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E X P A R T E R O B E R T A L A N H A R L E S T O N

, J R

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O N A P P L I C A T I O N F O R W R I T O F H A B E A S C O R P U S

I N C A U S E N O

. 1 2 0 5 0 9 1

- A I N T H E 1 7 6 T H D I S T R I C T C O U R T

H A R R I S C O U N T Y

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, J

. , f

i l e d a c o n c u r r i n g o p i n i o n i n w h i c h J O H N S O N

, J

. , j o i n e d

.

C O N C U R R I N G O P I N I O N

I d i s a g r e e w i t h t h e C o u r t ’ s a s s e r t i o n t h a t t h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t ’ s r e c o m m e n d e d f i n d i n g s

w i t h r e s p e c t t o t h e c r e d i b i l i t y o f t h e v i c t i m ’ s r e c a n t a t i o n s “ a r e n o t s u p p o r t e d b y t h e

r e c o r d [

. ] ” I c a n n o t s a y t h a t t h e r e c o r d i s a b s o l u t e l y d e v o i d o f a n y r a t i o n a l b a s i s t o a c c e p t

1

t h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t ’ s f

i n d i n g s t h a t t h e c o m p l a i n i n g w i t n e s s ’ s v a r i o u s r e c a n t a t i o n s a r e m o r e

c r e d i b l e t h a n h e r r e c a n t a t i o n s

- o f

- h e r

- r e c a n t a t i o n s

. B u t I n e v e r t h e l e s s a g r e e t h a t w e n e e d n o t

1

Majority Opinion at 2.Har leston — 2

a c c e p t t h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t ’ s r e c o m m e n d e d f i n d i n g s o f f

a c t i n t h i s p o s t

- c o n v i c t i o n

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

o r w r i t o f h a b e a s c o r p u s

. M o r e o v e r

, e v e n i f I t h o u g h t w e w e r e b o u n d t o a c c e p t

t h e t r i a l c o u r t ’ s f

i n d i n g s o f f

a c t

, I d o n o t r e g a r d t h e m a s d i s p o s i t i v e o f t h e q u e s t i o n o f

w h e t h e r t h a t a p p l i c a n t s h o u l d o b t a i n r e l i e f o n a c l a i m o f a c t u a l i n n o c e n c e u n d e r E x p a r t e

E l iz o n d o

. 2

I

.

I w r i t e s e p a r a t e l y

, f

i r s t o f a l l

, t o r e i t e r a t e m y l o n g

- h e l d p o s i t i o n t h a t

, a s t h e c o u r t o f

r e t u r n i n s u c h c a s e s

, w e a r e n o t b o u n d ( a s w e w o u l d b e i n o u r c a p a c i t y a s a n a p p e l l a t e c o u r t )

b y t h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t ’ s f i n d i n g s o f f

a c t

. I n t h e p a r t i c u l a r c o n t e x t o f p o s t

- c o n v i c t i o n

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

o r w r i t o f h a b e a s c o r p u s

, t h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t i s t h e “ o r i g i n a l ” f a c t

- f i n d e r ( i f

o n l y b e c a u s e t h i s C o u r t h a s n o i n s t i t u t i o n a l c a p a c i t y f o r f a c t u a l d e v e l o p m e n t )

, a n d w e w i l l

o r d i n a r i l y d e f

e r t o t h a t c o u r t ’ s f

i n d i n g s o f

f a c t w h e n t h e y a r e s u p p o r t e d b y t h e r e c o r d

. B u t 3

t h a t d e f e r e n c e i s n o t b o u n d l e s s

, a n d

, a s t h e C o u r t a p t l y a c k n o w l e d g e s t o d a y

, w e d o n o t

s i m p l y “ r u b b e r s t a m p ” t h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t ’ s r e c o m m e n d e d f i n d i n g s

. B e c a u s e w e a r e t h e

4

2

947 S.W .2d 202 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996).

3

E.g.

, Ex parte Re ed , 271 S.W .3d 698, 727 (Tex. Crim. App. 2008).

