Affirmed and Majority and Concurring Opinions filed May 4, 2023. 

In The

Fourteenth Court of Appeals

NO. 14-21-00454-CR

MARTIN CRUZ, Appellant

V.

THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

On Appeal from the 184th District Court

Harris County, Texas

Trial Court Cause No. 1544565

MAJORITY OPINION 

A jury convicted appellant Martin Cruz of aggravated kidnapping in 2021, 

and the jury assessed punishment at 30-years imprisonment as well as a fine of 

$8,000. Tex. Penal Code Ann. §§ 20.04 (aggravated kidnapping); 12.32 

(first-degree felony punishment). Appellant argues the trial court committed 

reversible error by (1) admitting evidence that a co-defendant, who was tried

separately and did not testify at appellant’s trial, fired a gun at the complainant on 
2 

the day after the alleged offense and (2) by not conducting an 

ability-to-pay-inquiry in violation of Code of Criminal Procedure article 

42.15(a-1). 

Appellant’s second issue requires resolution of the following two questions 

(1) whether an ability-to-pay inquiry under Code of Criminal Procedure article 

42.15(a-1) is subject to a Marin preservation analysis and (2) whether 42.15(a-1)

applies retroactively. Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 42.15(a-1); Marin v. State, 

851 S.W.2d 275, 278–80 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993). Although we conclude that 

appellant’s right to an ability-to-pay inquiry is a category-two Marin right and that

the current version of the statute should apply retroactively to appellant’s trial, we 

are constrained by this court’s prior precedent. With little analysis, this court 

recently held the 2021 amendments to article 42.15(a) do not retroactively apply to 

convictions before the effective date of the amendments. See Hernandez-Faced v. 

State, 661 S.W.3d 630, 638–39 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] February 14,

2023, pet. filed). We therefore follow our precedent, although a thorough analysis 

of the “plain language” of the amendments to article 42.15(a) does not support the 

result reached in Hernandez-Faced. 

Because appellant did not preserve a complaint for appellate review on his 

sole evidentiary issue and does not otherwise challenge the legal sufficiency of the 

evidence that supports the jury’s verdict of guilty, we dispense with a summary of 

the facts and affirm the judgment of the trial court as challenged on appeal.

1

 

1 See Tex. R. App. P. 47.1 (“The court of appeals must hand down a written opinion that is 

as brief as practicable but that addresses every issue raised and necessary to final disposition of 

the appeal.”).
3

I. ANALYSIS

A. Ability-to-pay inquiry

We begin with issue 2, in which appellant argues that the trial court erred by 

not conducting an ability-to-pay inquiry on the record and asks this court to

remand the case to the trial court for an ability-to-pay inquiry on the $8,000 fine 

assessed by the jury. The record does not reflect that the trial court held an 

ability-to-pay inquiry on the record or that appellant lodged any objection to the 

lack of such an inquiry.

1. Statutory changes

The Code of Criminal Procedure in effect at the time of trial provided that,

after a trial court imposes a sentence: 

[A] court shall inquire whether the defendant has sufficient resources 

or income to immediately pay all or part of the fine and costs. If the 

court determines that the defendant does not have sufficient resources 

or income to immediately pay all or part of the fine and costs, the

court shall determine whether the fine and costs should be: (1) subject 

to Subsection (c), required to be paid at some later date or in a 

specified portion at designated intervals; (2) discharged by performing 

community service . . . ; (3) waived in full or in part . . . ; or (4)

satisfied through any combination of methods under Subdivisions (1)-

(3).

Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 42.15(a-1).

2

After appellant’s trial concluded, the current version of the statute went into

effect requiring that ability-to-pay inquiries be conducted on the record.

3 Act of 

2 Act of May 28, 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., ch. 1127, § 4, art. 42.15(a-1), 2017 Tex. Gen. 

Laws 4317, 4318 (codified as Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 42.15(a-1)).

3 Bill analysis prepared by the Senate Research Center, citing the original author’s 

statement of intent, explains the amendment is intended to close a loophole created by boilerplate 

language used in criminal judgments:
4

May 8, 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., ch. 106, § 1, art. 42.15(a-1) (Tex. Code Crim. Proc. 

