Waltmon v. State

76 S.W.3d 148, 2002 Tex. App. LEXIS 2732, 2001 WL 1843714
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 17, 2002
Docket09-01-282 CR
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 76 S.W.3d 148 (Waltmon 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
Waltmon v. State, 76 S.W.3d 148, 2002 Tex. App. LEXIS 2732, 2001 WL 1843714 (Tex. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinions

OPINION

RONALD L. WALKER, Chief Justice.

The record before us reflects that appellant pleaded guilty without benefit of an agreed recommendation of punishment with the State. Appellant elected to have a jury assess his punishment. With appel[150]*150lant’s plea of guilty to Aggravated Sexual Assault in Cause No. 9136JD, the indictment in Cause No. 9137JD, also an Aggravated Sexual Assault, was dismissed by the State. Following the presentation of evidence to the jury by both sides, the jury assessed appellant’s punishment at confinement in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice — Institutional Division for a term of life, and additionally assessed a fine of $10,000. Two issues are brought forth in this appeal, viz:

Issue 1: The trial court committed material error calculated to injure the rights of Appellant by admitting into evidence in the punishment trial, over timely objection, pornographic photographs of Appellant and the victim in violation of Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 37.07, Sec. 3(a).
Issue 2: The trial court committed material error calculated to injure the rights of Appellant by admitting into evidence in the punishment trial, over timely objection, pornographic photographs of Appellant and the victim in violation of Texas Rule of Evidence 403.

The basic facts with regard to the offense are not in dispute. In essence, appellant sexually assaulted his two-year-old daughter on what appeared to be several occasions by penetrating her vaginal area with his penis and with his tongue. In analyzing Issue 1, we must provide a somewhat detailed account of the procedural history of the charges leading up to the day of trial.

The record reflects the indictment in Cause No. 9136JD was filed on March 27, 2001. On May 4, 2001, trial counsel filed a written request to the State for notice of its intent to introduce any extraneous-act or offense evidence in either the guilt/innocence or punishment phases of the trial, as per Tex.R. Evid. 404(b), and Tex.Code CRiM. PROC. Ann. art. 37.07, sec. 3 (Vernon 1981 & Supp.2001). On May 17, 2001, a brief pre-trial hearing was held. At said hearing, the following colloquy took place between the parties and the trial court:

[Trial Counsel]: Yes, sir. Just so the Court was aware, that I — I had filed — I don’t know if I filed it separately or not. Might have been a motion on order for request for extraneous offenses, but I included that in the discovery order also.
[State]: Judge, there is a request for extraneous offenses and the Court — we would ask the Court to grant that. We have no problem with that. They have a right to follow the law.
THE COURT: All right. That’ll be granted.

Moments later, the trial court formally arraigned appellant and he pleaded “not guilty” to the two pending indictments, Cause Nos. 9136JD and 9137JD.

The following day, May 18, 2001, the State generated a letter to trial counsel, the pertinent portions of which are reproduced as follows:

Here is a list of extraneous offenses the State plans to use at trial in State v. Robert Eric Waltmon.
Aggravated Sexual Assault involving the following victims:
— [J.M.C.] in BeH County (Kil-leen) Texas on or about June 1998.
— [V.E.] in Newton, and Sabine County (Pineland) Texas on or about September 1995. Also in Jasper County on or about 2000 & 2001.
— [A.E.] in Newton, and Sabine County (Pineland) Texas on or about September 1995. Also in Jasper County on or about 2000 & 2001.
— [O.E.] in Newton and Sabine County (Pineland) Texas on or about September 1995. Also in Jasper County on or about 2000 & 2001.
[151]*151— [B.F.] in Jasper County on or about 1984.
— [K.D.] in Jasper County on or about 1982.
— [A.M.Y.] in Jasper County on or about 1992.
If you need clarification or have questions on these offenses, feel free to contact me.

Eleven days after the State’s notice letter was generated and sent to trial counsel, the trial was scheduled to begin. On the day of trial, May 29, 2001, trial counsel filed a written motion in limine. The pertinent portion of said motion reads as follows:

COMES NOW ROBERT ERIC WALTMON, Defendant in the above styled and numbered cause, and moves the Court to instruct all counsel for the State to refrain in the presence or hearing of the jury panel, the jury, or any juror, witness, or other person, from making any statement pertaining to or inferring directly or indirectly to the nude and pornographic photographs and movies that the State intends to introduce into evidence against the Defendant at trial. The Defendant requests this upon the grounds that said photographs and movies are:
1. Evidence of an extraneous act, particularly the possession and trading of child pornography by the Defendant, which is the basis of an indictment against the Defendant pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Said offense was not disclosed by the State as an extraneous act that it intended to introduce at trial against the Defendant, despite timely request for notice and an order of this Court that said notice be provided to the Defendant before trial; and/or
2. Although possibly relevant, their probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, misleading the jury or needless presentation of cumulative evidence, in violation of Texas Rule of Evidence 408.

During a hearing in the trial court’s chambers regarding appellant’s motion in limine, the following discussion took place between the two attorneys for the State, trial counsel, and the trial court. Appellant was also present.

[Trial Counsel]: And secondly, Judge, this is the Extraneous Offense Notice that was provided to me in the case and I understand [State’s Attorneys] have copies of it, and I’d offer that also into the record as Defendant’s Exhibit No. 2.
THE COURT: AH right. It’s admitted for this hearing.
[Trial Counsel]: Judge, with respect — and here’s a proposed order on this motion in limine at 9136JD. But with respect to this motion, beside the offense which he’s charged with and he’s pled guilty to, which is damning enough in itself, I must say, but the State has got plenty of pictures. First of all, there’s some photographs with Mr. Waltmon and the child that’s the victim in this case. I believe approximately 40 of those types of photographs. These are photographs of the child nude in so-called pornographic poses, some of which with the — at least part of the parts of the Defendant in them, his erect penis up against her vagina, the Defendant performing oral sex on the child.... Some of it neither — for instance, computer backgrounds, screen shots, things like that.

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Waltmon v. State
76 S.W.3d 148 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2002)

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Bluebook (online)
76 S.W.3d 148, 2002 Tex. App. LEXIS 2732, 2001 WL 1843714, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/waltmon-v-state-texapp-2002.