Joseph Frank Tooker v. State ( 2017 )


Menu:
  •       TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT, AT AUSTIN
    NO. 03-17-00348-CR
    Joseph Frank Tooker, Appellant
    v.
    The State of Texas, Appellee
    FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF LAMPASAS COUNTY, 27TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT
    NO. 9622, HONORABLE JOHN GAUNTT, JUDGE PRESIDING
    MEMORANDUM OPINION
    After Officer Fidel Morua discovered methamphetamine during a traffic stop,
    Joseph Frank Tooker was charged in a single indictment with one count of possession of less
    than one gram of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and with one count of tampering
    with or fabricating physical evidence by “intentionally and knowingly conceal[ing] a baggie of
    methamphetamine . . . with intent to impair its availability as evidence.” See Tex. Health & Safety
    Code §§ 481.102(6) (listing methamphetamine as substance included in “Penalty Group 1”), .115(a),
    (b) (providing that person commits offense by possessing “a controlled substance listed in Penalty
    Group 1” and that offense is state-jail felony if amount of controlled substance is “less than one
    gram”); Tex. Penal Code § 37.09 (a), (c) (setting out elements of offense of tampering with physical
    evidence and providing that offense is, in general, third-degree felony). At the end of the guilt-or-
    innocence phase, the jury found Tooker guilty of both offenses, and Tooker elected to have the
    district court assess his punishment. At the end of the punishment phase, the district court determined
    that Tooker should be imprisoned for two years for the possession count and for five years for the
    tampering count but elected to place Tooker on community supervision for both convictions, and the
    district court rendered its judgments of conviction accordingly. See Tex. Penal Code §§ 12.34-.35
    (setting out permissible punishment ranges for third-degree and state-jail felonies). In two issues on
    appeal, Tooker contends that the evidence was legally insufficient to support his convictions. We
    will affirm the district court’s judgment of conviction for possession of a controlled substance,
    modify the judgment of conviction for tampering with evidence to correct a clerical error, and as
    modified, affirm the judgment of conviction for tampering with evidence.
    BACKGROUND
    During a traffic stop, Tooker was arrested after methamphetamine was discovered
    by the investigating officers. Following the arrest, a trial was held in which the State called several
    witnesses to the stand, including Chelsa Hazle, who was Tooker’s girlfriend at the time of the
    incident, and Officer Morua, who initiated the traffic stop, and Tooker elected to take the stand and
    testify on his own behalf.
    In her testimony, Hazle explained that on the day in question she was riding as a
    passenger in her car with her boyfriend, Tooker, when Officer Morua initiated a traffic stop for
    speeding. Further, she explained that Officer Morua asked for her and Tooker’s driver’s licenses,
    that Officer Morua learned that there were warrants out for her arrest, that Officer Morua placed her
    under arrest, and that after she was arrested, she stood between her car and Officer Morua’s police
    car with Tooker. Further, she recalled that she and Tooker had purchased methamphetamine prior
    2
    to the traffic stop, that she had methamphetamine “stashed in [her] bra,” that she pulled “it out of
    [her] bra and slipped it into” Tooker’s hands while they were hugging, and that Tooker knew that
    she had methamphetamine in her bra because he had seen her place methamphetamine in her bra “on
    other trips.” When describing why she handed Tooker the methamphetamine, Hazle testified that
    she did it “[b]ecause [she] knew that [she] was going to jail, and if they had found it on me in the
    jail, then it would have been a charge of bringing drugs into a correctional facility.” In addition,
    Hazle explained that she was also charged and sentenced for possession of methamphetamine as a
    result of this incident but that she was not asked to testify in this case until after she had already been
    sentenced. Moreover, Hazle admitted that she had been arrested for possession of methamphetamine
    before the incident at issue and that Tooker was present during one of those prior arrests.