4

Majority Opinion at 6.Har leston — 3

c o u r t o f r e t u r n i n f

e l o n y p o s t

- c o n v i c t i o n h a b e a s c o r p u s p r o c e e d i n g s

, w e a r e t h e “ u l t i m a t e ” 5

f a c t

- f i n d e r

, w i t h t h e p r e r o g a t i v e t o r e j e c t t h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t ’ s r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s

— e v e n i f

t h e y a r e s u p p o r t e d b y t h e r e c o r d

— i f w e t h i n k a n o t h e r d i s p o s i t i o n i s m a n i f e s t l y b e t t e r

s u p p o r t e d b y t h e r e c o r d

. 6

I t s e e m s q u i t e e v i d e n t t o m e t h a t

, e v e n o n t h e c o l d r e c o r d b e f o r e u s

, a s d e v e l o p e d a t

5

See T E X

. C O D E C R I M

. P R O C . art. 11.07, § 3(a ). As I observe d in Ree d :

Articles 11.07 and 11.071 of the Texas Code of C ri m i n al Procedur e make

post-conviction applications for writ of habeas corpus in felony (including capital)

case s, though filed in the convicting court, returna ble to t h i s Court. Be cause this

Court lacks the capa city to develop live testimony

, it is a matter of convenie nce only

that such writs are filed in the convicting court in the first instance; orig inal

jurisdiction t o resolve the matter lies with this Court. The convicting court’s

statutorily contemplated finding s of fac t are no more th an well-infor med

rec ommendations. And though there is rar ely any g ood rea son not to follow t h em

when they are supported by the evidenc e adduce d in the convicting court, there is no

absolute require ment that we f ollow the m, eve n if supported by the evide nce

, when

the evidenc e also supports a differ ent finding th at we have rea son to deem more

justified by

cre dible or re liable evidenc e, eve n on a cold r ecor d.

I am not sug g esting that it would be a g ood idea to reje ct reco rd -supported

rec ommendations from the trial co u rt on a reg ular basis (or even very often). And

we plainly do not. But i t i s a mi stake to believe that we are prohibited from doing

so even in the rare case . To deny our authority

as a court of orig inal jurisdiction is

to rele g ate our status to that of a revie wing court. That would be an abdica tion of our

constitutionally and statutorily assig ned authority and responsibility that I could not

possibly condone.

Ree d , 271 S.W .3d at 754-55 (Pric e, J., concurring ) (f ootnotes and citations omitted).

6

Ex parte Butler

, 416 S.W .3d 863, 879 n.6 (Tex. Crim. App. 2012) (Price, J., dissenting);

Ex parte Spence r

, 337 S.W .3d 869, 880 n.1 (Tex. Crim. App. 2011) (Price, J

., concur ring ); Ex parte

R o b b i ns

, 360 S.W .3d 446, 467 n.14 (Tex. Crim. App. 2011) (Price, J

., concur ring ); Ree d

, 2 7 1

S.W .3d at 754-55 (Pric e, J., concurring ).Har leston — 4

l e n g t h i n t h e C o u r t ’ s o p i n i o n t o d a y

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

t h e c o m p l a i n i n g w i t n e s s ’ s r e c a n t a t i o n s i n t h i s c a s e

. T h e r e f o r e

, w h i l e I c a n n o t a g r e e w i t h t h e

C o u r t ’ s a s s e r t i o n t h a t t h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t ’ s r e c o m m e n d e d f i n d i n g s w i t h r e s p e c t t o t h e

c r e d i b i l i t y o f t h e v i c t i m ’ s r e c a n t a t i o n s f i n d n o s u p p o r t i n t h e r e c o r d

, I d o b e l i e v e t h a t

, o n 7

b a l a n c e

, t h e r e c o r d b e f o r e u s p r e s e n t s a f

a r m o r e c o m p e l l i n g c a s e f o r r e j e c t i n g t h e

c o m p l a i n i n g w i t n e s s ’ s r e c a n t a t i o n s t h a n f o r c r e d i t i n g t h e m

. B e c a u s e I t h i n k i t i s w i t h i n t h e

C o u r t ’ s p r e r o g a t i v e a s t h e c o u r t o f r e t u r n t o r e j e c t t h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t ’ s r e c o m m e n d e d

f i n d i n g s t h a t t h e v i c t i m ’ s r e c a n t a t i o n s a r e c r e d i b l e

, a n d b e c a u s e I a g r e e t h a t t h e y a r e n o t

c r e d i b l e

, I w o u l d s i m p l y r e j e c t t h e m

.

I I

.

