Case Name: Ex parte Charles Chadwick CRANFORD
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1979-07-11
Citations: 583 S.W.2d 634
Docket Number: Nos. 61940, 61941
Parties: Ex parte Charles Chadwick CRANFORD.
Judges: 
Reporter: South Western Reporter Second Series
Volume: 583
Pages: 634–635

Head Matter:
Ex parte Charles Chadwick CRANFORD.
Nos. 61940, 61941.
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, En Banc.
July 11, 1979.
Robert Huttash, State’s Atty., Austin, for the State.

Opinion:
OPINION
DOUGLAS, Judge.
In two causes, the applicant seeks habeas corpus relief under Article 11.07, V.A.C.C.P.
He contends that both indictments are void for failing to allege a culpable mental state. Under past decisions of this Court, he is correct.
One indictment in part alleges that Cran-ford ". . did then and there enter a building which was not open to the public, without the consent of Mrs. Agnes Shelton, the owner, and therein attempted to commit and committed theft."
The other indictment alleges the same thing except that it alleges a different owner.
Ex parte Winton, 549 S.W.2d 751 (Tex.Cr.App.1977), is controlling. In that case the indictment alleged that Winton "did then and there enter a building without the effective consent of Gary Minshew, the owner, and therein attempted to commit and committed theft." The Court held that the indictment, which is the same as the two in the present causes, did not allege a culpable mental state and was fundamentally defective.
The indictments in the present causes are fundamentally defective under the Winton case.
Accordingly, the relief requested is granted and the prosecutions in both causes are ordered dismissed.