    After Hazle finished her testimony, Officer Morua was called to the stand. In his
    testimony, Officer Morua explained that during the traffic stop, he learned that there was “an active
    warrant” for Hazle “for possession of a dangerous drug.” Further, he recalled that Hazle became
    upset when she learned that she was going to be arrested based on the warrant, that he asked Tooker
    if he would like to stand by Hazle to comfort her, and that Tooker went to stand with Hazle between
    her car and the police car. Moreover, Officer Morua related that when he later told Tooker to say
    goodbye to Hazle, Tooker “reached to give her a hug and a kiss, but his arms came to the front
    of him and front of” Hazle. In addition, Officer Morua testified that Tooker kept “his hands in
    the front of” Hazle. Furthermore, Officer Morua explained that after Tooker returned to the car,
    Officer Morua found “a baggy with some crystalized substance in it” on the ground by Hazle and
    that later testing performed on the substance revealed that it was methamphetamine. Moreover,
    3
    Office Morua testified that his dashboard camera and his body camera were working on the day in
    question and captured much of the exchange, and he explained that the recording from the dashboard
    camera captures Tooker “reach[] in front of [Hazle] with his hands . . . and . . . . move[] his right
    hand over” before “the baggy of meth f[e]ll to the ground.” In addition, Officer Morua testified
    that he watched the recording from the dashboard camera in slow motion and that the recording
    shows Tooker drop the bag of methamphetamine.
    During Officer Morua’s testimony, the two recordings were admitted into evidence
    and played for the jury. The videos are generally consistent with Officer Morua’s testimony,
    document that the traffic stop occurred at night, and show an officer assisting Officer Morua place
    Hazle in handcuffs with her hands in front of her after the officers confirmed that there was an
    active warrant for Hazle’s arrest. Further, the video from the dashboard camera shows Tooker
    saying goodbye to Hazle, kissing Hazle, grabbing Hazle’s hand and holding it for about five seconds
    near her chest, and then tossing something to the side away from where the officers were standing.
    In addition, the video documents how Tooker did not appear surprised or angry when he took
    something from Hazle’s hand; on the contrary, the video shows that Tooker continued to kiss Hazel
    after tossing the item and did not inform the police about the object. Finally, the video chronicles
    how neither officer saw the baggie drop, how the officers continued to talk with Hazle as Tooker
    returned to the car, and how Officer Morua then discovered a baggie on the ground near where
    Tooker and Hazle had been standing, which contained a crystalline substance.
    In his case in chief, Tooker testified on his own behalf. During his testimony, Tooker
    stated that he was aware that Hazle “had a drug habit,” was present when she was arrested previously,
    4
    and asked Hazle after they were pulled over by Officer Morua if she had any drugs in her car, but
    he explained that he did not know that Hazle had methamphetamine or any illegal substances on the
    day in question and denied purchasing methamphetamine with Hazle. When discussing the contents
    of the recordings, Tooker stated that Hazle put something in his hand, that he “had an idea” about
    what the item was when “it hit [his] hand,” that he “didn’t want anything to do with it,” and that he
    “drop[ped] it.” Further, Tooker related that after dropping the baggie, he did not try to conceal it
    or otherwise tamper with it even though he could have easily put it in his pocket. Similarly, Tooker
    testified that he never intended to possess or conceal the drugs. During his cross-examination,
    Tooker denied attempting to conceal the baggie and stated that he dropped the baggie because he
    did not want to be implicated for the crime and that he did not tell the officers what happened after
    they found the baggie because he did not want “to tell on [his] girlfriend.” When describing his
    interaction with Hazle, Tooker stated that his hand was in front of Hazle rather than behind her
    because he was not trying to hug her and was instead trying to hold her hand and kiss her.1
    At the conclusion of the guilt-or-innocence phase, the district court gave the jury the
    jury charge. The jury charge provided instructions for the offenses of possession of a controlled
    substance and tampering with evidence and also contained instructions regarding when an individual
    may be held responsible for an offense committed by another person. In addition, the charge stated
    that Hazle was an accomplice and explained to the jury that additional requirements must be met
    before an accomplice’s testimony may be used to convict someone of an offense.
    1
    During Tooker’s testimony, a portion of a recording from the body camera from the officer
    assisting Officer Morua was played for the jury. The content of that recording is consistent with that
    of the two recordings admitted into evidence during the State’s case in chief and summarized above.
    5
    Following the closing arguments by both parties, the jury found Tooker guilty of
    both offenses.