I w r i t e f u r t h e r t o m a k e a s e c o n d

— a n d m o r e f u n d a m e n t a l

— p o i n t

. A t l e a s t a s p e r t a i n s

t o c l a i m s o f a c t u a l i n n o c e n c e b r o u g h t i n p o s t

- c o n v i c t i o n p r o c e e d i n g s u n d e r E l iz o n d o

, i t d o e s

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

c o m p l a i n i n g w i t n e s s ’ s r e c a n t a t i o n s

. T h a t i s n o t t o s a y t h a t t h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t ’ s

d e t e r m i n a t i o n ( a s “ o r i g i n a l ” f a c t

- f i n d e r ) a n d t h i s C o u r t ’ s d e t e r m i n a t i o n ( a s “ u l t i m a t e ” f a c t

f i n d e r ) w i t h r e s p e c t t o t h e c r e d i b i l i t y o f t h e c o m p l a i n i n g w i t n e s s ’ s r e c a n t a t i o n s a r e n o t

r e l e v a n t t o t h e d i s p o s i t i o n o f t h e a p p l i c a n t ’ s a c t u a l i n n o c e n c e c l a i m

. B u t w h e t h e r t h i s C o u r t

( o r a n y o t h e r c o u r t ) f

i n d s h e r r e c a n t a t i o n s c r e d i b l e o r i n c r e d i b l e d o e s n o t

, b y i t s e l f

, d i s p o s e

7

Majority Opinion at 2.Har leston — 5

o f t h e c l a i m

. W h y ? B e c a u s e

, u l t i m a t e l y

, t h e E l i z o n d o s t a n d a r d d o e s n o t a s k w h e t h e r t h i s

C o u r t f i n d s t h e n e w e v i d e n c e o f i n n o c e n c e t o b e c r e d i b l e

, r e l i a b l e

, o r t r u e

.

I n s t e a d

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

j u r o r w o u l d h a v e b e l i e v e d a b o u t t h e c r e d i b i l i t y o r r e l i a b i l i t y o r t r u t h o f t h e n e w l y d i s c o v e r e d

e v i d e n c e

. W h a t t h e a p p l i c a n t m u s t s h o w t h i s C o u r t

, b y c l e a r a n d c o n v i n c i n g e v i d e n c e

, i s t h a t

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

h a v e c o n v i c t e d h i m ” h a d i t b e e n a b l e t o a d d t h e n e w e v i d e n c e t o t h e m i x o f e v i d e n c e i t h e a r d

a t t h e a p p l i c a n t ’ s t r i a l

. A l t h o u g h t h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t

, i n i t s r e c o m m e n d e d f i n d i n g s o f f

a c t 8

a n d c o n c l u s i o n s o f l a w

, i n i t i a l l y r e c o g n i z e d t h i s a s t h e a p p r o p r i a t e s t a n d a r d

, i t i s n o t t h e 9

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

. T h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t i n q u i r e d o n l y

w h e t h e r i t b e l i e v e d

, b y c l e a r a n d c o n v i n c i n g e v i d e n c e

, t h a t t h e w i t n e s s ’ s v a r i o u s r e c a n t a t i o n s

w e r e m o r e c r e d i b l e t h a n h e r r e c a n t a t i o n s

- o f

- h e r

- r e c a n t a t i o n s ; i t n e v e r a s k e d i t s e l f w h e t h e r

i t w a s a l s o p e r s u a d e d

, b y c l e a r a n d c o n v i n c i n g e v i d e n c e

, t h a t n o r e a s o n a b l e j u r o r w o u l d

8

“[T] h at i s t o s ay

, the revie wing court must be able to conclude

, afte r fac toring the new,

exculpatory evidenc e in with the inculpatory evidenc e introduced at trial, t h at t h e applicant has

shown ‘by clea

r and convincing evidenc e that no rea sonable juror would have convicted him in light

of the new evidenc e.’” Spence r , 337 S.W .3d at 881 (Price , J ., concur ring ) (quoting Elizondo

, 947

S.W .2d at 209).

9

See Majority Opinion at 8 (quoting convicting court’s findings o f fa ct and conclusions of

law).Har leston — 6

c h o o s e t o d i s b e l i e v e t h e r e c a n t a t i o n s

. G i v e n t h e f a c t s o f t h i s c a s e a s d e v e l o p e d b y t h e 1 0

h a b e a s r e c o r d a n d s e t o u t i n t h e C o u r t ’ s o p i n i o n t o d a y

, e v e n i f I s h a r e d t h e c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t ’ s

b e l i e f t h a t t h e v a r i o u s r e c a n t a t i o n s w e r e t r u e ( w h i c h I d o n o t )

, I w o u l d b e u n a b l e t o i n f e r

f r o m t h a t b e l i e f t h a t n o r e a s o n a b l e j u r o r

, h a v i n g h e a r d b o t h t h e e v i d e n c e p r e s e n t e d a t t r i a l

a n d t h e e v i d e n c e d e v e l o p e d a t t h e p o s t

- c o n v i c t i o n w r i t h e a r i n g

, w o u l d f a i l t o f i n d t h e

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

.

