Todd v. State

911 S.W.2d 807, 1995 Tex. App. LEXIS 2789, 1995 WL 664344
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 9, 1995
Docket08-93-00246-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by82 cases

This text of 911 S.W.2d 807 (Todd v. State) 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
Todd v. State, 911 S.W.2d 807, 1995 Tex. App. LEXIS 2789, 1995 WL 664344 (Tex. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinions

OPINION

McCLURE, Justice.

Gerald Steven Todd appeals from a conviction for the offense of criminally negligent homicide. Upon the jury’s finding of guilt, the trial court assessed punishment at one year in the county jail, probated for two years, and a fine of $500. Appellant challenges his conviction by twenty points of error. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Presentment of the Information

In Point of Error No. One, Appellant contends that the trial court lacked jurisdiction because the information does not reflect that it was presented to the proper court. After Appellant entered his plea of not guilty at trial, he objected to the information on the ground that it is defective for failure to reflect in which court it had been filed. The failure to place the court number on the information when the case is presented does not affect the validity of the presentment. Queen v. State, 701 S.W.2d 314, 315-16 (Tex.App. —Austin 1985, pet. refd). If the information is delivered to the clerk’s office by the prosecuting attorney, as it was in this case, it is properly presented. Id. at 315-16. Point of Error No. One is overruled.

Sufficiency of the Information

In Point of Error No. Two, Appellant asserts that the information does not allege criminally negligent homicide because the facts alleged show nothing more than ordinary negligence. Appellant did not file a motion to quash or otherwise object on this ground at trial. In the absence of an objection, this complaint is waived. Tex.Code CRIM.PROcAnn. art. 1.14(b) (Vernon Supp. 1995); Aguilar v. State, 846 S.W.2d 318, 319-20 (Tex.Crim.App.1993); Studer v. State, 799 S.W.2d 263, 268-73 (Tex.Crim.App.1990). Point of Error No. Two is overruled.

Failure to Grant Motion for Continuance and Disqualification of Special Judge

In Point of Error No. Three, Appellant contends that the court erred in failing to grant his motion for continuance in which he objected to the appointment of the special judge. In the same point of error, he also argues that the special judge was disqualified and therefore, the judgment of conviction is void. On June 7, 1993, the presiding judge of the County Criminal Courts at Law in Harris County, Texas, signed an order appointing Eric Hagstette to act as special judge for Neel Richardson, the judge of the County Criminal Court at Law No. 8. The appointment covered a time period from June 28, 1993 through July 2, 1993. Hag-stette executed an oath of office on June 7, 1993.

Appellant filed a motion for continuance on the day of trial, complaining of his unfamiliarity with an unelected special judge. The special judge denied the motion for continuance by written order the same day. On appeal, Appellant contends that his motion for continuance should have been granted since he did not receive notice of the appointment and an opportunity to be heard with regard thereto. Appellant did not raise this [812]*812objection at trial, nor did he assert a lack of notice as a basis for his motion for continuance. The State contends that error is waived because the objection at trial does not comport with the argument raised on appeal. We agree in part. Insofar as Appellant raises this contention in the context of the failure to grant the motion for continuance, Appellant’s failure to raise this ground at trial constitutes waiver. Tex.R.App.P. 52(a). However, to the extent Appellant raises his contentions concerning the special judge in terms of disqualification, they are not waived. See Johnson v. State, 869 S.W.2d 347, 348-49 (Tex.Crim.App.1994). We will address the disqualification issues first.

The presiding judge appointed the special judge pursuant to Section 25.1033(1) of the Government Code. TexGov’t Code Ann. § 25.1033(1) (Vernon 1988). Section 25.1033(1) provides that a special judge may be appointed as provided for by Section 75.403 of the Government Code. Under Section 75.403, the presiding judge for certain Harris County courts may appoint a special judge to serve in the place of an absent judge. TexGov’t Code Ann. § 75.403(e) (Vernon 1988). The qualifications, duties, and powers of a special judge are the same as for the regular judge. TexGov’t Code Ann. § 75.403(e) (Vernon 1988). The provisions of Articles 30.04, 30.05, and 30.06 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which relate to the oath, compensation, and record of appointment of certain special judges, apply to the appointment of a special judge under this subsection. TexGov’t Code Ann. § 75.403(e) (Vernon 1988).

Appellant first asserts that he did not receive the requisite notice and hearing regarding the appointment of the special judge as required by TexGov’t Code Ann. § 26.022(b) (Vernon 1988). However, the subchapter in which that provision is included applies only in counties with no statutory county court at law or statutory probate court and all duties of the county court devolve upon the county judge. TexGov’t Code Ann. § 26.021 (Vernon 1988). County Criminal Court at Law No. 8 is a statutory county court at law. TexGov’t Code Ann. § 25.1031(b)(8) (Vernon 1988 and Vernon Supp.1995). Accordingly, the hearing and notice provisions of Section 26.022(b) do not apply in the instant case.

Next, Appellant asserts that the special judge was disqualified because the clerk of the trial court failed to comply with Article 30.05 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. In the event a special judge is agreed upon by the parties, elected, or appointed, Article 30.05 requires the clerk to make a record of the event by entering in the minutes that the judge of the court was absent, that the special judge was agreed upon by consent of the parties, or elected, or appointed, and that the oath of office was duly administered to the special judge. TexCode CRIm.PROcAnn. art. 30.05 (Vernon 1989). The record before us contains the presiding judge’s order appointing the special judge to act during the absence of the regular judge, and the oath of office executed by the special judge. The presiding judge ordered the clerk to enter into the minutes the order appointing the special judge and the oath of office executed by the special judge. Because the appellate record before us does not contain the minutes, however, we are unable to determine whether the clerk entered the information as required by Article 30.05 and the judge’s order. There is nothing in the record to indicate that the clerk did not comply with this order or with her statutory duty. Appellant’s contention is not supported by the record. Therefore, nothing is presented for our review.

Appellant also argues, without citing any authority, that Article 30.05 impliedly entitles him to notice of the appointment of the special judge. Appellant fails to recognize that Article 30.05 concerns only the duty of the clerk to enter certain information into the minutes, thereby recording the event. We are unable to read any affirmative notice requirement into the statute. For these reasons, Appellant’s argument that the special judge is disqualified is without merit.

Turning our attention to the motion for continuance, appellant contends that the lack of notice of the special judge’s appointment deprived him of the effective assistance of counsel because counsel necessarily based his advice and trial strategy upon a belief [813]*813that the elected judge would be trying the case.

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Bluebook (online)
911 S.W.2d 807, 1995 Tex. App. LEXIS 2789, 1995 WL 664344, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/todd-v-state-texapp-1995.