    STANDARD OF REVIEW AND GOVERNING LAW
    Both issues on appeal concern the sufficiency of the evidence supporting Tooker’s
    convictions. Under a legal-sufficiency standard of review, appellate courts view the evidence in the
    light most favorable to the verdict and determine whether “any rational trier of fact could have found
    the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Jackson v. Virginia, 
    443 U.S. 307
    ,
    319 (1979). When performing this review, an appellate court must bear in mind that it is the
    factfinder’s duty to weigh the evidence, to resolve conflicts in the testimony, and to make “reasonable
    inferences from basic facts to ultimate facts.” Id.; see also Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 36.13
    (explaining that “jury is the exclusive judge of the facts”). Moreover, appellate courts must “determine
    whether the necessary inferences are reasonable based upon the combined and cumulative force of all
    the evidence when viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict.” Hooper v. State, 
    214 S.W.3d 9
    ,
    16-17 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007). Furthermore, appellate courts presume that conflicting inferences
    were resolved in favor of the conviction and “defer to that determination.” Clayton v. State, 
    235 S.W.3d 772
    , 778 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007). In addition, courts must bear in mind that “direct and
    circumstantial evidence are treated equally” and that “[c]ircumstantial evidence is as probative as
    direct evidence in establishing the guilt of an actor” and “can be sufficient” on its own “to establish
    guilt.” Kiffe v. State, 
    361 S.W.3d 104
    , 108 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2011, pet. ref’d). The
    evidence is legally insufficient if “the record contains no evidence, or merely a ‘modicum’ of
    evidence, probative of an element of the offense” or if “the evidence conclusively establishes a
    6
    reasonable doubt.” 
    Id. at 107
    (quoting 
    Jackson, 443 U.S. at 320
    ). Furthermore, reviewing courts
    “measure the sufficiency of the evidence by the so-called hypothetically correct jury charge, one
    which accurately sets out the law, is authorized by the indictment, does not unnecessarily increase
    the State’s burden of proof or unnecessarily restrict the State’s theories of liability, and adequately
    describes the particular offense for which the defendant is tried.” See DeLay v. State, 
    465 S.W.3d 232
    ,
    244 n.48 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014).
    As discussed above, the jury instruction explained that Hazle was an accomplice
    to the offenses in question. Cf. Cocke v. State, 
    201 S.W.3d 744
    , 748 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006)
    (providing that person indicted for same offense is accomplice as matter of law). “A conviction
    cannot be had upon the testimony of an accomplice unless corroborated by other evidence tending
    to connect the defendant with the offense committed; and the corroboration is not sufficient if it
    merely shows the commission of the offense.” Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 38.14; see also Medina
    v. State, 
    7 S.W.3d 633
    , 641 (Tex. Crim. App. 1999) (noting that “[a] person is an accomplice if he
    participates before, during, or after the commission of the crime and can be prosecuted for the
    same offense as the defendant or for a lesser-included offense”). “When reviewing the sufficiency
    of non-accomplice evidence under article 38.14, we decide whether the inculpatory evidence
    tends to connect the accused to the commission of the offense.” Smith v. State, 
    332 S.W.3d 425
    , 442
    (Tex. Crim. App. 2011); see Roys v. State, 
    416 S.W.3d 229
    , 234 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2013, pet.
    ref’d). In performing this analysis, “the reviewing court eliminates all of the accomplice testimony
    from consideration and then examines the remaining portions of the record.” Castillo v. State,
    
    221 S.W.3d 689
    , 691 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007). The non-accomplice evidence is viewed “in the light
    7
    most favorable to the verdict,” Knox v. State, 
    934 S.W.2d 678
    , 686 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996), and it
    “need not directly link the defendant to the crime” or “‘establish his guilt beyond a reasonable
    doubt’” on its own, 
    Roys, 416 S.W.3d at 234
    (quoting 
    Castillo, 221 S.W.3d at 691
    ). Although “the
    accused’s mere presence in the company of the accomplice before, during, and after the commission
    of the offense is insufficient by itself to corroborate accomplice testimony, evidence of such presence,
    coupled with other suspicious circumstances, may tend to connect the accused to the offense.”
    Dowthitt v. State, 
    931 S.W.2d 244
    , 249 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996). “Even apparently insignificant
    incriminating circumstances may sometimes afford satisfactory evidence of corroboration.” 
    Id. “[T]he tends-to-connect
    standard does not present a high threshold.” In re C.M.G., 
    905 S.W.2d 56
    ,
    58 (Tex. App.—Austin 1995, no writ). Moreover, as specified in the jury charge in this case, “[a]
    person is criminally responsible for an offense committed by the conduct of another if . . . acting with
    intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or
    attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense.” Tex. Penal Code § 7.02(a)(2).