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

w i l l p r o d u c e i n t h e m i n d o f t h e t r i e r o f f a c t a f i r m b e l i e f o r c o n v i c t i o n a s t o t h e t r u t h o f t h e

a l l e g a t i o n s s o u g h t t o b e e s t a b l i s h e d

. ” H e r e

, t h e a l l e g a t i o n s o u g h t t o b e e s t a b l i s h e d i s n o t 1 1

t h a t t h e c o m p l a i n i n g w i t n e s s ’ s r e c a n t a t i o n s s h o u l d b e c o n s i d e r e d c r e d i b l e i n t h e a b s t r a c t

.

R a t h e r

, i t i s t h a t n o r e a s o n a b l e j u r o r w o u l d h a v e c o n v i c t e d t h e a p p l i c a n t h a d i t h e a r d

, i n

a d d i t i o n t o t h e c o m p l a i n i n g w i t n e s s ’ s i n c u l p a t o r y t r i a l t e s t i m o n y

, h e r p r e s e n t r e c a n t a t i o n s

.

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

f i r m b e l i e f o r c o n v i c t i o n t h a t n o r e a s o n a b l e j u r o r

, h a v i n g h e a r d t h e r e c a n t a t i o n s

, w o u l d h a v e

r e l i e d u p o n t h e c o m p l a i n i n g w i t n e s s ’ s t r i a l t e s t i m o n y t o c o n v i c t

. G i v e n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s

o f t h i s c a s e a s s e t o u t i n t h e C o u r t ’ s o p i n i o n t o d a y

— p a r t i c u l a r l y t h a t p o r t i o n o f t h e

c o m p l a i n i n g w i t n e s s ’ s i n i t i a l t e s t i m o n y a t t h e w r i t h e a r i n g t h a t f i r m l y r e c a n t e d t h e

1 0

Id . at 8-13.

1 1

State v. Addington , 588 S.W .2d 569, 570 (Tex. 1979).Har leston — 7

r e c a n t a t i o n s i n h e r a f

f i d a v i t a n d d e p o s i t i o n

, a s w e l l a s t h e s t r o n g i n s i n u a t i o n t h a t s h e h a d

d i s o w n e d h e r t r i a l t e s t i m o n y s i m p l y t o a p p e a s e h e r “ m o t h e r ”

— t h e c o m p l a i n i n g w i t n e s s ’ s

r e c a n t a t i o n s d o n o t s e r v e t o p r o d u c e a f i r m b e l i e f o r c o n v i c t i o n i n m y m i n d t h a t n o

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

.

T h a t b e i n g t h e c a s e

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

c o u r t ’ s b e l i e f i n t h e c r e d i b i l i t y o f t h e c o m p l a i n i n g w i t n e s s ’ s r e c a n t a t i o n s ( i n m y v i e w

, i t

d o e s )

, a n d e v e n a s s u m i n g t h a t w e w e r e t o p a y t h a t b e l i e f t h e d e f e r e n c e w e o r d i n a r i l y ( i f n o t

i n v a r i a b l y ) a f

f o r d t o a c o n v i c t i n g c o u r t ’ s r e c o m m e n d e d f i n d i n g s o f f

a c t i n p o s t

- c o n v i c t i o n

h a b e a s c o r p u s p r o c e e d i n g s

— i n d e e d

, e v e n i f I p e r s o n a l l y b e l i e v e d ( w h i c h I d o n o t ) t h e

c o m p l a i n i n g w i t n e s s ’ s r e c a n t a t i o n s t o b e g e n u i n e n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g h e r r e c a n t a t i o n s

- o f

- h e r

r e c a n t a t i o n s

— I w o u l d s t i l l h a v e t o a g r e e w i t h t h e C o u r t ’ s u l t i m a t e c o n c l u s i o n t h a t t h e

a p p l i c a n t i s n o t e n t i t l e d t o r e l i e f u n d e r E l iz o n d o

.

F o r t h e s e r e a s o n s

, I c o n c u r i n t h e C o u r t ’ s j u d g m e n t b u t d o n o t j o i n t h e C o u r t ’ s

o p i n i o n

.

F I L E D : M a y 1 4

, 2 0 1 4

P U B L I S H