Ann. art. 42.15(a-1)) (emphasis added). The act states that “changes in law made 

by this Act apply to a fine, fee, or cost imposed before, on, or after the effective 

date.” See Act of May 8, 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., ch. 106, § 5. Although the effective 

date of the current version of the statute was September 1, 2021, which was several 

weeks after appellant’s trial concluded, appellant argues that the plain language of 

the statute makes the current version of article 42.15 applicable to appellant’s trial. 

See Act of May 8, 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., ch. 106, §§ 5, 6.

There are three threshold questions that must be answered to resolve issue 2: 

(1) does the presumption of regularity require appellant to identify evidence 

overcoming the presumption in favor of the boilerplate recitals in the judgment; 

(2) was appellant required to object to the lack of an ability-to-pay inquiry to 

preserve a complaint for appeal; and (3) does the current version of the statute 

apply retroactively to a trial conducted before the effective date of the statute?

2. Presumption of regularity is no longer applicable

Although there is no ability-to-pay inquiry on the record, the judgment 

recites that one was conducted: “After having conducted an inquiry into

Defendant’s ability to pay, the Court ORDERS Defendant to pay the fines, court 

costs, reimbursement fees, and restitution as indicated above and further detailed 

Although court orders have boilerplate language stating that they conducted such 

an inquiry, some courts are not asking defendants about their inability to pay 

despite the law’s requirements. When some public defenders have appealed the 

issue, courts of appeal [sic] have ruled that due to the boilerplate language, they 

will assume the inquiry happened, even when the inquiry is not in the record. 

Under this framework, unless the record proves that the inability to pay inquiry 

did not occur or an objection or statement that the inquiry has not been made, 

courts of appeal [sic] would assume the inquiry did occur. This interpretation of 

the law threatens to create a loophole defeating the legislative intent of S.B. 1913

[Act of May 28, 2017, supra note 2.].

See Senate Comm. on Crim. Justice, Bill Analysis, Tex. C.S.S.B. 1373, 87th Leg., R.S. (2021).
5

below.” Relying on similar (if not identical) recitals in criminal judgments, this 

court and others have previously concluded that the burden was on appellant to

overcome the presumption of regularity created by recitals in a judgment. See

Wiggins v. State, 622 S.W.3d 556, 561 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2021, 

pet. ref’d) (citing Breazeale v. State to apply presumption of regularity to recitals

in judgment stating ability-to-pay-inquiry was held); Authorlee v. State, No. 

14-20-00821-CR, 2022 WL 220267, at *4 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Jan. 

25, 2022, pet. ref’d)4 (mem. op., not designated for publication) (same); Lazarine

v. State, No. 01-19-00982-CR, 2021 WL 5702182, at *12 (Tex. App.—Houston 

[1st Dist.] Dec. 2, 2021, pet. ref’d) (mem. op., not designated for publication)

(same); Weathersby v. State, No. 14-19-00339-CR, 2021 WL 629895, at *5 (Tex. 

App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Feb. 18, 2021, pet. ref’d) (mem. op., not designated 

for publication) (same); see generally Breazeale v. State, 683 S.W.2d 446, 450

(Tex. Crim. App. 1984) (en banc). (“presumption of regularity created by recitals 

in the judgment can be overcome only when the record otherwise affirmatively 

reflects that error occurred”).

Stated differently, to rebut the presumption of regularity, a defendant, before

the 2021 amendments, had to affirmatively prove that the ability-to-pay inquiry 

was not held off the record. See State v. Guerrero, 400 S.W.3d 576, 583 (Tex. 

Crim. App. 2013) (written recitals “are binding in the absence of direct proof of 

their falsity”); Breazeale, 683 S.W.2d at 451. The opinions from this court and our 

sister courts applying the presumption of regularity of judgments to boilerplate 

recitals regarding ability-to-pay hearings were decided before the 2021 

4 In Authorlee, this court cited to the 2021 version of the statute. Authorlee, 2022 WL 

220267, at *4. However, the opinion relied on cases that addressed the prior version of the 

statute without any discussion of the changes made to article 42.15(a-1) in 2021. Id. Therefore, 

we clarify that the analysis of article 42.15(a-1) in Authorlee is no longer accurate based on the 

current version of the statute.
6 

amendments to article 42.15(a-1) were enacted and are no longer applicable. The 

statute now requires that an ability-to-pay inquiry be held on the record. Tex. Code 

Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 42.15(a-1). Therefore, if the record does not contain an 

ability-to-pay inquiry, a recital in the judgment is not sufficient to comply with the 

requirements of article 42.15(a-1). 