    DISCUSSION
    Possession of a Controlled Substance
    In his first issue on appeal, Tooker asserts that the evidence was insufficient to
    support his conviction for possession of a controlled substance. On appeal, Tooker does not
    challenge the sufficiency of the evidence establishing that the substance found by Officer Morua was
    methamphetamine. Instead, Tooker contends that “[t]he only testimonial evidence that implicated
    Tooker came from his girlfriend Hazle” but that there was insufficient corroborating evidence
    linking him to the methamphetamine and that no evidence or reasonable inferences from the
    8
    evidence supports “the jury’s ultimate conclusion that Tooker possessed methamphetamine on the
    night in question.”2 Moreover, he contends that “his so-called ‘possession’ of the contraband was
    fleeting and involuntary” and that “he abandoned the illicit drug” when he realized what it was.
    Furthermore, Tooker highlights that it was Officer Morua who suggested that he stand with Hazle
    2
    When challenging the evidence supporting his conviction, Tooker discusses the fourteen
    factors that several courts have relied on when determining if the evidence was sufficient to establish
    that a defendant possessed a controlled substance when the evidence is not found on the defendant’s
    person and is found in the presence of others, and Tooker then argues that only the first three of those
    factors supported the conviction here. See Evans v. State, 
    202 S.W.3d 158
    , 162 n.12 (Tex. Crim.
    App. 2006). In particular, the court of criminal appeals has noted that the following factors “may
    circumstantially establish the legal sufficiency of the evidence to provide a knowing ‘possession’”:
    “(1) the defendant’s presence when a search is conducted; (2) whether the contraband
    was in plain view; (3) the defendant’s proximity to and the accessibility of the
    narcotic; (4) whether the defendant was under the influence of narcotics when
    arrested; (5) whether the defendant possessed other contraband or narcotics when
    arrested; (6) whether the defendant made incriminating statements when arrested;
    (7) whether the defendant attempted to flee; (8) whether the defendant made furtive
    gestures; (9) whether there was an odor of contraband; (10) whether other contraband
    or drug paraphernalia were present; (11) whether the defendant owned or had the
    right to possess the place where the drugs were found; (12) whether the place where
    the drugs were found was enclosed; (13) whether the defendant was found with a
    large amount of cash; and (14) whether the conduct of the defendant indicated a
    consciousness of guilt.”
    
    Id. (quoting Evans
    v. State, 
    185 S.W.3d 30
    , 36 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2005), rev’d on other
    grounds by Evans, 
    202 S.W.3d 158
    ). However, the court of criminal appeals noted that those factors
    “are not a litmus test.” 
    Id. Perhaps more
    importantly, it is not entirely clear that those factors apply
    in this case because Tooker was filmed holding, albeit briefly, the controlled substance at issue.
    Cf. Robinson v. State, 
    174 S.W.3d 320
    , 325 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2005, pet. ref’d)
    (noting that “when the accused, like appellant, is not in exclusive possession of the place where
    the contraband is found, we cannot conclude that the accused had knowledge of and control over
    the contraband unless the State establishes an ‘affirmative link’ between the accused and the
    contraband”). In any event, in performing this review, “[i]t is . . . not the number of links that is
    dispositive, but rather the logical force of all of the evidence, direct and circumstantial.” 
    Evans, 202 S.W.3d at 162
    . Accordingly, the presence of just a few factors would not seem to compel a
    conclusion that the evidence in this case was legally insufficient, particularly when those factors are
    coupled with the video evidence present in this case.
    9
    to console her. In addition, Tooker urges that if he “intended to possess the drugs or to hide them,
    he could have done so,” particularly since there was no indication given to him that he was not free
    to leave the scene.
    Under the Health and Safety Code, a person commits an offense if he “knowingly or
    intentionally possesses a controlled substance.” Tex. Health & Safety Code § 481.115(a). In this
    context, possess means to have “actual care, custody, control, or management.” 
    Id. § 481.002(38).
    Accordingly, “[t]o prove unlawful possession of a controlled substance, the State must prove that:
    (1) the accused exercised control, management, or care over the substance; and (2) the accused
    knew the matter possessed was contraband.” Poindexter v. State, 
    153 S.W.3d 402
    , 405 (Tex. Crim.
    App. 2005). “Possession is a voluntary act if the possessor knowingly obtains or receives the thing
    possessed or is aware of his control of the thing for a sufficient time to permit him to terminate his
    control.” Tex. Penal Code § 6.01(b). “Intent can be inferred from the acts, words, and conduct of
    the accused.” Reed v. State, 
    769 S.W.2d 323
    , 330 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1989, pet. ref’d).
