IN THE COURT OF CRIM INAL AP P EALS OF TEXAS

N O

. P D

- 0 1 5 4

- 2 2

T H O M A S G E O R G E G R I S W O L D , I I I , A p p e l l a n t

V

.

T H E S T A T E O F T E X A S

O N S T A T E ’ S P E T I T I O N F O R D I S C R E T I O N A R Y R E V I E W

F R O M T H E F I F T H C O U R T O F A P P E A L S

R O C K W A L L C O U N T Y

P e r c u r i a m .

O P I N I O N

A p p e l l a n t w a s c h a r g e d w i t h s t a l k i n g b y e n g a g i n g i n c o n d u c t t h a t i s a n o f f e n s e u n d e r

s e c t i o n 4 2

. 0 7 a n d / o r e n g a g i n g i n c o n d u c t h e k n e w o r r e a s o n a b l y s h o u l d h a v e k n o w n t h e

c o m p l a i n a n t w o u l d r e g a r d a s t h r e a t e n i n g b o d i l y i n j u r y o r d e a t h a n d d i d c a u s e t h e

c o m p l a i n a n t t o f

e a r b o d i l y i n

j u r y o r d e a t h

. S e e T E X

. P E N A L C O D E § 4 2

. 0 7 2 ( a )

. A p p e l l a n t filedG r i s w o l d

- 2

a pre- trial motion to quash the indictment, arg uing the stalking statute is fac ially unconstitutional as

vag ue and overbr oad due to its incorporation of section 42.07(a) (7) (ele ctronic hara ssment). The trial

court denied the motion. A p p e l l a n t w a s c o n v i c t e d a n d a p p e a l e d

. T h e C o u r t o f A p p e a l s h e l d that

section 42.072(a) is fac ially unconstitution al for vag ueness and overbr eadth to the extent it
incorpora tes section 42.07(a) (7). G r i s w o l d v

. S t a t e , 6 3 7 S

. W

. 3 d 8 8 8 ( T e x

. A p p

. – D a l l a s 2 0 2 1 ,

p e t

. f i l e d )

. The court reve rsed and rema nded the case to the trial court t o g r a n t t h e m o t i o n t o

q u a s h a n d d i s m i s s t h e i n d i c t m e n t

.

T h e S t a t e f

i l e d a p e t i t i o n f

o r d i s c r e t i o n a r y r e v i e w a r g u i n g t h a t t h e C o u r t o f A p p e a l s

e r r e d i n f

i n d i n g t h e s t a l k i n g s t a t u t e u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l a n d i n r e v e r s i n g t h e c o n v i c t i o n

. W e

h a n d e d d o w n o p i n i o n s i n E x p a r t e B a r t o n , N o

. P D

- 1 1 2 3

- 1 9 , 2 0 2 2 W L 1 0 2 1 0 6 1 ( T e x

. C r i m

.

A p p

. A p r

. 6 , 2 0 2 2 ) , a n d E x p a r t e S a n d e r s , N o

. P D

- 0 4 6 9

- 1 9 , 2 0 2 2 W L 1 0 2 1 0 5 5 ( T e x

. C r i m

.

A p p

. A p r

. 6 , 2 0 2 2 ) , i n w h i c h w e u p h e l d t h e f a c i a l c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i t y o f a p r e v i o u s v e r s i o n o f

s e c t i o n 4 2

. 0 7 ( a ) ( 7 )

. S e e A c t s 2 0 0 1 , 7 7 t h L e g

. , c h

. 1 2 2 2 ( S

. B

. 1 3 9 ) , § 1 , e f f

. S e p t

. 1 , 2 0 0 1

.

T h e i n d i c t m e n t i n t h i s c a s e a l l e g e d c o n d u c t t h a t o c c u r r e d o n o r a b o u t J a n u a r y 1 , 2 0 0 7

t h r o u g h A p r i l 2 4 , 2 0 1 8

. T h e r e f o r e , a t l e a s t a p o r t i o n o f A p p e l l a n t ' s c a s e i n v o l v e s a c h a l l e n g e

t o t h e v e r s i o n o f s e c t i o n 4 2

. 0 7 t h a t b e c a m e e f f e c t i v e a f t e r b e i n g a m e n d e d b y t h e l e g i s l a t u r e

i n 2 0 1 7

. S e e A c t s 2 0 1 7 , 8 5 t h L e g

. , c h

. 5 2 2 ( S

. B

. 1 7 9 ) , § § 1 3 , 1 4 , e f f

. S e p t

. 1 , 2 0 1 7

.

T h e C o u r t o f A p p e a l s i n t h e i n s t a n t c a s e d i d n o t h a v e t h e b e n e f i t o f o u r d e c i s i o n s i n

E x p a r t e B a r t o n a n d E

x p a r t e S a n d e r s

. A c c o r d i n g l y , w e g r a n t t h e S t a t e ’ s p e t i t i o n f o r

d i s c r e t i o n a r y r e v i e w , v a c a t e t h e j u d g m e n t o f t h e C o u r t o f A p p e a l s , a n d r e m a n d t h i s c a s e t oG r i s w o l d

- 3

t h e C o u r t o f A p p e a l s f o r f u r t h e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n i n l i g h t o f E x p a r t e B a r t o n a n d E

x p a r t e

S a n d e r s , a n d t o a d d r e s s A p p e l l a n t ' s r e m a i n i n g i s s u e s i f n e c e s s a r y

.

D E L I V E R E D N o v e m b e r 2 , 2 0 2 2

P U B L I S H