3. Preservation requirement

In Marin v. State, the court of criminal appeals described three distinct 

error-preservation rules: those involving “(1) absolute requirements and 

prohibitions; (2) rights of litigants which must be implemented by the system 

unless expressly waived; and (3) rights of litigants which are to be implemented 

upon request. . . . since referred to . . . as category-one, -two, and -three Marin

rights[.]” Proenza v. State, 541 S.W.3d 786, 792 (Tex. Crim. App. 2017) 

(discussing Marin, 851 S.W.2d at 279). “[T]he loss of a claim or right for failure to 

insist upon it by objection” only applies to category-three rights, since these rights 

are typically considered to be “optional with the litigants.” Proenza, 541 S.W.3d at 

792 (quoting Marin, 851 S.W.2d at 279). Category-two rights, “because they are 

‘so fundamental to the proper functioning of our adjudicatory process as to enjoy 

special protection,’ are only abandoned on appeal when the record reflects that 

they have been “plainly, freely, and intelligently” waived at trial.” Id. (quoting 

Marin, 851 S.W.2d at 279–80). And category-one rights, being “systemic” and 

therefore “essentially independent of the litigants’ wishes” can neither be forfeited 

nor even validly waived by the parties for appellate-review purposes. Id. (quoting 

Marin, 851 S.W.2d at 279). 

To determine the category of the right at issue, Marin and its progeny look 

to the various duties placed on trial courts and litigants by the rules and or statutes 

at issue. See Proenza, 541 S.W.3d at 797; Marin, 851 S.W.2d at 280. Therefore, 
7

we consider whose responsibility it was to enforce the right. We also look to the

language of the statute itself; although, language “couched in mandatory terms . . . 

does not necessarily mean that the statute identifies an absolute prohibition or a 

waiver-only right.” Trinidad v. State, 312 S.W.3d 23, 29 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010); 

see also Boykin v. State, 818 S.W.2d 782, 785 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991) (we 

“attempt to discern the fair, objective meaning of that text at the time of its 

enactment”).

In Proenza, the court of criminal appeals concluded that Code of Criminal 

Procedure article 38.05, which prohibits the trial court from commenting on the 

weight of the evidence in criminal proceedings or otherwise divulging to the jury

the court’s opinion of the case, was “fundamental to the proper functioning of our 

adjudicatory system,” such that it should “enjoy special protection” on par with 

other non-forfeitable rights. Proenza, 541 S.W.3d at 799. In reviewing article

38.05, the court concluded “by its very text creates ‘a duty on the trial court to act

sua sponte’—or rather, a duty to refrain sua sponte from a certain kind of action.”

Id. at 798 (quotation omitted). Therefore, the court of criminal appeals held that 

article 38.05 cannot be waived or forfeited by a party’s inaction. Id. at 800–01.

Similarly, Code of Criminal Procedure article 42.15(a-1) creates a duty on 

the trial court to act sua sponte and hold an ability-to-pay inquiry when a fine or 

costs are imposed on a defendant in the judgment. Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art.

42.15(a-1) (“a court shall inquire on the record”). Subsection (a-1) was added to 

article 42.15 in 2017 to eliminate the assessment of fines and costs that a defendant 

lacked the financial means to pay. See Act of May 18, 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., ch. 

1127, § 4, 2017 Tex. Gen. Laws 4317–18 (current Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art.

42.15(a-1)). The legislature intended to end the cycle of debt and potential for 

future incarceration for failure to pay fines and costs faced by low-income and 
8

indigent defendants that they never had the ability to repay. The court of criminal 

appeals has also acknowledged the importance of ability-to-pay inquiries, in the 

context of probation, as a statutory recognition that “the criminal-justice system 

may not punish people for their poverty.” Mathis v. State, 424 S.W.3d 89, 94 (Tex. 

Crim. App. 2014) (internal citations omitted).