    As set out earlier, in his testimony, Tooker explained that although he did not want
    the baggie, he surmised what the contents of the baggie were when Hazle placed it in his hand and
    further explained that he knew of Hazle’s prior drug use and prior arrest and questioned her about
    whether there were drugs in the car. In addition, the recordings showed that Tooker had no negative
    reaction when Hazle placed the baggie in his hand; on the contrary, Tooker continued to kiss Hazle
    after the baggie was placed in his hand before he ultimately dropped the baggie away from where
    the officers were located and made no mention of the baggie to the officers. In light of Tooker’s
    testimony as well as the contents of the recordings, the jury could have reasonably inferred that
    10
    Tooker knew that the baggie contained contraband and that he exercised “care, custody, control, or
    management” of the contraband, see Tex. Health & Safety Code § 481.002(38), “for a sufficient time
    to permit him to terminate his control,” Tex. Penal Code § 6.01(b).
    Even assuming for the sake of argument that this evidence would be insufficient to
    support the jury’s verdict on its own, this evidence is sufficient to corroborate Hazle’s testimony
    by connecting Tooker to the commission of the offense. See Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 38.14;
    
    Smith, 332 S.W.3d at 442
    . Moreover, as discussed earlier, Hazle testified that she and Tooker both
    purchased the methamphetamine together and that Tooker knew there was methamphetamine in her
    bra before she placed the baggie in his hand. In light of Hazle’s testimony as well as the remaining
    evidence and testimony summarized above, the jury could have reasonably inferred that Tooker was
    aware that Hazle had methamphetamine hidden in her bra before he placed his hands near her
    chest and before Hazle placed the package in his hand and that Tooker exercised “care, custody,
    control, or management” of the baggie for a sufficient period of time. See Tex. Health & Safety
    Code § 481.002(38); Tex. Penal Code § 6.01(b). Alternatively, the jury could have determined that
    Tooker was guilty of the offense under the law of parties as set out in the jury charge by reasonably
    inferring that Tooker had the “intent to promote or assist” Hazle in committing the offense of
    possession of a controlled substance by encouraging or aiding her in the commission of the offense.
    See Tex. Penal Code § 7.02(a)(2).
    For all of these reasons, we must conclude that the evidence was legally sufficient
    to support Tooker’s conviction for possession of a controlled substance and, therefore, overrule his
    first issue on appeal.
    11
    Tampering with Evidence
    In his second issue on appeal, Tooker contends that the evidence is legally insufficient
    to support his conviction for tampering with evidence. When challenging the sufficiency of the
    evidence, Tooker argues that there was no evidence “in the record from which a jury might
    reasonably infer that Tooker’s abandonment of the contraband constituted an effort to hide,
    destroy[,] or conceal evidence with a corresponding intent to impair its availability as evidence in
    an investigation or proceeding.” On the contrary, Tooker insists that “the only reasonable inference
    to be drawn from Tooker’s act in throwing the contraband to the ground is that he wanted to
    abandon the object [and] to distance himself from the illegality of its possession,” which he asserts
    is insufficient to support a conviction for tampering.
    Under the Penal Code, a person commits the offense of tampering with physical
    evidence if he, “knowing that an investigation or official proceeding is pending or in progress, . . .
    alters, destroys, or conceals any record, document, or thing with intent to impair its verity, legibility,
    or availability as evidence in the investigation or official proceeding.” Tex. Penal Code § 37.09(a)(1);
    see also Hollingsworth v. State, 
    15 S.W.3d 586
    , 595 (Tex. App.—Austin 2000, no pet.) (explaining
    that “[u]nder section 37.09, appellant must have concealed the cocaine with the intent to impair its
    availability as evidence in some kind of investigation”). “[I]n cases of tampering with evidence, not
    every act of discarding an object evinces an intent to impair the availability of that object as evidence
    in a later investigation or proceeding.” Thornton v. State, 
    425 S.W.3d 289
    , 304 (Tex. Crim. App.
    2014). In fact, “[t]here may be cases in which the most inculpating inference the evidence would
    support is that the accused simply intended to dispossess himself of the object in order to more
    12
    plausibly disclaim any connection to it,” and “‘it is within the province of the factfinder to choose
    which inference is most reasonable.’” 
