David Kent Thacker, Jr. v. State ( 2015 )

ACCEPTED
03-15-00079-CR
6836382
THIRD COURT OF APPEALS
AUSTIN, TEXAS
9/8/2015 11:32:44 PM
JEFFREY D. KYLE
CLERK
No. 03-15-00079-CR
__________________________________________________________
FILED IN
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD 3rd COURT OF APPEALS
AUSTIN, TEXAS
DISTRICT OF TEXAS 9/8/2015 11:32:44 PM
__________________________________________________________
JEFFREY D. KYLE
Clerk
DAVID KENT THACKER, Appellant
v.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
__________________________________________________________
On Appeal from the 207th Judicial District Court of Comal County, Texas
Cause No. CR2013-096
Honorable Jack Robison, District Judge Presiding
__________________________________________________________
BRIEF FOR THE STATE
__________________________________________________________
Jennifer Tharp
Criminal District Attorney
By
Joshua D. Presley
SBN: 24088254
Assistant District Attorney
150 N. Seguin Avenue, Suite #307
(830) 221-1300
Fax (830) 608-2008
New Braunfels, Texas 78130
E-mail: preslj@co.comal.tx.us
Attorney for the State
Oral Argument Is Requested
i
Identity of Parties and Counsel
Attorneys for the Appellant David Kent Thacker
AT TRIAL & ON APPEAL
Gerald C. Moton
Moton Law Office
PMB 248
San Antonio, TX 78216
Tel: (830) 221-1300
Fax: (830) 620-5599
Email: motongerald32@gmail.com
Attorneys for the Appellee, The State of Texas
AT TRIAL
Daniel Palmitier
Assistant District Attorney
COMAL COUNTY CRIMINAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
150 N. Seguin Avenue, Suite 307
New Braunfels, Texas 78130
Telephone: (830) 221-1300
Facsimile: (830) 608-2008
Email: palmid@co.comal.tx.us
ON APPEAL
Joshua D. Presley - SBN# 24088254
Assistant District Attorney
COMAL COUNTY CRIMINAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
150 N. Seguin Avenue, Suite 307
New Braunfels, Texas 78130
Telephone: (830) 221-1300
Facsimile: (830) 608-2008
Email: preslj@co.comal.tx.us
ii
Table of Contents
Index of Authorities ............................................................................................ v
Statement of the Case.......................................................................................... 1
Statement of Facts............................................................................................... 2
Facts Learned During Tucker’s Initial Encounter with Appellant Gave Rise to
Reasonable Suspicion for an Investigatory Stop ............................................... 7
Summary of the Argument........................................................................ 7
A. Officer Tucker observed that Appellant’s vehicle was in violation of §
545.302 of the Transportation Code ........................................................... 9
B. Officer Tucker could have investigated Appellant’s car parked on the
railroad tracks pursuant to the community caretaking function .................. 10
C. Facts learned from Tucker’s and Flugrath’s observations of Appellant led
to reasonable suspicion justifying an investigative detention ..................... 15
Miranda Warnings Are Not Required at the Outset of an Investigatory
Detention......................................................................................................... 19
Summary of the Argument...................................................................... 19
Argument................................................................................................ 20
The Evidence Was Legally Sufficient to Convict Appellant of Operating a
Motor Vehicle in a Public Place ...................................................................... 25
Summary of the Argument...................................................................... 25
Argument................................................................................................ 28
Appellant’s Sentence Did Not Violate the Constitutional Prohibition on Cruel
and Unusual Punishment ................................................................................ 37
Summary of the Argument...................................................................... 37
iii
Argument................................................................................................ 38
Summary of Historical Developments in Eighth Amendment Caselaw ...... 40
Prayer............................................................................................................... 58
Certificate of Service ........................................................................................ 59
Certificate of Compliance.................................................................................. 59
Appendix.......................................................................................................... 60
iv
Index of Authorities
Statutes, Rules & Secondary Sources
Tex. Pen. Code Ann. § 1.07(a)(40)
(West, Westlaw through 2015 R.S.) ................................................................... 34
Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 545.302 (West, Westlaw through 2015 R.S.) ....... passim
Tex. R. App. P. 33.1(a) ..................................................................................... 10
Tex. R. App. P. 38.1(h) ..................................................................................... 10
Tex. R. Evid. 103(a)(1) ..................................................................................... 21
Cases
Abernathy v. State, 963 S.W.2d 822 (Tex.
App.—San Antonio 1998, pet. ref’d) ................................................................. 22
Balentine v. State, 71 S.W.3d 763 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2002) ................................................................................................ 8
Belcher v. State, 244 S.W.3d 531 (Tex.
App.—Fort Worth 2007, no pet.) ....................................................................... 18
Brown v. State, 649 S.W.2d 160 (Tex.
App.—Austin 1983, no pet.).............................................................................. 28
Cortez v. State, 08-02-00363-CR, 2004
WL 178587 (Tex. App.—El Paso Jan. 29,
2004, pet. ref’d) ................................................................................................ 27
Davidson v. State, 03-13-00708-CR, 2014
WL 3809813 (Tex. App.—Austin Aug. 1,
2014, no pet.) (not designated for
publication) ...........................................................................................39, 40, 57
v
Ewing v. California, 538 U.S. 11 (2003) ............................................................ 51
Fowler v. State, 65 S.W.3d 116 (Tex.
App.—Amarillo 2001, no pet.) .......................................................................... 36
Garcia v. State, 43 S.W.3d 527 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2001) .......................................................................................... 8, 14
Garza Gonzalez v. State, 783 S.W.2d
774 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 1990,
no pet.) ....................................................................................................... 21, 22
Gonzales v. State, 369 S.W.3d 851 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2012) ....................................................................................... passim
Graham v. West Virginia, 224 U.S. 616
(1912) ........................................................................................................ 40, 41
Hall v. State, AP-75,121, 2007
WL 1847314 (Tex. Crim. App. June 27,
2007).......................................................................................................... 16, 18
Harmelin v. Michigan, 501 U.S. 957
(U.S. 1991) ....................................................................................................... 50
Hearne v. State, 80 S.W.3d 677 (Tex.
App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2002, no pet.) ........................................................... 31
Hernandez v. State, 599 S.W.2d 614 (Tex.
Crim. App. 1980) (op. on reh’g) ........................................................................ 21
Hernandez v. State, 107 S.W.3d 41 (Tex.
App.—San Antonio 2003, pet. ref’d) ................................................................. 22
Herrera v. State, 241 S.W.3d 520 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2007) .............................................................................................. 22
vi
Holloman v. State, 11-95-275-CR, 1995
WL 17212433 (Tex. App.—Eastland Dec.
21, 1995, pet. ref’d) (not designated for
publication) ...................................................................................................... 35
Hutto v. Davis, 454 U.S. 370 (U.S. 1982)........................................... 43-45, 49-50
Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307 (1979) ..................................................... 26, 28
Jacobs v. State, 80 S.W.3d 631 (Tex.App.
—Tyler 2002; no pet.) ....................................................................................... 55
Jordan v. State, 2-05-364-CR, 2006 WL
2310531 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth Aug.
10, 2006, no pet.) .............................................................................................. 24
Kiffe v. State, 361 S.W.3d 104 (Tex. App.
—Houston [1st Dist.] 2011, pet. ref’d) ......................................................... 26, 27
Kirsch v. State, 357 S.W.3d 645 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2012) .............................................................................................. 29
Kuciemba v. State, 310 S.W.3d 460 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2010) .............................................................................................. 33
Margraves v. State, 34 S.W.3d 912 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2000) .............................................................................................. 28
McGruder v. Puckett, 954 F.2d 313 (5th
Cir. 1992) .................................................................................................... 52-54
Mitten v. State, 228 S.W.3d 693 (Tex.
App.—Corpus Christi 2005, pet. ref’d,
untimely filed) .................................................................................................. 23
Priego v. State, 457 S.W.3d 565 (Tex.
App.—Texarkana 2015), petition for
discretionary review refused (June 3,
2015)........................................................................................................... 29-32
vii
Pryor v. State, 03-13-00347-CR, 2015
WL 2066228 (Tex. App.—Austin May 1,
2015) (not designated for publication),
petition for discretionary review filed
(Aug. 6, 2015) .................................................................................................. 39
Rachal v. State, 917 S.W.2d 799 (Tex.
Crim. App. 1996) .............................................................................................. 17
Roberson v. State, 16 S.W.3d 156 (Tex.
App.—Austin 2000, pet. ref’d) .................................................................... 27, 28
Rockwell v. State, AP-76,737, 2013 WL
6529575 (Tex. Crim. App. Dec. 11, 2013)
(not designated for publication) ......................................................................... 27
Rubeck v. State, 61 S.W.3d 741 (Tex.
App.—Fort Worth 2001, no pet.) ......................................................................... 9
Rummel v. Estelle, 445 U.S. 263 (U.S.
1980)......................................................................................................... passim
Russeau v. State, 291 S.W.3d 426 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2009) .............................................................................................. 10
Shaub v. State, 99 S.W.3d 253 (Tex. App.
—Fort Worth 2003, no pet.) ........................................................................ 34, 35
Simmons v. State, 14-07-00301-CR, 2008
WL 2580380 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th
Dist.] July 1, 2008, no pet.) ............................................................................... 10
Smith v. State, 683 S.W.2d 393, 410 (Tex.
Crim. App. 1984) .............................................................................................. 10
Solem v. Helm, 463 U.S. 277 (U.S. 1983)...................................................... 46-49
State v. Duran, 396 S.W.3d 563 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2013) ........................................................................................ 16, 18
viii
State v. Gray, 158 S.W.3d 465 (Tex. Crim.
App. 2005) ......................................................................................................... 8
State v. Villarreal, PD-0306-14, 2014 WL
6734178 (Tex. Crim. App. Nov. 26, 2014),
reh’g granted (Feb. 25, 2015) ............................................................................ 24
State v. Waldrop, 7 S.W.3d 836 (Tex. App.
—Austin 1999, no pet.) ..................................................................................... 21
Tanner v. State, 228 S.W.3d 852 (Tex.
App.—Austin 2007, no pet.)....................................................................... passim
Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968) ....................................................................... 15
Trevino v. State, 07-04-0066-CR, 2005 WL
1404037 (Tex. App.—Amarillo June 15,
2005, pet. ref'd) (not designated for
publication) ...................................................................................................... 56
Tufele v. State, 130 S.W.3d 267 (Tex. App.
—Houston [14th Dist.] 2004, no pet.) ................................................................ 10
U.S. v. Arvizu, 534 U.S. 266, 273 (2002) ............................................................ 15
Wiede v. State, 214 S.W.3d 17 (Tex. Crim.
App. 2007) ......................................................................................................... 8
Wiegand v. State, 03-98-00303-CR, 1999
WL 546844, at *1 (Tex. App.—Austin
July 29, 1999, pet. ref’d) (not designated
for publication) ............................................................................................. 9, 18
Winfrey v. State, 393 S.W.3d 763 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2013), reh’g denied (Apr. 17,
2013)................................................................................................................ 26
ix
Statement of the Case
Appellant was charged by indictment with Driving While Intoxicated with
Two or More Previous Convictions for the Same Type of Offense (I C.R. at 6).
The charge was enhanced from a third degree felony to habitual offender status
(id.). Although the trial court initially denied Appellant’s motion to suppress the
results of his warrantless blood draw, it later reconsidered and granted the motion
to suppress, apparently based solely on the holding in “The State of Texas v. David
Villareal, P.D. 0306-14” (id. at 146).
Appellant plead not guilty and was subsequently convicted by a jury (I Supp.
C.R. at 4). After hearing evidence and argument, punishment was also assessed by
the jury at life imprisonment on January 28, 2015 (id.). Appellant timely filed his
notice of appeal.