Given these considerations, we conclude that a defendant’s right to an

ability-to-pay inquiry is “fundamental to the proper functioning of our adjudicatory 

system.” See Proenza, 541 S.W.3d at 799. Having concluded appellant’s right to 

an ability-to-pay inquiry is a category-two Marin right, we hold appellant was not

required to preserve this complaint for appeal through objection.5

4. Retroactive application

Because the statute requiring the ability-to-pay inquiry to be conducted on

the record went into effect after the date of appellant’s trial, we consider next 

whether the statute was intended to apply retroactively.

The legislation amending article 42.15(a-1) clearly states that “changes in 

law made by this Act apply to a fine, fee, or cost imposed before, on, or after the 

effective Date.” See Act of May 8, 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., ch. 106, § 5, 2021. The 

State argues that the retroactive wording does not apply to the “on the record”

requirement but instead only applies to fines, fees, or costs. This argument is not 

supported by the legislation itself, which provides that “changes in law” — of 

which the “on the record” requirement was one — apply to fines and costs 

imposed before the effective date of the legislation. Given the legislature’s 

frustration with the courts’ disregard of the mandate to hold ability-to-pay 

5 The Marin analysis operates alongside Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 33.1

(preservation of appellate complaints). In a perfect world, the appellate rules would incorporate 

the Marin analysis.
9

inquiries, the retroactive application of the 2021 amendments to article 42.15(a-1)

is consistent with the Legislature’s intent in passing the 2021 amendments. See 

State v. Kahookele, 640 S.W.3d 221, 225 (Tex. Crim. App. 2021) (“We assume 

that every word has been used for a purpose, and we give effect to each word, 

phrase, clause, and sentence if reasonably possible.”); Boykin, 818 S.W.2d at 785 

(“if the meaning of the statutory text, when read using the established canons of 

construction relating to such text, should have been plain to the legislators who 

voted on it, we ordinarily give effect to that plain meaning”).

We must next determine whether the retroactive application of article 

42.15(a-1) is constitutionally prohibited. The Texas constitution prohibits any 

“retroactive law.” Tex. Const. art. I § 16. “The retroactive laws provision of the 

Texas Constitution operates only to prohibit the application of statutes which 

disturb vested, substantive rights.” Ibarra v. State, 11 S.W.3d 189, 192 (Tex. Crim. 

App. 1999); see Grimes v. State, 807 S.W.2d 582, 587 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991)6

(article 44.29(b) did not violate prohibition against retroactive legislation); see also

Fowler v. State, 991 S.W.2d 258, 261 (Tex. Crim. App. 1999) (“The procedural 

mechanisms for reviewing that conviction are not a vested and substantive right”

therefore application of Rule 44.2 did not violate prohibition of retroactive laws); 

Ex parte Davis, 947 S.W.2d 216, 220 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996) (amendments to 

Article 11.071, limiting subsequent applications for writ of habeas corpus, were 

procedural and did not affect vested, substantive rights); Robisheaux v. State, 483 

S.W.3d 205, 215 (Tex. App.—Austin 2016, pet. ref’d).

7 Laws altering procedure 

6 The court of criminal appeals assumed “without deciding that Article I, Section 16’s 

proscription against retroactive legislation is applicable to criminal cases.” Grimes, 807 S.W.2d 

at 587.

7 In civil cases, the supreme court has held that “[m]ere retroactivity is not sufficient to 

invalidate a statute.” Texas Water Rights Comm’n v. Wright, 464 S.W.2d 642, 648 (Tex. 1971). 

“Constitutional provisions limiting retroactive legislation must therefore be applied to achieve 
10

do not generally fall within the prohibition. Ibarra, 11 S.W.3d at 192. “Procedure” 

refers to changes in the process by which a criminal case is adjudicated as opposed 

to changes in the substantive law of crimes. See Ex parte Scales, 853 S.W.2d 586, 

588 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993). Because article 42.15(a-1) does not disturb any

vested, substantive rights, it does not violate the constitutional prohibition.

5. This court’s precedent

Despite the foregoing conclusions, a panel of this court has recently 

addressed this issue. In Hernandez-Faced v. State, this court held that “[based] on 

the plain language of the amendment, the changes to article 42.15(a-1) 

retroactively applied only to fines, fees, and costs, not the hearing requirement.”

Hernandez-Faced, 661 S.W.3d at 638. This court further concluded that a 

retroactive application of article 42.15(a-1) would lead “to the absurd result that all 

prior judgments of conviction imposing fines, costs, or fees on a defendant without 

a hearing on the record would be subject to being declared invalid.” Id. at 638–39.