    Id. (quoting Laster
    v. State, 
    275 S.W.3d 512
    , 523 (Tex. Crim.
    App. 2009)).
    In this case, the jury heard testimony from Tooker that he suspected what was in the
    baggie when Hazle gave it to him and viewed recordings showing that Officer’s Morua’s traffic stop
    transformed into an investigation regarding whether Hazle should be arrested for a prior warrant for
    possession of a controlled substance, that the interaction with the police occurred at night, that
    Tooker continued to hold onto Hazle’s hand after she placed the baggie in his hand, that Tooker
    continued to kiss Hazle after he dropped the baggie, that he dropped the baggie on the side of him
    outside the view of the officers, that he made no effort to inform the officers about the baggie, and
    that the officers did not notice the baggie until after Tooker returned to the car. Moreover, the
    recordings documented that the baggie was small in size and transparent. In light of this evidence,
    the jury could have reasonably inferred that Tooker knew that an investigation was in progress when
    he dropped the baggie. Cf. Lemarr v. State, 
    487 S.W.3d 324
    , 326, 329 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2016,
    no pet.) (concluding that it did not matter that “the focus of the pending investigation was the
    unauthorized use of a motor vehicle” and not possession of controlled substance when defendant
    “‘poured [methamphetamine] out and . . . stuck the baggie in the door’” in order to prevent police
    from seizing it). Further, the jury could have reasonably inferred that Tooker believed that the police
    would have discovered the methamphetamine on Hazle after she was taken to the police station, that
    Tooker believed that it was possible to conceal the baggie from the police given the nature of the
    baggie and given that it was dark outside, that Tooker continued to hold Hazle’s hand after she
    13
    handed him the baggie in order to conceal the baggie from the officers, that Tooker continued to kiss
    Hazle while dropping the baggie in an effort to avoid calling attention to the baggie, that Tooker
    tossed the baggie to the side of him not facing the officers in an effort to conceal the baggie from the
    officers with the intent to prevent the officers from discovering and using the evidence in the
    investigation, and that the officers did not initially notice the baggie due to the efforts undertaken
    by Tooker. Cf. 
    Thornton, 425 S.W.3d at 304-06
    (determining in attempted-tampering case that jury
    could have determined that defendant intended to conceal crack pipe rather than simply dispossess
    property, in part, because jury could have determined that defendant thought pipe was concealable
    due to facts that pipe was translucent and small and that sun was rising at time of alleged tampering;
    because jury heard evidence that defendant “‘stealthily reached in [to his pocket]’” when attempting
    to dispose of pipe, which supported “a finding that he intended that the officers never notice the
    pipe”; and because defendant “‘palmed’ the pipe as he removed it from his pocket,” which was
    “probative evidence of an intent to conceal the pipe” from officer’s view); 
    Lemarr, 487 S.W.3d at 329
    (concluding in attempted-tampering case that evidence was sufficient where admissions
    by defendant established “that she had good reason to believe the baggie contained a controlled
    substance,” that “she intentionally poured the contents of that baggie out during the initial detention,”
    and “that she placed the baggie in the door pocket because she did not want to get caught with
    the drugs”).
    Accordingly, we must conclude that the evidence is legally sufficient to support
    Tooker’s conviction for tampering with evidence and, therefore, overrule his second issue on appeal.
    14
    Clerical Error
    Although Tooker does not raise this on appeal, we observe that the judgment of
    conviction for the tampering offense contains a clerical error. That judgment reflects that the presiding
    judge and the attorney for the State were both John Gauntt, but the record reveals that the attorney
    for the State was Jessica Guy. This Court has the authority to modify incorrect judgments when it
    has the information necessary to do so. See Tex. R. App. P. 43.2(b); Bigley v. State, 
    865 S.W.2d 26
    ,
    27-28 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993). Accordingly, we modify the judgment to reflect that the attorney for
    the State was Jessica Guy.
    CONCLUSION
    Having determined that there is a clerical error in the judgment of conviction for
    the offense of tampering with evidence, we modify that judgment in the manner set out earlier.
    Having overruled both of Tooker’s issues on appeal, we affirm the judgment of conviction for
    possession of a controlled substance and affirm, as modified, the judgment of conviction for
    tampering with evidence.
    __________________________________________
    David Puryear, Justice
    Before Justices Puryear, Field, and Bourland
    Modified and, as Modified, Affirmed
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Do Not Publish
    15