1
Statement of Facts
On the night of Saturday, September 14, 2012, Officer Jason Tucker
responded to a report of a vehicle on the railroad tracks (II R.R. at 9; IV R.R. at
55). 1 At the railroad’s dark and sparsely-populated intersection with FM 306,
Tucker observed a maroon Cadillac parked about 20 feet off the roadway and right
next to the tracks (II R.R. at 10; Defense Ex. 1 at 11:29:50 p.m.; State’s Ex. 2
11:29:50)). 2 Tucker realized that any passing train would have struck the Cadillac
(II R.R. at 10; IV R.R. at 57). Before he exited his patrol car, Tucker had police
dispatch contact the Union Pacific railroad company to have them stop all trains on
the track (VI R.R. at 6; IV R.R. at 59).
As Tucker approached the vehicle, he saw that the vehicle was still running
(VI R.R. at 6; IV R.R. at 64). He shined his flashlight into the car and observed
Appellant, David Thacker, sitting in the driver’s seat (VI R.R. at 6; IV R.R. at 57).
Appellant was slumped over the center console and was sound asleep (VI R.R. at
6; IV R.R. at 57). Tucker made his way to the driver’s side of the car and
attempted to wake Appellant up (VI R.R. at 6; IV R.R. at 57). Tucker was
1
For quick reference, the Statement of Facts includes parallel citations to the suppression
hearing first (II R.R., VI R.R. at 6-7, or Defense Ex. 1) followed by a citation to the trial itself
(IV R.R. or State’s Ex. 2) where the information appears in both records.
2
All times listed in this brief refer to the integrated timestamps in the videos depicting the actual
hour, minute and second. Furthermore, the timestamp references to Defense Ex. 1 (entered into
evidence at the motion to suppress), and State’s Ex. 2 (entered into evidence at trial), will be the
same.
2
eventually able to wake the Appellant by shaking and yelling at him (VI R.R. at 6;
IV R.R. at 57). Appellant was disoriented and incoherent, and Tucker noticed a
strong odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle (II R.R. at 12; IV R.R. at 57-59,
62). When Tucker told Appellant to hop out of the car, Appellant said he would
drive (Defense Ex. 1 at 11:32:10; State’s Ex. 2 at 11:32:10).
Tucker told Appellant to put his flip-flop on so he could get out of the car,
and Appellant struggled to get it on his foot (id.; IV R.R. at 58). When Appellant
finally exited the vehicle, he had to use the Cadillac’s door as a crutch, and
appeared to be “pretty unsteady on his feet” (II R.R. at 12; see also IV R.R. at 58).
Because Tucker was worried about their dangerous location, he immediately
escorted Appellant to his patrol car, holding Appellant’s arm to help him maintain
his balance (II R.R. at 12-13; VI R.R. at 6; IV R.R. at 58). Appellant stood by
Tucker’s patrol vehicle – leaning on the grill guard for support – while Tucker
returned to the Cadillac (II R.R. at 13; IV R.R. at 58-59). Tucker moved the
Cadillac a safe distance away from the tracks, had dispatch call Union Pacific to
inform them the line was now clear, and returned to the Appellant (VI R.R. at 6-7;
IV R.R. at 58-60 (omitting reference to the subsequent call to Union Pacific)).
Appellant said he lived in Canyon Lake, Texas (Defense Ex. 1 at 11:37:40;
State’s Ex. 2 at 11:37:40). Tucker could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming
from Appellant (VI R.R. at 7; IV R.R. at 59 (metabolized alcohol)). Tucker also
3
noticed that Appellant’s speech was slurred, and his eyes were bloodshot and
glassy (II R.R. at 14; IV R.R. at 62). Appellant said he had been with some friends,
and he was going to another friend’s house in Boerne (Defense Ex. 1 at 11:37:50,
11:39:10; State’s Ex. 2 at 11:37:50, 11:39:10). When Tucker asked Appellant
where he was, he believed he was in Boerne (Defense Ex. 1 at 11:38:10; State’s
Ex. 2 at 11:38:10). Appellant said he “may have made a mistake” (Defense Ex. 1 at
11:38:28; State’s Ex. 2 at 11:38:28). When Tucker asked “[h]ow much have you
had to drink, partner?” Appellant responded “[t]oo much” (Defense Ex. 1 at
11:40:24; State’s Ex. 2 at 11:40:24). Tucker pointed out that if a train had come by
Appellant probably would have been killed, and Appellant said he “didn’t want
that” (Defense Ex. 1 at 11:40:30; State’s Ex. 2 at 11:40:30).
Appellant told Tucker that his mother could come pick him up, adding that
he knew he “messed up” (Defense Ex. 1 at 11:43:52; State’s Ex. 2 at 11:43:52).
Tucker explained that there would be an investigation, stating that “we’re far from
making a decision – [on] what we’re gonna do tonight” (Defense Ex. 1 at 11:43:52;
State’s Ex. 2 at 11:43:52). Appellant again stated “I know I messed up. I
apologize” (Defense Ex. 1 at 11:44:13; State’s Ex. 2 at 11:44:13). Tucker told
Appellant that Officer Flugrath would ask him some questions to figure out what
was going on (Defense Ex. 1 at 11:44:13; State’s Ex. 2 at 11:44:13).
4
Officer Flugrath arrived soon after Tucker (Defense Ex. 1 at 11:41:15;
State’s Ex. 2 at 11:41:15). Flugrath had extensive experience with Driving While
Intoxicated investigations (II R.R. at 39; VI R.R. at 9; IV R.R. at 85-86). When he
walked up to Tucker and Appellant, Flugrath observed that Appellant appeared to
be very disoriented (II R.R. at 35; IV R.R. at 88). After speaking with Tucker,
Flugrath asked Appellant to come over to his vehicle so he could continue the
interview (II R.R. at 35; IV R.R. at 90).
Flugrath likewise observed Appellant’s glassy, bloodshot eyes and the
strong odor of alcohol coming from Appellant (II R.R. at 36-37; IV R.R. at 90).
Appellant said he had been visiting a friend in New Braunfels (VI R.R. at 10;
State’s Ex. 3-A at 11:47:03). Appellant said “I know I’m in trouble,” and “I’m the
worst” (State’s Ex. 3-A at 11:47:48). Appellant thought it was 11:30 p.m., and told
Flugrath he had left his friend’s house around 10:30 p.m. (State’s Ex. 3-A at
11:48:33; see also II R.R. at 37). Appellant told Flugrath that he had been alone in
the car and that he remembered driving over the tracks, but did not remember
parking next to them (II R.R. at 37; State’s Ex. 3-A at 11:49:10; IV R.R. at 92).
Appellant said “[a]pparently I made a mistake because if I was on a railroad track I
apologize” (State’s Ex. 3-A at 11:50:28; see also II R.R. at 39). When asked how
much he drank at his friend’s house, Appellant said “enough” (II R.R. at 37;
State’s Ex. 3-A at 11:50:55).
5
Flugrath performed the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test on Appellant,
observing all six clues out of a possible six (II R.R. at 38; IV R.R. at 100). When
the officer tried to have Appellant perform the walk-and-turn, Appellant said he
could not do anything heel-to-toe (II R.R. at 39; IV R.R. at 102). When asked to
perform the one-legged stand, Appellant refused, saying he was used to carrying
200-pound weights on his shoulders and could not balance without them (II R.R. at
39; State’s Ex. 3-A at 11:58:50). Flugrath then asked Appellant to recite the
alphabet; Appellant recited “A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, M, M,
L, M, N, O, P. Then he paused for a minute. Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, Y, X. Then he
paused again, and then Y, Z” (II R.R. at 40; see also IV R.R. at 106). Appellant
then said he could not perform the Romberg test because he was once in a rollover
accident and could not tilt his head back (II R.R. at 40; State’s Ex. 3-A at
12:00:50). Appellant then offered his hands behind his back so Flugrath could
handcuff him (State’s Ex. 3-A at 12:01:00).
Flugrath read Appellant his DIC-24 warning and Appellant refused to give a
voluntary sample of his blood (II R.R. at 41-42; State’s Ex. 3-A at 12:05:30,
12:09:55). After Appellant’s arrest, Tucker performed an inventory search of the
vehicle and located an open container of Calypso Spiced Rum – ¼ of it missing –
in the passenger floorboard of the Cadillac (II R.R. at 15; IV R.R. at 63). Officer
Tucker observed that “[a]s drunk as he is, he had to be drinking something else,
6
cause there wasn’t enough missing out of that bottle to be that drunk” (Defense Ex.
1. at 12:12:24; State’s Ex. 2 at 12:12:24). At trial, both Flugrath and Tucker
testified that based on their training and experience, Appellant was too intoxicated
to drive that night (IV R.R. at 77, 106-07; see also II R.R. at 40-41).
Facts Learned During Tucker’s Initial Encounter with Appellant
Gave Rise to Reasonable Suspicion for an Investigatory Stop
Summary of the Argument
Although Appellant complains that his arrest was made without a warrant, at
the time of his arrest, officers had developed probable cause to believe he had been
Driving While Intoxicated. Officer Tucker’s initial encounter with Appellant was
not a “stop” – though Tucker would have been justified in “stopping” Appellant for
an apparent violation of the Transportation Code or pursuant to the community
caretaking function. Facts learned during Tucker’s encounter – communicated to
Officer Flugrath – gave rise to reasonable suspicion to investigate Appellant for
Driving While Intoxicated, and the subsequent investigative detention gave rise to
probable cause for the arrest.
Motion to Suppress Standard of Review
When reviewing a trial court’s decision on a motion to suppress, appellate
courts will give almost total deference to the trial court’s determination of
7
historical facts, but review de novo its application of the law to the facts. Tanner v.
State, 228 S.W.3d 852, 856 (Tex. App.—Austin 2007, no pet.) (citing Maxwell v.
State, 73 S.W.3d 278, 281 (Tex. Crim. App. 2002)). However, appellate courts
should also give almost total deference to a trial court’s application of the law to
fact questions that turn on credibility and demeanor. Garcia v. State, 43 S.W.3d
527, 530 (Tex. Crim. App. 2001) (citing Guzman v. State, 955 S.W.2d 85, 89 (Tex.
Crim. App. 1997)).
Where trial courts do not make explicit findings of fact, the appellate court
will review the evidence in a light most favorable to the trial court’s ruling and
assume it made implicit findings of fact supported by the record. Wiede v. State,
214 S.W.3d 17, 25 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007); Balentine v. State, 71 S.W.3d 763, 768
(Tex. Crim. App. 2002) (citing Carmouche v. State, 10 S.W.3d 323, 327-28 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2000)) (internal citations omitted). “[C]ourts afford the prevailing party
‘the strongest legitimate view of the evidence and all reasonable inferences that
may be drawn from that evidence.” Gonzales v. State, 369 S.W.3d 851, 854 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2012). Courts must sustain the trial court’s ruling if it is reasonably
supported by the record and is correct on any theory of law applicable to the case.
State v. Gray, 158 S.W.3d 465, 467 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005) (citing State v. Ross,
32 S.W.3d 853, 855-56 (Tex. Crim. App. 2000)).
8
A. Officer Tucker observed that Appellant’s vehicle was in violation of §
545.302 of the Transportation Code.
Section 545.302 of the Transportation Code prohibits stopping, standing, or
parking in certain areas. Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 545.302 (West, Westlaw
through 2015 R.S.). It states that “[a]n operator may not stop, stand, or park a
vehicle: … on a railroad track ….” Id. § 545.302(a)(8); see also id. § 545.302
(c)(1) (prohibiting parking “within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad
crossing”).
