Valadez v. State

979 S.W.2d 18, 1998 WL 687325
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 9, 1998
Docket14-96-00159-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 979 S.W.2d 18 (Valadez 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
Valadez v. State, 979 S.W.2d 18, 1998 WL 687325 (Tex. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

OPINION

FOWLER, Justice.

Over his plea of not guilty, a jury found Steven Rene Valadez (“Valadez”) guilty of the felony offenses of attempted capital murder of two persons and attempted murder of a third individual. See TexPenal Code Ann. §§ 15.01, 19.02, 19.03 (Vernon 1994). The jury fixed punishment at twenty-five years imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division, and a $10000 fine for the offense of attempted capital murder and twenty years and a $10000 fine for the offense of attempted murder. Valadez has four distinct complaints on appeal: 1) the offense of attempted capital murder does not exist; 2) the trial court improperly conducted two motion in limine hearings outside his presence; 3) his rights against double jeopardy were violated because he was tried for one count of attempted capital murder and one count of attempted murder when he should have been tried only for one count of attempted capital murder of all three individuals; and 4) the trial court improperly admitted hearsay testimony. We affirm the trial court judgment because attempted capital murder is an offense, Valadez showed no harm resulting from the motions being held outside his presence, the double jeopardy proscription was not violated, and, finally, the trial court did not admit hearsay testimony.

THE CONTROVERSY

On September 1, 1994, Valadez was involved in a shoot-out at Charlie’s Family Pool Hall. In this shootout, several witnesses testified that Valadez shot and wounded Ventura Marquez (“Marquez”) and Robert Pena (“Pena”) and shot at Sergio Gamez (“Ga-mez”). Neither Marquez nor Pena died as a result of their wounds. Valadez was indicted for the attempted capital murder of Pena and Marquez and the attempted murder of Ga-mez. The jury found Valadez guilty of both attempted capital murder and attempted murder.

THE OFFENSE OF ATTEMPTED CAPITAL MURDER

In his first point of error, Valadez contends the trial court erred in denying his motion for directed verdict of acquittal on the attempted capital murder charge. Valadez argues that the offense of attempted capital murder does not exist in the Texas Penal Code because it is not specifically codified in section 19.03(a)(7) of the Penal Code. See Tex.Penal Code Ann. § 19.03(a)(7) (Vernon 1994). Valadez also argues that the criminal attempt section of the Texas Penal Code does not apply to the offense of capital murder. See TexPenal Code Ann. § 15.01 (Vernon 1994). We disagree. As the discussion *20 below shows, Valadez’s actions meet the requirements for attempted capital murder, and, nothing in the Penal Code states that these two sections may not be read together.

The Texas Penal Code provides that a person commits the offense of capital murder when that person murders more than one person during the same criminal transaction. See TexPenal Code Ann. § 19.03(a)(7) (Vernon 1994). The Texas Penal Code also provides that “[a] person commits an offense if, with specific intent to commit an offense, he does an act amounting to more than mere preparation that tends huts fails to effect the commission of the offense intended.” Tex.Penal Code Ann. § 15.01 (Vernon 1994). By shooting and injuring two people during the same criminal transaction, Valdez committed an act amounting to more than the mere preparation required for attempted capital murder. See Hidalgo v. State, 945 S.W.2d 313, 316 (Tex.App.—San Antonio 1997, pet. granted) (stating that proof that the defendant attempted to murder more than one person during the same criminal transaction was sufficient to prove the offense of attempted capital murder). Therefore, we overrule Valadez’s first point of error.

In his second and third points of error, Valadez contends the trial court erred in denying his objection to the court’s charge at both the guilt/innocence phase of the trial as well as the punishment phase of trial. In these points, it appears Valadez is arguing that the jury should not have received an instruction as to attempted capital murder because that crime does not exist in the Penal Code. For the reasons stated above, we conclude such a crime does exist, and we believe the jury was properly instructed as to attempted capital murder. Valadez’s second and third points of error are overruled.

In his fourth point of error, Valadez contends the trial court erred in conducting hearings upon the State’s motion in limine outside his presence. On January 22, 1996, before jury von* dire began, the State asked the trial judge to rule on its motion in limine. The record reflects that Valadez was not present during the ruling on this motion. The reporter’s record reflects that he entered the courtroom immediately after the trial court granted the State’s motion. On January 23, 1996, the trial court addressed additional matters about the same motion in limine outside Valadez’s presence. Valadez argues that the trial court’s actions violate Article 33.03 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. See Tex.Code CRIM.PROC.Ann. Art. 33.03 (Vernon 1989). According to this Article, “[i]n all prosecution for felonies, the Defendant must be personally present at the trial....” Id.

Valadez’s complaint has two fundamental problems: his counsel did not object to his absence and, more importantly, he has not shown any harm by the court’s actions. In this regard, under the case law, before we can reverse the trial court for violating the requirement that the defendant must be personally present at trial, Valadez must make an actual showing of injury or a showing of facts which can be inferred in order to require reversal. See Carrion v. State, 926 S.W.2d 625, 629 (Tex.App.—Eastland 1996, pet. ref'd) (citing Mares v. State, 571 S.W.2d 303, 307 (Tex.Crim.App.1978)). Valadez has failed to show how his presence at a hearing on a motion in limine has harmed his defense. We, therefore, overrule his fourth point of error.

In his fifth point of error, Valadez contends his rights against double jeopardy were violated as a result of the multiple convictions arising from the same criminal episode. Valadez argues that he cannot be charged with both attempted capital murder and attempted murder when he shot Marquez and Pena and shot at Gamez in the same criminal transaction. His position is, since he shot at all three victims in the same incident, he should be charged only with the attempted capital murder of three individuals rather than the attempted capital murder of two people and the attempted murder of the third. Apparently, his position is that since Texas has abandoned the carving doctrine, the State cannot convict him of both attempted capital murder and attempted murder arising out of the same incident. See Ex parte McWilliams, 634 S.W.2d 815, 824 (Tex.Crim.App.1982). However, Valadez is mis *21 taken.

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979 S.W.2d 18, 1998 WL 687325, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/valadez-v-state-texapp-1998.