ask certain questions, including those pertaining to

videos obtained from various businesses along Medina’s route, to which Sergeant Johnson agreed

the videos did not depict Medina driving in an “unusual” manner. However, Sergeant Johnson did

not see video of or witness Medina driving away with Jessica entangled in the car’s seatbelt, nor

did he see the entirety of Medina’s 3.8-mile drive.

According to Medina’s mother, Medina was on probation for driving while intoxicated on

the night of Jessica’s death.

-3- 04-22-00345-CR

At the conclusion of the sentencing proceeding, the trial court found Medina used his car

as a deadly weapon based on the court’s review of the stipulated evidence, including the police

reports describing the incident and the witness statements to the police. Moreover, the trial court

considered the evidence presented during the sentencing proceeding, including the consistent

testimonies of those involved in describing Medina driving recklessly before the incident that

caused them to ask to get out of the car. The witnesses also testified that when Jessica was trying

to exit the car, Medina sped off in his car very fast, which did not allow Jessica time to free herself

from the seatbelt.

LAW ON INTOXICATION MANSLAUGHTER AND DEADLY WEAPON

A person commits the offense of intoxication manslaughter if the person (1) operates a

motor vehicle in a public place, (2) is intoxicated, and (3) by reason of that intoxication, causes

the death of another by accident or mistake. See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 49.08(a)(1), (2).

Pursuant to statute, intoxication manslaughter is a strict liability offense; thus, no culpable mental

state is necessary to convict a defendant of intoxication manslaughter. See Strickland v. State, 193

S.W.3d 662, 666 & n.3 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2006, pet. ref’d); see also Torres v. State, 52

S.W.3d 285, 286 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2001, no pet.) ((explaining that “notwithstanding

section 6.02(b), proof of culpable mental state not required for conviction of offense under chapter

49”) (citing TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. §§ 49.08(a), 49.11)).

A deadly weapon is: “(A) a firearm or anything manifestly designed, made, or adapted for

the purpose of inflicting death or serious bodily injury; or (B) anything that in the manner of its

use or intended use is capable of causing death or serious bodily injury.” TEX. PENAL CODE ANN.

§ 1.07(a)(17). To determine whether the evidence supports a deadly weapon finding in cases

involving motor vehicles, we conduct a two-part analysis. Hilburn v. State, 312 S.W.3d 169, 177

(Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2010, no pet.) (citing Sierra v. State, 280 S.W.3d 250, 255 (Tex. Crim.

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

Related

Jackson v. Virginia
443 U.S. 307 (Supreme Court, 1979)
United States v. Wesley Willie
941 F.2d 1384 (Tenth Circuit, 1991)
Drichas v. State
175 S.W.3d 795 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2005)
Vela v. State
209 S.W.3d 128 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2006)
Brumit v. State
206 S.W.3d 639 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2006)
George v. State
117 S.W.3d 285 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003)
Hilburn v. State
312 S.W.3d 169 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010)
Ex Parte Huskins
176 S.W.3d 818 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2005)
Nenno v. State
970 S.W.2d 549 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1998)
State v. Ross
953 S.W.2d 748 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1997)
Ray v. State
178 S.W.3d 833 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2005)
Strickland v. State
193 S.W.3d 662 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006)
Torres v. State
52 S.W.3d 285 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2001)
Ex Parte McKithan
838 S.W.2d 560 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1992)
Mann v. State
58 S.W.3d 132 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2001)
Mays v. State
285 S.W.3d 884 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Walters v. State
247 S.W.3d 204 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Mann v. State
13 S.W.3d 89 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2000)
Weatherred v. State
15 S.W.3d 540 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2000)
Cook v. State
328 S.W.3d 95 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2010)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Steven Xzavier Medina v. the State of Texas, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/steven-xzavier-medina-v-the-state-of-texas-texapp-2024.