At the suppression hearing, Tucker testified that while he did not know the
specific provision, “the way [Appellant] was parked … is a violation of the Traffic
Code of some sort” (II R.R. at 18; id. at 10 (Appellant was parked only 20 feet off
the roadway and right next to the track)). Because Appellant was parked in
violation of § 545.302, even if the encounter can be considered a “stop” (see infra),
Tucker had at least reasonable suspicion that Appellant had committed a traffic
offense. From his subsequent observation of Appellant, Tucker learned additional
facts leading to reasonable suspicion to investigate for Driving While Intoxicated.
See Rubeck v. State, 61 S.W.3d 741, 745 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2001, no pet.)
(“Once a police officer makes a bona fide stop for a traffic offense, he may also
investigate any other offense that he reasonably suspects has been committed.”);
Wiegand v. State, 03-98-00303-CR, 1999 WL 546844, at *1 (Tex. App.—Austin
July 29, 1999, pet. ref’d) (not designated for publication) (where officer initially
9
stopped appellant for traffic violation, appellant’s manner of speech and the odor
of alcohol on his breath gave rise to reasonable suspicion to investigate for DWI).
As discussed infra, Tucker communicated these facts to Flugrath, and Appellant’s
contention that Flugrath lacked reasonable suspicion for the investigative detention
therefore lacks merit.
B. Officer Tucker could have investigated Appellant’s car parked on the
railroad tracks pursuant to the community caretaking function.
Although Appellant recites some of the standard of review for community
caretaking stops, he does not apparently challenge Tucker’s ability to rely on the
community caretaking function in the instant case. See Brief for Appellant at 12,
17-20. The lack of any specific argument or citations to the record regarding the
caretaking function should preclude review of that issue. See Tex. R. App. P.
33.1(a), 38.1(h), (i); Smith v. State, 683 S.W.2d 393, 410 (Tex. Crim. App. 1984)
(holding that nothing was preserved for appellate review when appellant did not
cite authority and did not present argument on issue); Russeau v. State, 291 S.W.3d
426, 437 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009) (appellant failed to point out in record where he
made argument to the trial court); Tufele v. State, 130 S.W.3d 267, 270-71 (Tex.
App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2004, no pet.). However, out of an abundance of
caution, the State will address it.
10
Community Caretaking Standard of Review
“‘As a part of his duty to ‘serve and protect,’ a police officer may stop and
assist an individual whom a reasonable person, given the totality of the
circumstances, would believe is in need of help.’” Gonzales v. State, 369 S.W.3d
851, 854 (Tex. Crim. App. 2012) (emphasis in original). In evaluating a
community-caretaking stop, courts will determine whether the officer was
primarily motivated by the community-caretaking purpose and whether the
officer’s belief that the individual needed help was reasonable. Id. at 854-55. To
determine the reasonableness of the officer’s belief, the Court of Criminal Appeals
proposed a non-exclusive list of factors to consider:
(1) the nature and level of the distress exhibited by the individual; (2)
the location of the individual; (3) whether or not the individual was
alone and/or had access to assistance independent of that offered by
the officer; and (4) to what extent the individual—if not assisted—
presented a danger to himself or others.
Id. at 855. The first factor is generally accorded the greatest weight but is not
always dispositive. Id. The unique facts of each case determine the result, and
different factors may be inapplicable or have varying weights in a given case. Id.
In Gonzales, the officer observed the defendant’s vehicle pull off the road
just before 1:00 a.m. in an area with few business and little traffic. Id. at 853.
When the officer decided to see if the driver needed assistance, he activated his
traffic lights and began to pull onto the shoulder behind the defendant’s vehicle. Id.
11
The defendant began to drive away, but quickly stopped. Id. When the officer
approached to ask the defendant if he was okay, he noticed a strong odor of alcohol
coming from the vehicle, and that the defendant’s eyes were bloodshot and his
speech was slurred. Id. The officer then began a driving-while-intoxicated
investigation. Id.
The Court of Criminal Appeals observed that it would not second-guess the
trial court’s determination that the officer was primarily motivated by his public -
safety role. Id. at 855. The Court deferred to the trial court’s determination of that
issue because it was highly dependent on credibility and demeanor. Id. The Court
then evaluated the reasonableness of the officer’s belief that the defendant needed
help. First, it was reasonable based on the officer’s observations and inferences to
believe the defendant was experiencing some form of distress. Id. at 856. Second,
the location compounded the defendant’s distress, in that the events took place in a
lightly populated area on the way out of town, with minimal traffic at that late
hour. Id. Third, the defendant’s location also limited his access to assistance. Id.
The Court afforded little weight to the fourth factor – whether the unassisted
defendant was a danger to himself or others – because of its awkward fit with the
facts of that case. Id. at 856-57. The Court found that the officer’s belief that the
defendant needed help was reasonable under the totality of the circumstances. Id.
at 857.
12
Analysis
Appellant appears to concede that Officer Tucker’s initial check on
Appellant was justified by the community caretaking exception. See Brief for
Appellant at 19 (Appellant only contests Officer Flugrath’s investigation).
Furthermore, at the outset it is important to note that Appellant was not “seized”
when Tucker first came to investigate and determine why he was parked on the
tracks because Appellant was unconscious in his car (II R.R. at 10-12). See Crain
v. State, 315 S.W.3d 43, 49 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010) (whereas an investigative
detention occurs “when a person yields to the police officer’s show of authority
under a reasonable belief that he is not free to leave,” a consensual encounter is not
a seizure). Though Appellant’s encounter with Tucker was not truly a “seizure”
until sometime after Tucker learned of information warranting reasonable
suspicion to conduct an investigative detention, even if it was a community
caretaking “stop,” it would have been justified on the extraordinary facts of the
case.
There was ample support in the record for the trial court to determine that
Tucker was primarily motivated by the community-caretaking function. See
Statement of Facts at 2-6; II R.R. at 10 (Tucker testified that Appellant’s car was
close enough to the active railroad tracks that any train would have collided with
it); id. at 12-13 (“Knowing that we had a danger involved,” Tucker did not
13
immediately ask questions, instead escorting Appellant to safety). Because the trial
court’s implied finding on this issue is highly dependent on credibility and
demeanor, the Court should defer to the trial court’s finding in the State’s favor.
See Garcia, 43 S.W.3d at 530; see also Gonzales, 369 S.W.3d at 855.
When evaluating the reasonableness of the officer’s belief that the defendant
needed help, just as in Gonzales, the Appellant was located in a lightly-populated
area at a late hour with relatively little traffic. See Defense Ex. 1 at 11:29:50 p.m.
Over and above Gonzales, however, Tucker (and the private citizen who called the
police) could infer distress from the fact that Appellant was parked on an active
railroad track. See id.; II R.R. at 12-13. This potentially deadly location
compounded Appellant’s distress exponentially more than the mere “isolation” of
the defendant in Gonzales. Compare with 369 S.W.3d at 856. Furthermore, while
in both cases there was little chance of independent assistance, in Appellant’s case,
Tucker was aware of the fact that a private citizen had called the police to handle
the issue. See II R.R. at 9, 18. This fact further established that – likely due to the
inherent danger of the situation – there would be no intervention independent of
the police. Finally, while in Gonzales the final factor was largely inapplicable, in
Appellant’s case, there was a clear danger that if left parked on the active track,
Appellant was at serious risk of losing his life, not to mention a potential threat for
bystanders, train passengers, or derailment. See 369 S.W.3d at 856-57. Every
14
single factor in the instant case is far more compelling than the circumstances
found sufficient in Gonzales, and the Court should find that any community-
caretaking stop of Appellant was likewise reasonable based on the totality of the
circumstances. See 369 S.W.3d at 857.
C. Facts learned from Tucker’s and Flugrath’s observations of Appellant
led to reasonable suspicion justifying an investigative detention.
Reasonable Suspicion Standard of Review
The Supreme Court has noted that “[t]here is ‘no ready test for determining
reasonableness other than by balancing the need to search [or seize] against the
invasion which the search [or seizure] entails.’” Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 21
(1968) (quoting Camara v. Municipal Court, 387 U.S. 523, 534-37 (1967)). The
reasonableness of a temporary detention must be considered in view of the totality
of the circumstances and the cumulative information available at the inception of
the encounter. Tanner v. State, 228 S.W.3d 852, 855 (Tex. App.—Austin 2007, no
pet.); U.S. v. Arvizu, 534 U.S. 266, 273 (2002) (overruled in part on other grounds
by Davis v. Washington, 547 U.S. 813 (2006)). Courts must not isolate each fact
and decide whether each one independently is consistent with innocent activity.
Arvizu, 534 U.S. at 274.
Reviewing courts will factor in an officer’s training and experience when
evaluating whether he had reasonable suspicion to justify an investigative
15
detention. Id. at 276. The reviewing court will consider all information available to
the officer at the time of the stop, including that obtained from his own
observations or relayed to him by other members of law enforcement. Hall v. State,
AP-75,121, 2007 WL 1847314, at *3 (Tex. Crim. App. June 27, 2007) (citing
Jackson v. State, 745 S.W.2d 4, 11-17 (Tex. Crim. App. 1988)). Additionally,
under the “collective knowledge” doctrine, the cumulative information available to
several cooperating officers may be considered. State v. Duran, 396 S.W.3d 563,
574 n.12 (Tex. Crim. App. 2013) (“[T]he detaining officer need not be personally
aware of every fact that objectively supports a reasonable suspicion to detain;
rather, ‘the cumulative information known to the cooperating officers at the time of
the stop is to be considered in determining whether reasonable suspicion exists.’”)
(quoting Derichsweiler v. State, 348 S.W.3d 906, 914 (Tex. Crim. App. 2011)).
Reasonable suspicion that criminal activity may be afoot must be based upon
commonsense judgments and inferences about human behavior. Tanner, 228
S.W.3d at 855. Courts require only a “minimal level of objective justification” on
the part of the officer. Id. (citing U.S. v. Sokolow, 490 U.S. 1, 7 (1989)). An
officer’s determination of the likelihood of criminal activity need not rise to the
level required for probable cause, and it falls considerably short of satisfying a
preponderance of the evidence standard. Tanner, 228 S.W.3d at 856 (citing Arvizu,
534 U.S. at 274).
16
Analysis
Appellant apparently asserts that when Officer Flugrath arrived on the scene,
he lacked information necessary to form reasonable suspicion to justify
Appellant’s investigative detention for DWI. Brief for Appellant at 19. However,
Flugrath had ample information from his own observations and from Tucker to
justify the temporary investigative detention.
Officer Tucker had been a police officer for around 12 years at the time of
the offense (II R.R. at 9; IV R.R. at 52).3 As detailed in the statement of facts,
supra (at 2-7), Officer Tucker initially came upon Appellant passed out in his
running car, which was parked on an active railroad track (VI R.R. at 6). When
Tucker finally managed to wake him, Appellant was disoriented, was very
unsteady on his feet, had bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred his speech, and had a
strong odor of alcohol coming from his person (id. at 6-7). Officer Flugrath arrived
while Tucker was still speaking with Appellant, less than 10 minutes after
Appellant woke up (Defense Ex. 1 at 11:31:22; id. at 11:41:15). 4
3
The State went into the officers’ training and experience in greater detail at trial. See Rachal v.
State, 917 S.W.2d 799, 809 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996) (“Where the State raises the issue at trial
either without objection or with subsequent participation in the inquiry by the defense, the
defendant has made an election to re-open the evidence, and consideration of the relevant trial
testimony is appropriate in our review”).
