Wortham v. State

750 S.W.2d 326, 1988 Tex. App. LEXIS 1365, 1988 WL 57437
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 27, 1988
DocketNo. 09-87-059 CR
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 750 S.W.2d 326 (Wortham 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
Wortham v. State, 750 S.W.2d 326, 1988 Tex. App. LEXIS 1365, 1988 WL 57437 (Tex. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinions

OPINION

DIES, Chief Justice.

Appellant was convicted by a jury of delivery of a controlled substance. All evidence in the guilt-innocence phase was presented to a jury on November 13, 1986. Appellant was not present. The jury found her guilty on November 14,1986, when she was present, and the court, on February 25, 1987, assessed her punishment at fifteen years in the Texas Department of Corrections. Appeal has been perfected to this court.

Point of error number one:

“The Trial Court erred in proceeding to trial in the absence of Appellant, in violation of the ‘confrontation clause’ provided for in U.S. CONST, amend. VI and amend. XIV, TEX.C0DE CRIM.PROC. ANN., art. 33.03 and art. 40.03(1), and TEX.R.APP.PROC. 30.”

On November 3, 1986, the case was called for trial. A jury was selected and sworn in the presence of Appellant and her attorney. Thereafter, the trial court instructed the jury to return on November 6, 1986. When that date came, the State announced “not ready” because of the unavailability of Detective Collins, the State’s key and indispensable witness. Appellant objected to a continuance but it was granted anyway and the case reset — with the same jury — for November 13, 1986, one week later. The court reduced Appellant’s bond and she was released from jail. The court informed Appellant that the trial was reset for November 13, 1986. On November 13,1986, Appellant’s attorney appeared but Appellant did not. The State announced “ready”; Appellant’s attorney orally moved for continuance based on the absence of Appellant. The court denied the motion and the State proceeded with its evidence. Appellant was arrested and appeared in court on November 14, 1986. On November 14, 1986, the jury returned a verdict of guilty. The punishment phase was heard February 25, 1987, resulting in the sentence already noted herein.

Appellant correctly states that the Texas and United States Constitutions, as well as TEX. CODE CRIM.PROC.ANN. art. 33.03 (Vernon Pamph.Supp.1988), protects a defendant's right to confrontation by requiring that the defendant be personally present at trial. However, this right may be waived. Miller v. State, 692 S.W.2d 88 (Tex.Crim.App.1985); Gonzales v. State, 515 S.W.2d 920 (Tex.Crim.App.1974).

In Miller v. State, supra, the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed this court [623 S.W.2d 491 (Tex.App.—Beaumont 1981)] and wrote, at 91:

“Under Article 33.03, supra, by contrast, an accused’s right to be present at his trial is unwaivable until such a time as the jury ‘has been selected.’ ”

In Gonzales v. State, supra, the appellant who was free on bail was present in court during the selection of the jury and entered a plea of not guilty. He failed to appear in court the next morning. The court proceeded with the trial. The court wrote, at 921:

“The Appellant waived his right to be personally present at the trial.”

Appellant’s excuse in the case at bar for not being present at the trial is not sufficient. This point of error is overruled.

Appellant’s next point of error contends violation of the Speedy Trial Act, Tex.Code Crim.Proc.Ann. art. 32A. 02. This Act has been held unconstitutional in its entirety. Meshell v. State, 739 S.W.2d 246 (Tex.Crim.App.1987). This point of error is overruled.

[328]*328Appellant next contends the trial court committed reversible error in continuing the case from November 6 to November 13. The motion was based upon the unavailability of the undercover agent, Detective Collins, to whom Appellant delivered the cocaine. Collins had previously advised a prosecutor he would be available to testify; hence, the State did not need to subpoena him. It is within the sound discretion of a trial court in Texas to grant or deny a continuance. Hernandez v. State, 492 S.W.2d 466, 467 (Tex.Crim.App.1973). This point is overruled. See also, Ashabranner v. State, 557 S.W.2d 774, 778 (Tex.Crim.App.1977). This point is overruled.

The fourth point of error contends the trial court erred when Appellant’s submitted charge on mistaken identity was denied. A part of the court’s charge follows:

“You are instructed that the State has the burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Defendant, Teresa Freeman Wortham, is the party who committed the offense as alleged in the indictment, and unless they have so proved beyond a reasonable doubt, you should acquit the Defendant.”

We hold this charge was sufficient. Further, there is no evidence of misidentification, and the latter is not an affirmative defense. See Wilson v. State, 581 S.W.2d 661, 664-65 (Tex.Crim.App.1979); Waller v. State, 581 S.W.2d 483, 484 (Tex.Crim.App.1979); Laws v. State, 549 S.W.2d 738, 740 (Tex.Crim.App.1977); Roy v. State, 627 S.W.2d 488, 490 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1981, no pet.). This point of error is overruled.

The fifth point of error raises double jeopardy. It is undisputed that when trial is before a jury, jeopardy attaches when the jury is impaneled and sworn. The reason lies in the need to protect the interest of an accused “in retaining a chosen jury.” Crist v. Bretz, 437 U.S. 28, 35, 98 S.Ct. 2156, 2161, 57 L.Ed.2d 24, 31 (1978); Torres v. State, 614 S.W.2d 436, 441 (Tex.Crim.App.1981). In the case at bar, the guilt-innocence phase was tried by the same jury and the same judge presided over the entire trial; hence, Appellant’s trial was completed by the same tribunal, with only an interruption. See Downum v. U.S., 372 U.S. 734, 736, 83 S.Ct. 1033, 1034, 10 L.Ed.2d 100, 102 (1963). See also, McClendon v. State, 583 S.W.2d 777, 780 (Tex.Crim.App.1979). This point of error is overruled.

Points six and seven attack the sufficiency of the evidence at the trial to identify Appellant. This test is delineated in Miller v. State, 667 S.W.2d 773, 775 (Tex.Crim.App.1984), and Purkey v. State, 656 S.W.2d 519, 520 (Tex.App.—Beaumont 1983, pet. ref’d). Appellant was identified by Detective Collins (who had seen her often before) and two other witnesses.

In view of the dissent, we herewith copy from the statement of facts portions of Officer Collins’ testimony:

“Q.

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Bluebook (online)
750 S.W.2d 326, 1988 Tex. App. LEXIS 1365, 1988 WL 57437, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wortham-v-state-texapp-1988.