Case Name: Terry Wayne HOOKER, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1980-06-18
Citations: 621 S.W.2d 597
Docket Number: No. 59279
Parties: Terry Wayne HOOKER, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee.
Judges: Before DOUGLAS, PHILLIPS and W. C. DAVIS, JJ.
Reporter: South Western Reporter Second Series
Volume: 621
Pages: 597–602

Head Matter:
Terry Wayne HOOKER, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee.
No. 59279.
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, Panel No. 2.
June 18, 1980.
Rehearing Denied Sept. 23, 1981.
Charles M. McDonald, Waco, for appellant.
Felipe Reyna, Dist. Atty., and Lynnan Locke Kendrick, Asst. Dist. Atty., Waco, Robert Huttash, State’s Atty., Austin, for the State.
Before DOUGLAS, PHILLIPS and W. C. DAVIS, JJ.

Opinion:
OPINION
DOUGLAS, Judge.
This is an appeal from a conviction for injury to a child. The jury assessed punishment at twelve years and a $6,000.00 fine.
In his first ground of error, Hooker contends that the trial court erred in overruling his motion for a change of venue. The motion was properly supported by an affidavit signed by two persons and was denied without an evidentiary hearing. No controverting affidavits had been filed by the State.
This is the identical issue posed in Hussey v. State, 590 S.W.2d 505 (Tex.Cr.App.1979), where we held that it had been long established that a defendant was entitled to a change of venue as a matter of law when the State fails to challenge the motion either by controverting affidavits or by evidence presented at the hearing on the motion. The failure to grant the change of venue is reversible error. See also Durrough v. State, 562 S.W.2d 488 (Tex.Cr.App.1978).
The judgment is reversed and remanded.
PHILLIPS, J., not participating.
Before the court en banc.