4
One court of appeals found a 27- minute delay while merely waiting for another officer
reasonable:
Legitimate law enforcement purposes include a delay to permit the arrival of a
DWI enforcement officer so that the supervisory officer initiating the stop can
return to duty, a delay for the arrival of a video camera so that the DWI
investigation and the field sobriety tests can be taped in accordance with
17
Officer Flugrath had been employed as a patrol officer since 1995 (II R.R. at
39) and testified that he had probably conducted over a thousand DWI stops in his
career (IV R.R. at 85-86). Flugrath discussed the situation with Tucker – including
the fact that Appellant was parked on the tracks – before Flugrath set up his patrol
car and camera for sobriety testing (II R.R. at 35, 37; see also VI R.R. at 10
(Flugrath states in his report he spoke with Tucker and verified certain facts about
the incident). The trial court could reasonably infer that Tucker relayed his other
observations to Flugrath. See Gonzales, 369 S.W.3d at 854. Because Flugrath
could rely on the information Tucker gave him – along with his own personal
observations that Appellant was looking down and was very disoriented (II R.R. at
35), smelled strongly of alcohol and had bloodshot and glassy eyes (id. at 36-38) –
Flugrath had reasonable suspicion sufficient to justify his investigative detention
and sobriety testing. See Hall, 2007 WL 1847314, at *3; Duran, 396 S.W.3d at 574
n.12; Wiegand, 1999 WL 546844, at *1.
Based on the forgoing facts, an officer as experienced with DWI’s as
Flugrath could reasonably infer there was a substantial chance Appellant – who
was sleeping while parked on the railroad track – had been driving while
intoxicated. See also The Evidence Was Legally Sufficient, infra (at 25). The
department procedures, and a delay for the arrival of a rookie officer who needs
training.
Belcher v. State, 244 S.W.3d 531, 540-41 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2007, no pet.).
18
Court should give due weight to the trial court’s implied finding that Officers
Tucker and Flugrath were credible and that their inferences were reasonable. See
Tanner, 228 S.W.3d at 857; Gonzales, 369 S.W.3d at 854. When Flugrath took
over the investigation, if he had not further investigated the situation – with all the
cumulative evidence available to him at that point – it would have been poor police
work. See Tanner, 228 S.W.3d at 859 (quoting Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 21
(1968)). The record supports the trial court’s conclusion that Flugrath had
reasonable suspicion that Appellant had been driving while intoxicated, based on
commonsense inferences about human behavior in the context of the totality of
information available to him.
Miranda Warnings Are Not Required at the Outset of an
Investigatory Detention
Summary of the Argument
Appellant argues that because Officer Tucker believed he would undertake a
DWI investigation, he should have immediately given Miranda warnings.
However, even if Appellant had adequately preserved his point of error, Miranda
warnings are not required for investigative detentions. Furthermore, in Appellant’s
case, even if all of Appellant’s testimonial statements had been suppressed, the
remaining overwhelming evidence would still have led to his conviction.
19
Argument
In Appellant’s second point of error, he complains that trial court erred in
failing to grant his broad motion to suppress “all written and oral statements made
by Defendant to any law enforcement officers or others in connection with this
case, and any testimony by the San Antonio Police Department or any other law
enforcement officers or others concerning any such statements.” I C.R. at 46; see
also Brief for Appellant at 21. Appellant claims that officers never observed a
traffic offense, and the fact that questioning occurred at night on the side of the
road meant Appellant was interrogated during a custodial interrogation. Brief for
Appellant at 24. Specifically, Appellant asserts that Tucker’s belief that there
would be a DWI investigation at the time he removed Appellant from his car
means that Tucker should have read the Miranda warnings before he proceeded
any further. Id. at 12.
First, Appellant’s overbroad motion to suppress “all … statements made by
Defendant to any law enforcement officers or others” (I C.R. at 46) is not specific
as to the objectionable statements Appellant wished to suppress, nor did Appellant
identify for the trial court (or this Court) 5 any particular statement he wished to
5
See Tex. R. App. P. 33.1(a), 38.1(h), (i); Smith v. State, 683 S.W.2d 393, 410 (Tex. Crim. App.
1984) (holding that nothing was preserved for appellate review when appellant did not cite
authority and did not present argument on issue); Russeau v. State, 291 S.W.3d 426, 437 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2009) (appellant failed to point out in record where he made argument to the trial
court); Tufele v. State, 130 S.W.3d 267, 270-71 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2004, no pet.).
20
suppress. See Hernandez v. State, 599 S.W.2d 614, 617 (Tex. Crim. App. 1980)
(op. on reh’g) (observing that even if that appellant’s “objection sufficiently stated
grounds for the objection, it did not identify what was objected to.”); see also Tex.
R. Evid. 103(a)(1) (requiring a specific objection). Because at least some of
Appellant’s statements were admissible (e.g., statements made while the Tucker
was trying to get Appellant and his Cadillac safely off the tracks), Appellant’s
failure to point out for the trial court which statement was inadmissible – based on
what particular ground – waived error. See Garza Gonzalez v. State, 783 S.W.2d
774, 778 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 1990, no pet.) (observing the appellant failed
to adequately raise his complaint in the trial court, noting that “the necessity of
presenting a specific objection with supporting grounds is particularly important in
a case such as this one where the accused made more than one statement”); see
also II R.R. at 53-55 (where Appellant did not point out specific statements or
grounds to support suppression of those statements).
Second, as discussed supra (at *9-10), Tucker observed that Appellant was
parked in violation of Texas Transportation Code § 545.302. The mere fact that the
investigatory detention occurred on the side of the road at night (Brief for
Appellant at 24) does not transform the situation into a custodial interrogation. See
State v. Waldrop, 7 S.W.3d 836, 839 (Tex. App.—Austin 1999, no pet.)
(statements made during an investigatory detention on the roadside after midnight
21
were not part of a custodial interrogation). Appellant failed to adequately explain
to the trial court how any of his statements were made during a “custodial
interrogation.” See Herrera v. State, 241 S.W.3d 520, 526 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007)
(“At trial, the defendant bears the initial burden of proving that a statement was the
product of ‘custodial interrogation’”).
Furthermore, Appellant’s complaint on appeal that Tucker’s belief there
would be a DWI investigation somehow necessitated a Miranda warning (Brief for
Appellant at 12, 24) was not presented to the trial court (II R.R. at 53-55). See
Garza Gonzales, 783 S.W.2d at 778 (because the appellant’s complaint in the trial
court did not comport with that raised on appeal, “nothing is preserved for
review”). Notably, even if such a complaint had been adequately presented to the
trial court, the trial court would not have erred in rejecting it. See Hernandez v.
State, 107 S.W.3d 41, 48 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2003, pet. ref’d) (investigatory
detentions do not require Miranda warnings); Abernathy v. State, 963 S.W.2d 822,
824 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1998, pet. ref’d) (observing the Supreme Court had
held that a “motorist was not in custody for purposes of Miranda even though the
traffic officer ‘apparently decided as soon as [the motorist] stepped out of his car
that [the motorist] would be taken into custody and charged with a traffic
offense’”); Simmons v. State, 14-07-00301-CR, 2008 WL 2580380, at *3 (Tex.
App.—Houston [14th Dist.] July 1, 2008, no pet.) (not designated for publication)
22
(“the right to Miranda warnings is not triggered during an investigative
detention”).
Finally, even if Appellant had preserved his issues and the trial court had
erred in admitting one of Appellant’s multiple statements, in light of the other
overwhelming evidence of Appellant’s guilt, any error would have had no – or
only slight – influence on the verdict, and would be harmless. See Mitten v. State,
228 S.W.3d 693, 696 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2005, pet. ref’d, untimely filed).
As discussed in the Statement of Facts, supra, Appellant was discovered slumped
over his center console, sleeping, while parked on an active railroad track. When
Tucker finally managed to wake him up, Appellant was sluggish, disoriented and
incoherent (see, e.g., IV R.R. at 57). Officers noticed the strong odor of
metabolized alcohol coming from Appellant (IV R.R. at 59, 90-91). Appellant
struggled to put his flip-flop on (State’s Ex. 2 at 11:32:10; IV R.R. at 58). He had
obvious problems with his balance, having to use vehicles as a crutch and needing
the officer’s assistance to walk (IV R.R. at 58). Appellant slurred his speech, and
his eyes were bloodshot and glassy (id. at 62).
Furthermore, Appellant failed or refused to perform several sobriety tests,
often giving outlandish explanations for his refusals. Statement of Facts, supra (at
6-7). Such tests do not implicate Miranda:
The court of criminal appeals has held that sobriety tests yield
physical evidence of a suspect’s mental and physical faculties, and
23
thus, the results are not testimonial evidence that implicates Miranda.
Gassaway v. State, 957 S.W.2d 48, 51 (Tex.Crim.App.1997) (holding
that field sobriety tests do not violate the privilege against self-
incrimination). Specifically, the court of criminal appeals has
reasoned that field sobriety tests are not testimonial because their
results do not create “an express or implied assertion of fact or belief.”
Id.
Jordan v. State, 2-05-364-CR, 2006 WL 2310531, at *2 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth
Aug. 10, 2006, no pet.). Jordan also observed that no statute requires warnings
prior to the administration of field sobriety tests. Id. at *3 (citing Martin v. State,
97 S.W.3d 718, 720 (Tex. App.—Waco 2003, pet. ref’d). Appellant also refused to
give a voluntary sample of his blood (State’s Ex. 3-A at 12:05:30, 12:09:55). 6
Officers found a container of rum missing ¼ of its contents in the vehicle, an
amount which Tucker observed was insufficient to render Appellant as drunk as he
was (State’s Ex. 2 at 12:12:24). Flugrath – who estimated he had conducted over
1,000 DWI investigations (IV R.R. at 85-86) – testified that in his opinion
6
The trial court erred in suppressing warrantless blood-draw evidence based on The State of
Texas vs. David Villareal; this will be particularly evident if the Court of Criminal Appeals
determines on rehearing that the blood draw statute at issue is constitutional (I C.R. at 146, citing
P.D. 0306-14; see also Order Suppressing, attached). State v. Villarreal, PD-0306-14, 2014 WL
6734178, at *1 (Tex. Crim. App. Nov. 26, 2014), reh’g granted (Feb. 25, 2015). The State
therefore appeals the following cross point: the trial court erred in ruling that suppression was
mandated based on Villareal, 2014 WL 6734178. See Tex. Crim. Proc. Code Ann. § art. 44.01(c)
(West, Westlaw through 2015 Sess.) (“the state is entitled to appeal a ruling on a question of law
if the defendant is convicted and appeals the judgment”); see also II R.R. at 60 (where the trial
court would have denied suppression of the blood draw before it subsequently granted
suppression based solely on the Villareal case). In the event the Court finds the trial court did err
in this respect, the blood-draw evidence Appellant fought to suppress would be one more factor
contributing to the already overwhelming evidence of Appellant’s guilt.
24
Appellant had been so intoxicated that he had lost the normal use of his mental
faculties when Appellant drove and parked his vehicle on the tracks (id. at 107
(State: “Do you have an opinion as to whether or not he lost [the normal use of his
mental faculties]?”…. Flugrath: “I don’t believe a normal person would park their
car that close to a railroad track without any type of vehicle difficulty….”).
Though Appellant fails to specify which testimonial statements should have
been suppressed, even absent any of his testimonial statements, in light of the
overwhelming evidence of Appellant’s guilt, the jury’s verdict would have been
the same. For all of the foregoing reasons, the Court should reject Appellant’s
second point of error.
The Evidence Was Legally Sufficient to Convict Appellant of
Operating a Motor Vehicle in a Public Place
Summary of the Argument
In points of error three through five, Appellant claims the evidence was
legally insufficient to show that he operated a motor vehicle in a public place
without the normal use of his faculties. However, the overwhelming evidence –
and reasonable inferences from that evidence – easily allowed the jury to conclude
that Appellant was guilty of Driving While Intoxicated. Because it cannot be said
25
that no reasonable jury would have convicted Appellant based on the evidence at
trial, the Court should affirm Appellant’s conviction.