This conclusion ignores the plain language of the statute as discussed above. The 

analysis by the court in Hernandez-Faced was cursory and did not consider the

intent of the legislature—to end current system’s cycle of debt, license 

suspensions, arrest warrants, and jail time when defendants cannot pay the fines 

and fees assessed.

8 The legislature was also concerned with the administrative 

their intended objectives—protecting settled expectations and preventing abuse of legislative 

power.” Robinson v. Crown Cork & Seal Co., Inc., 335 S.W.3d 126, 139 (Tex. 2010). In

Robinson, the court established a three-part test for examining whether retroactive laws are 

constitutional: “the nature and strength of the public interest served by the statute as evidenced 

by the Legislature’s factual findings; the nature of the prior right impaired by the statute; and the 

extent of the impairment.” Id. at 145. In Reynolds v. State, 423 S.W.3d 377, 380, 383 (Tex. Crim. 

App. 2014), appellant argued the court of criminal appeals should adopt the Robinson test to 

determine whether a statute is unconstitutionally retroactive, but the court did not reach the issue 

because the retroactivity challenge was not preserved.

8 See Senate Comm. on Crim. Justice, Bill Analysis, Tex. C.S.S.B. 1913, 85th Leg., R.S. 

(2017).
11 

burden and cost to courts and county staff for the work of attempting to collect 

uncollectible fees and costs.

9

 

Although the analysis by the court in Hernandez-Faced of the “plain 

language” of the 2021 amendments is erroneous, we are bound by this precedent.10

See Quick v. State, 557 S.W.3d 775, 792 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2018, 

pet. ref’d). The court of criminal appeals can and should resolve this issue.

However, because appellant was convicted and sentenced before the effective date 

of the 2021 amendments, we conclude the 2021 amendments do not control the 

outcome of this case. 

We overrule issue 2. 

B. Admission of evidence

In his other issue, appellant contends the trial court abused its discretion by 

admitting testimony over appellant’s Rule 402, 403, and 404 objections and seeks 

reversal as to guilt and remand for a new trial.

11 See Tex. R. Evid. 402, 403, 404. 

However, after the State raised in its response that this issue was not preserved for 

9 See Senate Comm. on Crim. Justice, Bill Analysis, Tex. C.S.S.B. 1373, 87th Leg., R.S.

(2021).

10 This case raises the issue of horizontal stare decisis. See Andrew T. Solomon, A Simple 

Prescription for Texas’s Ailing Court System: Stronger Stare Decisis, 37 St. Mary’s L.J. 417,

429–30 (2006) (in hybrid horizontal stare decisis model, “a court can overrule its own prior 

decisions, but only when compelling circumstances justify a change in the law”). The court of 

criminal appeals has recently explained that “there is a strong presumption in favor of established 

law.” Ex parte Thomas, 623 S.W.3d 370, 381 (Tex. Crim. App. 2021); see also Phelps v. State, 

532 S.W.3d 437, 443 n.6 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2017, pet. ref’d) (“under horizontal stare

decisis courts have less discretion to revisit their own cases or cases issued by courts of equal 

jurisdiction which involve statutory interpretations”). 

11 Even if appellant’s objections were preserved, appellant would have to show harm. See

Tex. R. App. P. 44.2(b); Taylor v. State, 268 S.W.3d 571, 592 (Tex. Crim. App. 2008). 

Appellant’s brief offers no meaningful harm analysis or addresses why the remaining evidence 

was insufficient to support the conviction. See Taylor v. State, 268 S.W.3d 571, 592 (Tex. Crim. 

App. 2008) (“We have construed this to mean that an error is reversible only when it has a 

substantial and injurious effect or influence in determining the jury’s verdict.”).
12 

appellate review, appellant conceded, in his reply brief, that he did not timely 

object to the admission of the testimony. Therefore, issue 1 was not preserved for 

review. See Tex. R. Evid. 103(a)(1); Tex. R. App. P. 33.1. 

We overrule issue 1. 

II. CONCLUSION

We affirm the judgment of the trial court as challenged on appeal.

 /s/ Charles A. Spain 

Justice

Panel consists of Justices Spain, Poissant, and Wilson (Wilson, J., concurring). 

Publish—Tex. R. App. P. 47.2(b).