Case Name: THOMAS v. STATE
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1923-06-13
Citations: 256 S.W. 286
Docket Number: No. 7796
Parties: THOMAS v. STATE.
Judges: 
Reporter: South Western Reporter
Volume: 256
Pages: 286–287

Head Matter:
THOMAS v. STATE.
(No. 7796.)
(Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.
June 13, 1923.
Rehearing Denied Dec. 5, 1923.)
1. Criminal law <&wkey;>1038(2) — Objections to charge held necessary to consideration of denial of special charges.
Where no objection was made to the charge on the ground of omission or commission in misdemeanor case, error in refusal of special charges would not be considered.
2. Parent and child <§e=»I7(6) — Defendant’s admission and statements to others held' to show desertion.
Testimony that defendant, a man 46 years old, in good health, and making good crops, told the county attorney and another that he would rot before he would contribute to the support of his minor children, together with defendant’s admission that he had not done so since a date prior to that charged, held to show desertion.
3. Divorce &wkey;>324 — Duty to support children not affected.
The right of children to support from their parents cannot be changed or defeated by a divorce and the award of their custody to one of the parents.
Appeal from Comanche County Court; F. J. Reese, Judge.
Will Thomas was convicted of desertion of his minor children, and he appeals.
Affirmed.
Callaway & Callaway, of Comanche, for appellant.
R. G. Storey, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State.

Opinion:
DATTIMORE, J.
Appellant was convicted in the county court of Comanche county of the willful desertion of his minor children under the age of 16 years, and his punishment fixed at a fine of $100.
The charge of the learned trial judge was not excepted to. Five special charges were requested, and the refusal of said charges is made the subject of the only bills of exception found in the record. In Jones v. State, 74 Tex. Cr. R. 205, 167 S. W. 1110, Womack v. State, 74 Tex. Cr. R. 640, 170 S. W. 139, and Black v. State, 90 Tex. Cr. R. 218, 234 S. W. 397, this court announced that, where no objection was made to the charge on the ground of omission or commission in misdemeanor cases, error in the refusal of special charges requested by appellant would not be considered. In this condition of the record, and under the authorities, we cannot consider the complaint herein of the refusal of said special charges.
We are unable to agree with the complaint directed at the sufficiency of the testimony. Appellant is a man 46 years of age, and in good health, and shown to have made good crops. A conversation was in evidence between him, the county attorney, and a party interested in the welfare of said children in which it is made to appear that appellant said that he would not help said children in any way,, and that he would rot before he would contribute to their support. He admits in his testimony that since a date named which was anterior to that charged he has refused to aid them. He attributes his refusal to inability. The jury seem to have attributed it to unwillingness. The fact that appellant and his wife were divorced, and that the minor children in question had been awarded to her, would not seem to be a good defense to the charge against him. That said children were in destitute and necessitous circumstances is without question. The granting of a divorce to either spouse, whether as the result of any agreement or at the end of a contest, would not seem sufficient to justify the refusal of either parent who was able so to do in contributing his or her part to the support of the children. The rights of helpless children, who had nothing to do with coming into the world, and who are entitled to look to those who are responsible for their birth for support, cannot be changed nor defeated by the result of a divorce proceeding between the man and the woman who brought them into the world, and who may move the custody of such children from one to the other at their pleasure. Society is interested in the well-being, care, and support of its future citizens. Those who are the authors of their being must meet the burden of their support or take the consequences accorded to such action by our lawmakers.
Finding no error in the record, the judgment will be affirmed.
<S&wkey;For other cases see same topic and KEY-NUMBER in all Key-Numbered Digests and Indexes