Legal Sufficiency Standard of Review
After the decision of the Court of Criminal Appeals in Brooks v. State, Texas
appellate courts review legal and factual sufficiency challenges in criminal cases
using the same legal sufficiency standard of review. Kiffe v. State, 361 S.W.3d 104,
107 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2011, pet. ref’d) (citing Ervin v. State, 331
S.W.3d 49, 54 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2010, pet. ref’d)). Evidence is only
insufficient if, when considering all the evidence in the light most favorable to the
verdict, “no rational factfinder could have found each essential element of the
charged offense beyond a reasonable doubt.” Id.7 (citing Jackson v. Virginia, 443
U.S. 307, 319 (1979)).
When reviewing the legal sufficiency of the evidence, a reviewing court
“considers all evidence in the record of the trial, whether it was admissible or
inadmissible.” Winfrey v. State, 393 S.W.3d 763, 767 (Tex. Crim. App. 2013),
reh’g denied (Apr. 17, 2013). Courts will treat direct and circumstantial evidence
equally. Kiffe, 361 S.W.3d at 108. “[D]irect evidence of a fact, standing alone and
7
When viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, evidence can be
insufficient in two circumstances: when the record contains “no evidence, or merely a
‘modicum’ of evidence, probative of an element of the offense” or when “the evidence
conclusively establishes a reasonable doubt.” Id. The evidence may also be insufficient when the
acts alleged do not constitute the offense charged. Id. at 108.
26
if believed by the jury, is always… sufficient to prove that fact.” Cortez v. State,
08-02-00363-CR, 2004 WL 178587, at *3 (Tex. App.—El Paso Jan. 29, 2004, pet.
ref’d) (citing Goodman v. State, 66 S.W.3d 283, 286 (Tex. Crim. App. 2001)).
Furthermore, “[c]ircumstantial evidence is as probative as direct evidence in
establishing the guilt of an actor, and circumstantial evidence alone can be
sufficient to establish guilt.” Rockwell v. State, AP-76,737, 2013 WL 6529575, at
*1 (Tex. Crim. App. Dec. 11, 2013) (not designated for publication) (citing Hooper
v. State, 214 S.W.3d 9, 13 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007)), cert. denied, 134 S. Ct. 2724
(2014).
Legal sufficiency review “gives full play to the responsibility of the trier of
fact fairly to resolve conflicts in the testimony, to weigh the evidence, and to draw
reasonable inferences from basic facts to ultimate facts.” Jackson, 443 U.S. at 319.
Each fact in isolation need not establish the guilt of the accused. Roberson v. State,
16 S.W.3d 156, 164 (Tex. App.—Austin 2000, pet. ref’d). Reviewing courts will
determine whether the necessary inferences are reasonable based on the “combined
and cumulative force of the evidence when viewed in the light most favorable to
the verdict.” Kiffe, 361 S.W.3d at 108. Appellate courts will presume that the
factfinder “resolved any conflicting inferences in favor of the verdict” and defer to
that resolution. Id. The reviewing courts will also defer to “the factfinder’s
evaluation of the credibility and the weight of the evidence.” Id. The factfinder is
27
entitled to accept some testimony and reject other testimony, in whole or in part.
Margraves v. State, 34 S.W.3d 912, 919 (Tex. Crim. App. 2000), abrogated on
other grounds by Laster v. State, 275 S.W.3d 512 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009); see also
Roberson, 16 S.W.3d at 164 (factfinder may accept or reject any or all evidence
presented by either party).
Ultimately, the reviewing court is not to determine “whether it believes that
the evidence at the trial established guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” but whether
“after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any
rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a
reasonable doubt.” Jackson, 443 U.S. at 318-19 (emphasis in original).
Accordingly, “the verdict will be sustained if there is any evidence which, if
believed, shows the guilt of the accused.” Brown v. State, 649 S.W.2d 160, 163
(Tex. App.—Austin 1983, no pet.).
Argument
Appellant contends there was legally insufficient evidence to show
Appellant operated a motor vehicle in a public place while intoxicated. Although
Appellant breaks his argument up into three separate points of error, because the
cumulative evidence to support each element is largely duplicative, the State will
28
answer points of error three through five in the same section to avoid excessive
repetition.
Appellant points out that officers did not personally see Appellant driving on
a public road while he was intoxicated. Brief for Appellant at 27. Notably, Tucker
did observe him turn the vehicle off after he woke Appellant (IV R.R. at 64).
Regardless, the fact that an officer may not have personally observed every
element of the offense does not render the evidence legally insufficient. See
Rockwell, 2013 WL 6529575, at *1 (“circumstantial evidence alone can be
sufficient to establish guilt”); Kirsch v. State, 357 S.W.3d 645, 650-51 (Tex. Crim.
App. 2012) (the Court of Criminal Appeals has concluded that “a person ‘operates’
a vehicle when ‘the totality of the circumstances [] demonstrate that the defendant
took action to affect the functioning of his vehicle in a manner that would enable
the vehicle’s use”).
In Priego v. State, the appellant testified that after she obtained two whiskey
bottles from another person, she drove to the parking lot of C W Ford Rentals near
a dumpster. 457 S.W.3d 565, 567 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2015), petition for
discretionary review refused (June 3, 2015). The appellant claimed she consumed
one bottle while the truck was in the parking lot, threw it in the dumpster, and
began drinking from the second bottle until she lost consciousness. Id.
29
A manager of the rental company noticed the appellant’s truck in the
otherwise empty parking lot. Id. When he approached and knocked on her window,
the appellant was unresponsive. Id. When no one could wake the appellant, she
was eventually transported to a hospital where her blood was drawn. Id. at 568. No
field sobriety tests were administered. Id. n.3. The manager “never saw [the
appellant] actually drive the truck, which was parked straight in the parking lot.”
Id. at 568.
After the appellant’s conviction, she contested the legal sufficiency of the
evidence that she had operated her vehicle while intoxicated. Id. at 569. She
contended that “she did not consume any alcohol before she parked her truck in the
parking lot of C W Ford Rentals and that there is no direct or circumstant ial
evidence which would enable a reasonable fact-finder to determine otherwise.” Id.
Among other facts, the court of appeals observed that there was no evidence
in the record suggesting anyone else had operated the appellant’s vehicle. Id. at
570. The appellant’s car had been parked in the lot for around an hour when the
officer was first dispatched to the scene. Id. A partially consumed whiskey bottle
was found on the truck’s floorboard, and the appellant smelled strongly of alcohol.
Id. Although the gear selector was in “park,” the engine was running and the
appellant was still wearing her seatbelt. Id. Despite the fact that there was no direct
evidence that the appellant “became intoxicated prior to or during the time she was
30
driving the truck, the jury could reasonably infer that she was operating her truck
while intoxicated.” Id. Considering the evidence in the light most favorable to the
verdict, the court of appeals found the evidence legally sufficient. Id. at 571.
In Appellant’s case, there was extensive evidence that Appellant was highly
intoxicated while operating his vehicle in a public place. Statement of facts, supra
(at 2-7). While in Priego there was no evidence anyone else had operated the
appellant’s vehicle, in the instant case Appellant admitted that no one else was in
the vehicle with him and that he was driving (IV R.R. at 92). At 11:48:33 p.m.,
Appellant stated it was “about 11:30 now,” and that he had driven from his friend’s
house around “10:30” – around one hour earlier, just as in Priego (State’s Ex. 3-A
at 11:48:33; see also State’s Ex. 2 at 11:29:50 (Tucker arrives at the scene)).
Further mirroring Priego, a partially consumed liquor bottle was found in
Appellant’s floorboard (IV R.R. at 63). Appellant’s gear selector was in “park,” the
engine was running, and Appellant was sitting in the driver’s seat and slumped
over the center console, sound asleep. 8 Compare with Priego, 457 S.W.3d at 570.
8
Appellant contrasts the particular facts constituting legally sufficient evidence in other cases
with the facts in his case. Brief for Appellant at 28 (e.g. “There is no evidence of the vehicle’s
transmission being engaged, as in Dornbusch v. State”); but see Priego, 457 S.W.3d at 570
(gearshift in “park”); Hearne v. State, 80 S.W.3d 677, 679 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.]
2002, no pet.) (gearshift in “park”). In any event, Appellant conflates sufficiency with necessity
– although a given fact may help constitute legally sufficient evidence in one case, it is not
thereafter required to be proved in every subsequent case. Cf. Tanner, 228 S.W.3d at 858 (citing
Ornelas v. U.S., 517 U.S. 690, 698 (1996) (warning that in the context of reasonable suspicion
determinations, courts should avoid comparing the individual facts in one case to the treatment
of similar facts in other cases).
31
Additionally, whereas the appellant in Priego never underwent field sobriety
tests, video of Appellant’s various attempts and refusals to complete such tests
were in evidence before the jury. See Statement of Facts, supra (e.g., State’s Ex. 3-
A at 11:58:50 (Appellant refused to perform one-legged stand because he could not
balance without 200-pound weights on his shoulders)). While the appellant in
Priego claimed that she only drank in the parking lot – and further argued there
was nothing in evidence to the contrary – Appellant admitted to drinking at his
friend’s house before driving to the railroad track (State’s Ex. 3-A at 11:50:55
(when asked how much he had to drink there, Appellant replied “enough”)).
Furthermore, in addition to his slurred speech and demeanor, jurors could watch
Appellant’s various apologies and admissions of culpability. Statement of Facts,
supra (e.g., State’s Ex. 2 at 11:40:24 (Appellant said he’d had “[t]oo much” to
drink); id. at 11:44:13 (“I know I messed up. I apologize.”); State’s Ex. 3-A at
11:47:48 (“I know I’m in trouble” and “I’m the worst”)). This evidence – over and
above that found sufficient by the Texarkana court of appeals – must also be
considered in light of the most profound circumstance elevating Appellant’s case
over Priego: whereas Priego parked her vehicle “straight in [a] parking lot,”
Appellant parked his Cadillac on an active railroad track.
The jury could reasonably infer that when Appellant drove to and parked his
Cadillac on the active railroad track, he had lost the normal use of his mental
32
faculties. Cf. Kuciemba v. State, 310 S.W.3d 460, 462 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010)
(“Being intoxicated at the scene of a traffic accident in which the actor was a driver
is some circumstantial evidence that the actor’s intoxication caused the accident,
and the inference of causation is even stronger when the accident is a one-car
collision with an inanimate object”). Parking in such circumstances could lead to
two inferences – either the Appellant had lost the normal use of his mental
faculties when he drove and parked there, or he was suicidal. See II R.R. at 55
(where Appellant tried to argue during the pretrial motion to suppress that it may
have been a suicide attempt). However, when Officer Tucker pointed out that if a
train had come, Appellant probably would have been killed, Appellant stated “I
didn’t want that” (State’s Ex. 2 at 11:40:20). See also State’s Ex. 3-A (“Apparently
I made a mistake because if I was on a railroad track I apologize.”).
Accordingly, given the totality of the evidence at trial, the jury made what
was the only reasonable inference: that Appellant – by virtue of his intoxication –
had lost the normal use of his mental faculties when he drove and parked his
Cadillac on the train tracks before passing out. When viewing the combined and
cumulative force of the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, it
cannot be said that the factfinder’s inferences were not reasonable.
Appellant also contends the evidence was legally insufficient to prove he
operated his vehicle in a “public place;” he claims the allegedly “private” railroad
33
easement does not qualify. Brief for Appellant at 30. However, as mentioned
supra, the jury could reasonably infer that Appellant operated his vehicle in
another public place: he drove on the public road from which he reached the
railway easement. As the State observed during the hearing on the motion to
suppress, “unless [Appellant] has some magic trick, he had to drive to that spot. So
he was on public roadways to get there” (II R.R. at 56).
Moreover, even if the evidence only showed Appellant had driven on the
“private railway easement,” several of Appellant’s cited cases demonstrate this
falls under the “public place” definition. Appellant cites Shaub v. State, observing
that “[i]n determining whether a place is public, the relevant inquiry is whether the
public has access to it.” Brief for Appellant at 29 (citing 99 S.W.3d 253, 256 (Tex.
App.—Fort Worth 2003, no pet.). The public has access to several locations which
are privately owned; this fact is readily apparent in the Penal Code’s definition of
“public place.”
As defined in the Penal Code, a “public place” means “any place to which
the public or a substantial group of the public has access and includes, but is not
limited to, streets, highways, and the common areas of schools, hospitals,
apartment houses, office buildings, transport facilities, and shops.” Tex. Pen.
Code Ann. § 1.07(a)(40) (West, Westlaw through 2015 R.S.) (emphasis added).
The emphasized examples are privately owned, yet nevertheless classified as
34
“public places.” Indeed, in Appellant’s cited case Shaub v. State, the “public place”
at issue appears to have been a privately leased marina. See 99 S.W.3d at 255.
Appellant cites several similar cases involving privately owned areas – some of
which involved restricted access – which were nevertheless classified as “public
places.” Appellant observes several such fact patterns on page 30 of his brief; he
explicitly notes of one of them that:
The manager of the complex testified that the entire complex was
surrounded by a metal fence, that the complex had between 200 and
300 residents, and that the parking lot was a common area for the
complex. When a resident moved into the complex, the resident
received a “gate card” which would electronically trigger the gate.
Brief for Appellant at 30 (citing Holloman v. State, 11-95-275-CR, 1995 WL
17212433, at *1 (Tex. App.—Eastland Dec. 21, 1995, pet. ref’d) (not designated
for publication) (the court found said location to be a “public place” for purposes
of § 49.04 of the Texas Penal Code)).
Appellant nevertheless tries to distinguish his case, asserting that the record
is “devoid of testimony that would reasonably support a finding that the private
railway easement away from the roadway was plainly open to the public.” Id.
Appellant’s assertion is flatly incorrect. First, State’s Exhibit 2 clearly shows
Appellant’s vehicle located around 20 feet off the public roadway (State’s Ex. 2 at
11:29:50). The jury could see for itself that there were no fences or other
obstructions; Appellant had merely pulled of the road a few steps behind his
35
vehicle. Id.9 Second, there was explicit testimony at trial that the railroad was a
“public place:”
State: “Is … the railroad a public place?”
Tucker: “Yes ma’am, it is.”
(IV R.R. at 60).
The State belabored the point a short while later:
State: “…it was your judgment call, your opinion, that this private
Union Pacific property was a public place. …. Union Pacific
easement was a public place?”
Tucker: “Yes.”
(id. at 70). The State actually had Officer Tucker explain that private property
could be a public place (id. at 74-76 (Tucker: “If you can walk there without any
barriers or no trespassing signs, it’s usually a public place” State: “So is that
railroad track off FM 306 considered a public place?” Tucker: “Yes, ma’am, it
is.”)). For all the foregoing reasons, the Court should find the evidence was legally
sufficient to support the jury’s finding that Appellant operated his vehicle in a
public place while he was intoxicated. Because it cannot be said that no rational
9
Appellant’s comparison to Fowler – where the appellant was on a gated (albeit open) unpaved
private residence’s driveway ¼ mile from a country road – is therefore inapposite. Fowler v.
State, 65 S.W.3d 116, 117 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2001, no pet.). The only testimony in Fowler
that the road was a “public place” was struck from the record. Id. at 119. Additionally, unlike
Fowler, in the instant case Appellant stated on video that he had left his friend’s house around
10:30 p.m. after drinking, and that he remembered driving over the railroad crossing. Statement
of Facts, supra.
36
trier of fact could have found Appellant guilty – particularly in light of the
combined and cumulative force of the overwhelming evidence in this case – the
Court should defer to the jury’s determination and affirm the judgment of the trial
court. See Jackson, 443 U.S. at 318-19.
Appellant’s Sentence Did Not Violate the Constitutional P rohibition
on Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Summary of the Argument
Appellant argues his life sentence was grossly disproportional and
constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. However, in light of the fact that several
other cases – which Appellant acknowledges in his brief – have upheld such
sentences in similar circumstances, and because Appellant presents no novel
arguments or compelling reasons for the Court to ignore such precedents, his final
point of error should likewise be rejected.
Facts at Punishment
As the State showed in the punishment phase of Appellant’s trial, Appellant
had an extensive, serious and potentially deadly problem with alcohol. Appellant’s
sister testified on his behalf at the punishment phase (V R.R. at 50). On cross -
examination, she admitted Appellant completely lacked self-discipline (id. at 54).
She acknowledged he had a “severe” alcohol problem (id.). She recognized the
37
severity of his problem despite the fact that she was not aware the instant case was
his sixth DWI conviction (id.). Appellant’s sister further acknowledged that the
State’s repeated attempts to rehabilitate her brother had failed (id. at 55). She did
not seem to be aware of the fact that he was on parole when he picked up his fifth
DWI (id. at 56). She did recognize that Appellant’s “supportive” family had never
been enough to keep Appellant from re-offending (id. at 56-57). Appellant’s sister
apparently had not been told that he was parked on a train track for his latest DWI;
when confronted with that information, she clearly had additional reservations
about Appellant (id. at 58). Appellant’s sister further acknowledged that Appellant
had endangered his own life and the life of others on each of the six occasions for
which he was convicted of driving while intoxicated (id. at 59). Ultimately,
although she wished to help her brother, Appellant’s sister had to admit that when
her oldest daughter turned 16, she would want her to be safe from people like
Appellant (id. at 59-60).
Argument
Appellant acknowledges that his final point of error – that his sentence is
grossly disproportionate and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment – has been
rejected by the Third Court of Appeals and other courts. Brief for Appellant at 34-
35. In Davidson v. State, the Court expressly observed that a sentence of life
imprisonment in the context of cases such as Appellant’s is not disproportionate.
38
See 03-13-00708-CR, 2014 WL 3809813, at *1 (Tex. App.—Austin Aug. 1, 2014,
no pet.) (not designated for publication). In Davidson, the Court observed that
“[b]ased on [the appellant’s] repeated commission of the offense of driving while
intoxicated, a dangerous offense that placed her life and the lives of others in
jeopardy, we could not conclude that a sentence of life imprisonment was grossly
disproportionate to the offense so as to constitute cruel and unusual punishment.”
Id. The Court further noted that “[i]t is well established that a sentence of life
imprisonment or of similar length is not grossly disproportionate to a felony
offense that is committed by a habitual offender, even when the felony is not
inherently violent in nature.” Id. (citing Rummel v. Estelle, 445 U.S. 263, 284-85
(1980)); see also Pryor v. State, 03-13-00347-CR, 2015 WL 2066228, at *5 (Tex.
App.—Austin May 1, 2015) (not designated for publication), petition for
discretionary review filed (Aug. 6, 2015) (where the Court noted under the
“certainty of punishment” factor of its harmless error analysis that – given that
appellant’s history of DWI’s – the jury would have assessed the maximum
sentence in any event).
Appellant provides no new argument to support his point of error beyond his
bare assertion that a life sentence is grossly disproportionate. Brief for Appellant at
35; see also supra (at 21 n.5). In light of the above, including Appellant’s repeated
violations, his endangerment of himself and others, and caselaw Appellant
39
acknowledges in his brief (Brief for Appellant at 34-35), any further historical
analysis should be unnecessary. See Davidson, 2014 WL 3809813. However, in the
event it interests the Court, the remainder of the instant brief – adapted from a
colleague’s – will trace some of the developments in caselaw related to the Eighth
Amendment. Otherwise, for the foregoing reasons, Appellant’s conviction should
be, in all things, affirmed.
Appellant’s Sentence Is Consistent With Historical Developments in Eighth
Amendment Case Law.
United States Supreme Court Precedent
The United States Supreme Court has decided several cases determining
whether the length of a non-capital prison sentence is properly subject to review in
the context of the Eighth Amendment. Those cases cover both sentences that were
assessed for a single offense as well as those assessed as part of a habitual offender
statute. The Supreme Court itself has indicated that its decisions have been far
from clear. While somewhat lengthy, the following summary will set out the facts
and holdings of the Supreme Court’s cases and provide additional support for the
determination that Appellant’s sentence does not violate the Eighth Amendment.
In Graham v. West Virginia, 224 U.S. 616 (1912), the facts reflected that, in
1898, the defendant had been convicted of stealing a horse valued at $50. Three
years later, in 1901, he had been convicted of entering a stable in order to steal a
40
horse valued at $100. Finally, in 1907, the defendant was convicted of stealing a
horse valued at $75 and various tack and accessories valued at $85. Upon
conviction for that last crime, the defendant was sentenced to a term of life
imprisonment as mandated by West Virginia’s recidivist statute.
On appeal, the defendant claimed that cruel and unusual punishment had
been inflicted upon him. In response, the United States Supreme Court noted,
“The propriety of inflicting severer punishment upon old offenders has long been
recognized in this country and in England. They are not punished the second time
for the earlier offense, but the repetition of criminal conduct aggravates their guilt
and justifies heavier penalties when they are again convicted.” Graham v. West
Virginia, 224 U.S. 616 at 623. Without any discussion of factors such as the
severity of the offense or the possibility of parole, the Supreme Court concluded
that it could not be maintained that cruel and unusual punishment had been
inflicted. Id. at 631.
In Rummel v. Estelle, 445 U.S. 263 (U.S. 1980), the defendant had been
charged in 1964 with fraudulent use of a credit card to obtain $80 worth of goods
or services, a felony punishable by imprisonment for not less than two nor more
than ten years. The defendant pled guilty and was sentenced to three years’
confinement. In 1969, the defendant was charged with passing a forged check in
the amount of $28.36, a felony punishable by imprisonment for not less than two
41
nor more than five years. The defendant also pled guilty to that offense and was
sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. Finally, in 1973, the defendant was charged
with obtaining $120.75 by false pretenses, a felony punishable by confinement for
not less than two nor more than ten years. However, the defendant was prosecuted
under Texas’ repeat offender statute and his two prior convictions were alleged in
the indictment. A jury convicted the defendant of felony theft and also found the
allegations that he had been convicted of two prior felonies were true. As a result,
the trial court imposed a life sentence upon the defendant as mandated by law.
On appeal, the defendant argued that a sentence of life imprisonment was “grossly
disproportionate” to the three felonies that formed the predicate for his sentence
and, therefore, his sentence violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and
unusual punishments. Eventually, the defendant’s case reached the United States
Supreme Court on certiorari. Rummel v. Estelle, 445 U.S. 263 at 265. Addressing
the defendant’s claim that the absence of violence in his crimes should militate
against the imposition of such a severe sentence, the United States Supreme Court
rejected that proposition by stating, “But the presence or absence of violence does
not always affect the strength of society’s interest in deterring a particular crime or
in punishing a particular criminal.” Id. at 275. The Court also found that the
interest of the State of Texas in the case was not simply the punishment of the
unlawful acquisition of another person’s property. The Court recognized that there
42
was an additional interest, expressed in all recidivist statutes, in dealing more
harshly with those who, by repeated criminal acts, have shown that they are simply
incapable living as law-abiding citizens. Id. at 276. The Supreme Court also noted
that Texas had a relatively liberal policy of granting “good time” credits to its
prisoners, a policy that had historically allowed a prisoner serving a life sentence to
become eligible for parole in as little as 12 years. In light of such policies, the
Court recognized that a proper assessment of Texas’ treatment of the defendant
could hardly ignore the possibility that he would not actually be imprisoned for the
rest of his life. Id. at 280. Finally, the Court noted that, even if the sentence
imposed on the defendant was the most severe sentence found in any of the states,
such fact would not necessarily make the defendant’s sentence grossly
disproportionate to his offenses. Id. at 282. The Court also clearly recognized that
the Texas Legislature was entitled to make its own judgments on what sentences
should be imposed for different crimes. Id. at 284. The Supreme Court then held
that the mandatory life sentence imposed upon the defendant did not constitute
cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.
In Hutto v. Davis, 454 U.S. 370 (U.S. 1982), officers had tape-recorded a
transaction in which the defendant had sold marijuana and other controlled
substances to a police informant. Several days later, on October 26, 1973, law
enforcement officers raided the defendant’s home and seized approximately nine
43
ounces of marijuana and assorted drug paraphernalia. The defendant was
convicted in a Virginia state court for possession with intent to distribute and
distribution of marijuana. The jury imposed a prison term of 20 years and a fine of
$10,000 on each of the two counts and the prison terms were ordered to run
consecutively. Id. at 370-371.
The defendant filed a writ of habeas corpus asserting that a 40-year sentence
was so grossly disproportionate to the crime of possessing less than nine ounces of
marijuana that it constituted cruel and unusual punishment as proscribed by the
Eighth Amendment. The District Court relied primarily upon the four factors set
forth in Hart v. Coiner, 483 F.2d 136 (4th Cir. 1973) to analyze the defendant’s
claim. Hutto v. Davis, 454 U.S. 370 at 371. Applying the first Hart factor to the
case, the District Court found “no element of violence and minimal, debatable
danger to the person.” On Hart's second factor, which called for an examination of
the purposes behind the criminal statute and the existence of less restrictive means
of effectuating those purposes, the District Court was inconclusive, but noted that
the amount of marijuana involved was less than nine ounces, implying that such
minimal possession could adequately be deterred with shorter prison sentences.
Applying the third Hart factor, the District Court found that defendant’s sentence
for possession with intent to distribute exceeded the maximum penalty available
for that offense in all but four States, and that his sentence for distribution
44
exceeded the maximum penalty available for that offense in all but eight States.
Finally, under the fourth Hart factor, the District Court concluded that the
defendant’s sentence was disproportionate when compared to punishments
applicable to other offenses under Virginia law. Id. at 373. Based on that analysis,
the District Court granted the defendant’s writ. Id. at 371. The District Court’s
decision was subsequently upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the
Fourth Circuit. Id. at 372.
The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari and addressed the
application of the Hart factors by the lower courts. See Hutto v. Davis, 454 U.S.
370 (U.S. 1982). The Court specifically found that it had rejected each of the Hart
factors in its opinion in Rummel. Addressing the application of the first Hart
factor, the Supreme Court noted that, in Rummel, it had held that the presence or
absence of violence did not always affect the strength of society’s interest in
deterring a particular crime or in punishing a particular criminal. The Court then
found that the application of the second Hart factor had been implicitly rejected in
Rummel by its conclusion that the amount of money taken was not relevant,
because to have acknowledged that the State could have given the defendant a life
sentence for stealing some amount of money would have conceded that the lines to
be drawn were subjective and therefore properly determined by legislatures instead
of the courts. Addressing application of the third Hart factor, the Court noted that
45
it had rejected such comparisons in Rummel when it found that, absent a
constitutionally imposed uniformity contrary to traditional notions of federalism,
some State would always bear the distinction of treating particular offenders more
severely than any other State. Finally, the Court found that it had rejected the
application of the fourth Hart factor in Rummel because other crimes implicated
other societal interests, making such a comparison inherently speculative. Id. at
373. After specifically disavowing the application of each of the Hart factors, the
Supreme Court stated, “Rummel stands for the proposition that federal courts
should be ‘[reluctant] to review legislatively mandated terms of imprisonment,’
and that ‘successful challenges to the proportionality of particular sentences’
should be ‘exceedingly rare.’” The Court also stated, “By affirming the District
Court decision after our decision in Rummel, the Court of Appeals sanctioned an
intrusion into the basic linedrawing process that is ‘properly within the province of
legislatures, not courts.’” In reversing the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the
Supreme Court concluded with a stern warning that lower federal courts were
required to follow its precedent no matter how misguided the judges of those
courts thought it to be. Id. at 374.
In Solem v. Helm, 463 U.S. 277 (U.S. 1983), the facts reflected that in 1964,
1966 and 1969, the defendant had been convicted of third-degree burglary. In
1972, he was convicted of obtaining money under false pretenses. In 1973, the
46
defendant was convicted of grand larceny. And, in 1975, he was convicted of
third-offense driving while intoxicated. Thus, by 1975, the State of South Dakota
had convicted the defendant of six nonviolent felonies. Then, in 1979, the
defendant was charged with uttering a “no account” check for $100. The
defendant pled guilty and was sentenced to a term of life imprisonment under the
South Dakota repeat offender statute. Under South Dakota’s laws, a person
sentenced to life imprisonment was not eligible for parole. Id. at 279-282.
The defendant subsequently filed for a writ of habeas corpus arguing that his
sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment
and his case reached the United States Supreme Court on certiorari. Solem v. Helm,
463 U.S. 277 at 283-284. Addressing the defendant’s claim, the Supreme Court
held that, as a matter of principle, a criminal sentence must be proportionate to the
crime for which the defendant had been convicted. The Court recognized that
reviewing courts should grant substantial deference to the broad authority that
legislatures necessarily possess in determining the types and limits of punishments
for crimes, as well as to the discretion that trial courts possess in sentencing
convicted criminals. The Supreme Court also specifically indicated that it was not
adopting or implying approval of a general rule of appellate review of sentences.
The Court stated, “Absent specific authority, it is not the role of an appellate court
to substitute its judgment for that of the sentencing court as to the appropriateness
47
of a particular sentence; rather, in applying the Eighth Amendment the appellate
court decides only whether the sentence under review is within constitutional
limits.” The Court added, “In view of the substantial deference that must be
accorded legislatures and sentencing courts, a reviewing court rarely will be
required to engage in extended analysis to determine that a sentence is not
constitutionally disproportionate.” Id. at 291.
However, the Supreme Court then stated, “When sentences are reviewed
under the Eighth Amendment, courts should be guided by objective factors that our
cases have recognized.” Then, the Court instructed that courts should look to the
gravity of the offense and the harshness of the penalty. Addressing that factor, the
Court specifically found that nonviolent crimes were less serious than crimes
marked by violence or the threat of violence. As a second factor, the Court
indicated that it might be helpful to compare the sentences imposed on other
criminals in the same jurisdiction. The Court noted that it would be some
indication that the punishment at issue might be excessive if more serious crimes
were subject to the same or lesser penalties. Finally, the Court indicated that
courts might find it useful to compare the sentences imposed for commission of the
same crime in other jurisdictions. The Court summarized its holding by stating, “In
sum, a court’s proportionality analysis under the Eighth Amendment should be
guided by objective criteria, including (i) the gravity of the offense and the
48
harshness of the penalty; (ii) the sentences imposed on other criminals in the same
jurisdiction; and (iii) the sentences imposed for commission of the same crime in
other jurisdictions.” Solem v. Helm, 463 U.S. 277 at 291-292.
Applying the factors it had set out, the Supreme Court referred to the
defendant’s crime as “one of the most passive felonies a person could commit.”
The Court also found that the defendant’s prior offenses, although classified as
felonies, were all relatively minor, all were nonviolent, and none was a crime
against a person. Solem v. Helm, 463 U.S. 277 at 296. After reviewing all of the
factors, the Supreme Court concluded that the defendant’s sentence was
significantly disproportionate to his crime, and was therefore prohibited by the
Eighth Amendment. Id. at 303.
It is notable that the three factors endorsed in by the Supreme Court in Solem
are the first, third and fourth factors of Hart test that the Court had so vehemently
disavowed in Hutto v. Davis as being contrary to the precedent established in
Rummel. Indeed, the Supreme Court chastised the Fourth Circuit’s application of
those factors after its decision in Rummel by stating that the Fourth Circuit could
be viewed as having ignored, consciously or unconsciously, the hierarchy of the
federal court system created by the constitution and Congress. Then, less than a
year later, the Court seems to have done the same thing that led to the Fourth
Circuit’s reprimand. However, despite the obvious inconsistency in its opinions,
49
the Court did not overrule Hutto v. Davis and specifically refused to overrule
Rummel. Solem v. Helm, 463 U.S. 277 at 303.
In Harmelin v. Michigan, 501 U.S. 957 (U.S. 1991), the defendant was
convicted of possessing 672 grams of cocaine and sentenced to a mandatory term
of life in prison without possibility of parole. The defendant appealed, claiming
that his sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the
Eighth Amendment. His case eventually reached the United States Supreme Court
on certiorari. Id. at 961.
Addressing the defendant’s claim, the United States Supreme Court issued
numerous opinions. In an opinion joined by the Chief Justice, Justice Scalia found
that the defendant’s sentence could not be considered unconstitutionally
disproportional because the Eighth Amendment contained no proportionality
guarantee. Justice Scalia also determined that Solem was wrongly decided and
completely rejected its analysis. Harmelin v. Michigan, 501 U.S. 957 at 962-994.
Justice Kennedy was joined by Justices O’Connor and Souter in his opinion.
Contrary to Justice Scalia’s opinion, Justice Kennedy found that the Eighth
Amendment does forbid sentences that are “grossly disproportionate.” Id. at 997.
However, he specifically wrote, “The Eighth Amendment does not require strict
proportionality between crime and sentence. Rather, it forbids only extreme
sentences that are ‘grossly disproportionate’ to the crime.” Id. at 1001. Justice
50
Kennedy specifically held that the second and third factors from Solem, the
sentences imposed on other criminals in the same jurisdiction and the sentences
imposed for commission of the same crime in other jurisdictions, should only be
considered in the rare case when a threshold comparison of the crime committed
and the sentence imposed led to an inference that the sentence was grossly
disproportionate. He then weighed the defendant’s crime of possession of over
650 grams of cocaine against his punishment of life in prison without parole and
concluded that the defendant’s sentence was not grossly disproportionate to the
underlying crime. Consequently, Justice Kennedy found it unnecessary to proceed
to the additional steps of the Solem analysis. Id. at 1005. Finally, the four
remaining justices in Harmelin dissented and issued three separate opinions.
However, all of the dissenting justices did agree with Justice White, who argued
for the continued application of the full three-pronged Solem test. Id. at 1008-1009.
In Ewing v. California, 538 U.S. 11 (2003), one of the more recent Supreme
Court cases addressing proportionality in non-capital sentencing, the Court held the
California three strikes law was constitutional and concluded that a sentence of
twenty-five years to life for felony grand theft did not violate the Eighth
Amendment. In deciding the case, the Supreme Court employed the threshold
analysis provided by Justice Kennedy in Harmelin to decide that the sentence was
not grossly disproportionate to the crime. Id. at 23-24. The Court considered the
51
specific circumstances of the case, including the defendant’s criminal history, the
discretion allotted to the sentencing judge and the prosecutor in deciding how to
charge the defendant under the statute, and the state’s interest in protecting its
citizens from repeat offenders. Based on those factors, the Court decided in its
initial inquiry that the sentence imposed was not grossly disproportionate to the
offense committed. And, because the Court did not find the sentence was grossly
disproportionate after its initial inquiry, the Court found it unnecessary to conduct
the inter-and intra-jurisdictional analyses from Solem. Id. at 25-31.
Fifth Circuit Precedent
In McGruder v. Puckett, 954 F.2d 313 (5th Cir. 1992), the defendant, in
1954, was found guilty of two counts of armed robbery and sentenced to serve two
to nine years. In 1957, he was found guilty of burglary and larceny and sentenced
to serve from one to ten years, running concurrently with his earlier sentence. The
defendant was also sentenced in 1957, to another concurrent term of four to eight
years for escape from a penitentiary. In 1964, he was found guilty of armed
robbery and given three to ten years. Finally, in 1983, the defendant was convicted
by a jury in Harrison County, Mississippi, for the burglary of an automobile,
specifically for stealing twenty cases of beer from a delivery truck. The defendant
had been indicted as a habitual offender under the Mississippi Code. After a
52
sentencing hearing where the defendant’s record of prior felony convictions was
established, he was sentenced, as a habitual offender, to life in prison without
parole. Id. at 314.
On appeal, the defendant alleged that his sentence was unconstitutionally
disproportionate. McGruder v. Puckett, 954 F.2d 313 at 315. Addressing that
argument, the Fifth Circuit noted the framework of objective factors adopted by the
Supreme Court in Solem. However, the Court also noted that Solem must be
viewed in the light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Harmelin v. Michigan. By
applying a head-count analysis, the Fifth Circuit found that seven members of the
Supreme Court supported a continued Eighth Amendment guaranty against
disproportional sentences. However, the Court recognized that only four justices
supported the continued application of all three factors in Solem while five justices
rejected the continued application of all five factors. The Court then stated, “Thus,
this much is clear: disproportionality survives; Solem does not.” Relying upon
Justice Kennedy’s opinion for guidance, the Court stated that it would initially
make a threshold comparison of the gravity of the defendant’s offenses against the
severity of his sentence. Then, only if the Court inferred that the defendant’s
sentence was grossly disproportionate to the offense would it then consider the
remaining factors of the Solem test and compare the sentence received to (1)
53
sentences for similar crimes in the same jurisdiction and (2) sentences for the same
crime in other jurisdictions. Id. at 316.
In making the threshold comparison of the gravity of the defendant’s
offenses against the severity of his sentence, the Court noted that the defendant had
been sentenced as a habitual offender. The Court recognized that, because he was
sentenced as a habitual offender, the defendant’s sentence was imposed to reflect
the seriousness not only of his most recent offense but also the seriousness of his
prior offenses. McGruder v. Puckett, 954 F.2d 313 at 316. In comparing the
gravity of the defendant’s offenses in relation to the harshness of his sentence, the
Fifth Circuit then referred to the Supreme Court’s decision in Rummel as a “handy
guide” to assist in the determination. After comparing the offenses and criminal
records of the defendants in each case, the Court found that, in the light of
Rummel, there could be no argument that the defendant’s sentence was not
disproportionate, much less grossly disproportionate, to his offense. Because the
Court did not find that the defendant’s sentence was grossly disproportionate to the
offense, it did not consider the remaining factors of the Solem test. Id. at 317.
Texas Precedent
Texas appellate court have followed and applied the Fifth Circuit’s
McGruder analysis in addressing Eighth Amendment proportionality complaints.
Under that analysis, Texas courts have initially made a threshold comparison of the
54
gravity of the offense against the severity of the sentence. If a court has
determined during that threshold comparison that the sentence is not grossly
disproportionate to the offense, they have uniformly refused to consider the
remaining Solem factors. See Jacobs v. State, 80 S.W.3d 631 (Tex.App.—Tyler
2002; no pet.).10
In addition, in Whitehead v. State, 11-05-00179-CR, 2006 WL 3685230, at
*1 (Tex. App.—Eastland Dec. 14, 2006), review dismissed, PD-234-07, 2008 WL
1930673 (Tex. Crim. App. Apr. 30, 2008), one Texas appellate court addressed the
appeal of a habitual offender who was sentenced to life in prison for failure to
appear. In that case, a jury found the defendant guilty of the offense of bail
jumping and failure to appear. Also finding that the defendant had been finally
convicted of two prior felony offenses as alleged in the indictment, the jury
assessed his punishment at life imprisonment. On appeal, the defendant argued
that his life sentence violated the Eighth Amendment of the United States
Constitution. Addressing that argument, the Eastland Court found that a life
sentence imposed under Texas habitual offender statutes does not constitute cruel
10
See also Moore v. State, 54 S.W.3d 529, 542 (Tex.App.—Fort Worth 2001, pet. ref’d);
Bradfield v. State, 42 S.W.3d 350, 353 (Tex.App.—Eastland 2001, pet. ref'd); Hicks v. State, 15
S.W.3d 626, 632 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2000, pet. ref'd); Dunn v. State, 997 S.W.2d
885, 891-92 (Tex. App.—Waco 1999, pet. ref'd); Jackson v. State, 989 S.W.2d 842, 845 (Tex.
App.—Texarkana 1999, no pet.); Mathews v. State, 918 S.W.2d 666, 669 (Tex.App.—Beaumont
1996, pet. ref'd); Puga v. State, 916 S.W.2d 547, 549-50 (Tex.App.—San Antonio 1996, no
pet.); Lackey v. State, 881 S.W.2d 418, 421 (Tex.App.—Dallas 1994, pet. ref'd).
55
and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The Court noted
that the defendant was relying primarily on the case of Solem v. Helm. However,
the Court found that Solem was distinguishable because the defendant in Solem
was sentenced to life with no possibility of parole, whereas the defendant was
eligible for parole. The Court then held that the defendant’s life sentence for
failure to appear did not violate the Eighth Amendment. See id.
Another court of appeals has specifically found that Solem is no longer
controlling law. See Trevino v. State, 07-04-0066-CR, 2005 WL 1404037, at *5
(Tex. App.—Amarillo June 15, 2005, pet. ref'd) (not designated for publication).
Instead of applying the three Solem factors, the court has used the Fifth Circuit’s
McGruder analysis and, after determining that a sentence is not grossly
disproportionate to the offense, has refused to consider the remaining Solem
factors.
As set out above, using Rummel as a “handy guide” as suggested by the Fifth
Circuit in McGruder, it is evident that, contrary to Appellant’s assertions, his
sentence is not unconstitutionally disproportionate. Appellant’s status as a habitual
offender (I Supp. C.R. at 4) means that his sentence is imposed to reflect the
seriousness not only of his most recent offense, but also the seriousness of his prior
offenses. In light of the catastrophic harm and loss of life Appellant could have
caused multiple times – to himself and to others – it cannot be said that the
56
defendant’s sentence was disproportionate, much less grossly disproportionate, to
his offense. Therefore, evaluation under the second and third Solem factors is
unnecessary and Appellant’s point of error should be denied, particularly in light of
recent similar cases recognizing such sentences do not constitute cruel and unusual
punishment. See Davidson, 2014 WL 3809813, at *1.
57
Prayer
Wherefore, premises considered, Appellee respectfully prays that this
Honorable Court of Appeals affirm in all matters the judgment of the trial court in
this case. Alternatively, if the Court does not affirm the judgment of the trial court,
Appellee prays that the Court find the trial court erred in suppressing the evidence
from the warrantless blood draw based on Villareal. Appellee also prays for all
other relief, both special and general, in law and in equity, to which it may be
entitled.
JENNIFER THARP
Criminal District Attorney
By
/s/ Joshua D. Presley
Joshua D. Presley
SBN: 24088254
Assistant District Attorney
150 N. Seguin Avenue, Ste. #307
New Braunfels, Texas 78130
Phone: (830) 221-1300
Fax: (830) 608-2008
E-mail: preslj@co.comal.tx.us
Attorney for the State
58
Certificate of Service
I, Joshua D. Presley, Assistant District Attorney for the State of Texas,
Appellee, hereby certify that a true and correct copy of this Brief for the State has
been delivered to Appellant DAVID KENT THACKER, JR.’s attorney of record in
this matter:
Gerald C. Moton
motongerald32@gmail.com
11765 West Avenue, PMB 248
Austin, TX 78216
Attorney for Appellant on Appeal
By electronically sending it through efile.txcourts.gov to the above-listed email
address, this the 8th day of September, 2015.
/s/ Joshua D. Presley
Joshua D. Presley
Certificate of Compliance
I hereby certify, pursuant to Rule 9.4(i)(2)(B) and Rule 9.4(i)(3) of the Texas
Rules of Appellate Procedure that the instant brief is computer-generated using
Microsoft Word and said computer program has identified that there are 13,308
words or less within the portions of this brief required to be counted by Rule
9.4(i)(1) & (2) of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure.
The document was prepared in proportionally-spaced typeface using Times
New Roman 14 for text and Times New Roman 12 for footnotes.
/s/ Joshua D. Presley
Joshua D. Presley
59
Appendix
60
NO. CR20 13-096
• .
.
THE STATE OF TEXAS § IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF
§
vs. § COMAL COUNTY, TEXAS
§
DAVID KENT THACKER, JR. §
..
co
TO THE HONORABLE JUDGE OF SAID COURT:
NOW COMES DAVID KENT THACKER, JR., the Defendant in the above cause, and files
this motion to reconsider it denial of Defendant's Motion to Suppress Blood Draw in view of Antonio
Aviles v. The State of Texas, No. 04-11-00877-CR decided August 6, 2014.
1. In the original submission of Antonio Aviles v. The State of Texas, No. 04-11-00877-CR
the Fourth Court of Appeals held the trial court did not err in denying appellant Antonio Aviles's motion to
suppress the blood specimen drawn pursuant to section 724.012(b){3)(B) of the Texas Transportation Code.
Aviles ''· State. 385 S.WJd 110. 116 (Tex. App.-San Antonio 2012). vacated. 134 S. Ct. 902 (2014).
Relying upon Beeman'~ State, 86 S.W.3d 613, 616 (Tex. Crim. App. 2002), we held section 724.012(b)(3)
(B) permits a police officer to take a blood specimen from DWI suspect without a warrant if the officer has
credible information that the suspect has been previously convicted on at least two prior occasions ofDWI.
/d.
Aviles sought review in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, but that court refused his petition.
Thereafter, Aviles filed a petition for writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court. The
Supreme Court granted the petition. vacated our judgment, and remanded the matter to us for further
consideration in light of the Court's opinion in Missouri v. .~.\1cNee/y, 133 S. Ct. 1552 (2013). Aviles v.
Texas, 134 S. Ct. 902, 902 (2014). After reviewing the denial of the motion to suppress in light of
McNeely, in a published opinion the Fourth Court of Appeals reverse the trial court's judgment and
~5~JN~& ~~ Mlfue trial court for a new trial.
~if.~
HEAlliER N. KELLAR
@ COMAL COUNTY
DISTRr CLER~
PAGE oFf!._
,
I
~-
2. A copy of the published opinion in Antonio AVILES, v. The STATE of Texas, No. 04-11-
00877-CR decided August 6, 2014 is affixed hereto and made apart hereof.
WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, Defendant respectfully prays that this
Honorable Court will grant this motion to reconsider it denial of Defendant's Motion to Suppress in all
things, or in the alternative, that this Court will set this matter down for a hearing prior to trial on the
merits and that at such hearing this Motion will be in all things granted.
Respectfully submitted,
Gerald C. Moton
11765 West Avenue, PMB 248
San Antonio. TX 78216
Tel: (210) 410-8153 '
Fax: (21 0) 568-4389
TXBN 145963 0 ./'
/
CERTIFIED TO BE ATRUE AND
CORRECT ,C9PY
~'if.~
HEATHER N. KELLAR
0 COMAL COUNTY
OISTR~CLERK~
PAGE~ OF~
~
\;jjfJJ
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that a copy of the above and foregoing document was
was delivered to the District Attorney's Office, at the Comal County Courthouse Annex, 150 Seguin.
New Braunfels, Texas 78130, on Thursday, August 14, 2014 by h~elivery.
/
/
BY:____._7---~~-r---------
GERAL0 C. MOTO
STATE IfAR N0/4'596350
ORDER
On~ , 2014, came on to be beard Defendant's motion to reconsider it denial of
Defendants Motion to Suppress, and after hearing same, the Court orders that the Motion to Suppress
Blood Draw is hereby granted for the reasons set forth in as indicated in Antonio 4uiles v. The State of
p .J) • 0 '?;0 (.. -I~
Texas, No. 94 II 99877=€R decided Angust 6:-20 14. 4.
V ·..l>/1-lt!~ 1 nU""'-IL