Opinion ID: 2439720
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: bounds application

Text: The application of Dr. Bounds urges that there is no legal basis to support the imposition of the constructive trust or the forfeiture of the life insurance proceeds. He also asserts that there were several procedural errors in the trial of the case which require a reversal of the judgment. Dr. Bounds contends that before a constructive trust can be imposed there must be a conviction and sentence for wilfully bringing about the death of the insured. He urges that since he was convicted only of the offense of negligent homicide, a constructive trust should not have been imposed. This contention is largely based on Sec. 41(d) of the Probate Code which provides in part: Convicted Persons and Suicide. No conviction shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture of estate, except in the case of a beneficiary in a life insurance policy or contract who is convicted and sentenced as a principal or accomplice, in wilfully bringing about the death of the insured, in which case the proceeds of such insurance policy or contract shall be paid as provided in the Insurance Code of this State, as same now exists or is hereafter amended; ... (Emphasis added) Dr. Bounds asserts the Probate Code takes precedence over Art. 21.23 of the Insurance Code which provides: The interest of a beneficiary in a life insurance policy or contract heretofore or hereafter issued shall be forfeited when the beneficiary is the principal or an accomplice in willfully bringing about the death of the insured. When such is the case, the nearest relative of the insured shall receive such insurance. (Emphasis added) Although the conviction for negligent homicide implies that the killing was committed without intent, it is settled law that the judgment in the criminal case was not binding upon the court in the civil proceeding. State v. Benavidez, 365 S.W.2d 638 (Tex.1963); W. O. Hair v. Penn Life Ins. Co., 533 S.W.2d 387 (Tex.Civ.App.-Beaumont 1975, writ ref'd n. r. e.). This rule is particularly applicable here where the conviction was based upon plea bargaining. Texas courts have taken the position that the law will impose a constructive trust upon the property of a deceased which passed either by inheritance or by will if the beneficiary wilfully and wrongfully caused the death of the deceased. Greer v. Franklin Life Ins. Co., 148 Tex. 166, 221 S.W.2d 857 (1957); Parks v. Dumas, 321 S.W.2d 653 (Tex.Civ.App.-Fort Worth 1959, no writ); Pritchett v. Henry, 287 S.W.2d 546 (Tex.Civ.App.-Beaumont 1955, writ dism'd). See also Pope v. Garrett, 147 Tex. 18, 211 S.W.2d 559 (1948). The trust is a creature of equity and does not contravene constitutional and statutory prohibitions against forfeiture because title to the property does actually pass to the killer. The trust operates to transfer the equitable title to the trust beneficiaries. Although we have found no case which considered the relationship of Sec. 41(d) of the Probate Code to the common law rule which imposes a constructive trust, it was pointed out in Greer that Art. 21.23 should be held to restate the common law rule which would bar the beneficiary of a life insurance policy from profiting from his own wrong. We therefore conclude that the imposition of a common law constructive trust in a situation such as presented here is not inconsistent with the legislative intent behind Sec. 41(d) which requires an outright forfeiture in the case of a convicted killer. The jury here found: (1) that Dr. Bounds shot and killed Mrs. Bounds; (2) that the action of Dr. Bounds in shooting and killing Mrs. Bounds was intentional; and (3) that such action was wrongful. These jury findings fully support the judgment of the trial court forfeiting his interest in the insurance policy on the life of Mrs. Bounds and imposing a constructive trust on the property devised to him under her will. Dr. Bounds has also complained in his application for writ of error that the trial court erred in overruling his objections to the submission of Special Issue No. 3 which reads as follows: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the action of the Defendant, L. D. Bounds, in shooting and killing Robbie M. Bounds, if you have found that he did, was wrongful? Dr. Bounds timely objected to the submission of this issue in that the court failed to define the word wrongful and further that it did not instruct the jury as to the elements of self-defense. In connection with this objection, Dr. Bounds submitted a requested instruction wherein he defined self-defense in substantially the form suggested by this Court in Grieger v. Vega, 153 Tex. 498, 271 S.W.2d 85 (1954). No question has been raised concerning the correctness of the requested instruction, but the court of civil appeals found that there was no evidence to raise the issue of self-defense. The court concluded that since Dr. Bounds testified that he did not intend to shoot Mrs. Bounds, the ultimate issue was accidental death and not self-defense. In support of its holding that the defense of accidental death and self-defense cannot co-exist, the court of civil appeals cited Whitehead v. State, 450 S.W.2d 72 (Tex.Cr. App.1968) and Sias v. State, 495 S.W.2d 890-891 (Tex.Cr.App.1973). [3] The rule in these two cases is best explained by the description in Sias of the Whitehead holding as follows: In the relatively recent case of Whitehead v. State, 450 S.W.2d 72, this Court in an opinion by Judge Morrison on motion for rehearing held it was not error to refuse to give a charge on self-defense where the defendant testified that the killing was an accident and he had nothing to fear from the deceased. (Emphasis ours) It is significant that in both Sias and Whitehead the fatal weapon was in the hands of the accused and there was no testimony in either case that the defendant was placed in fear of imminent death or great bodily harm at the hands of the deceased. It is such fear which is the essential element of self-defense, not intent to kill. Vernon's Penal Code Ann. sec. 9.31(a). Here the testimony of Dr. Bounds is that when he and Mrs. Bounds arrived home the argument which had begun at the dinner club was continuing and that when he came out of the bathroom, she was standing in the bedroom pointing the revolver at him. He further testified that he was able to grab the gun and, while struggling with her for possession of the gun, she was shot. He testified: I told you I don't know where my hands were at the time that we were scuffling over the gun. I know I had at least one hand on the gun, because that's what I was trying to control, the gun, because I didn't want to get shot. I didn't want her to get shot, but it happened anyway. Also: Q You said you were going to be able to handle him [sic]. You pulled the gun around this way. A I told you I grabbed the gun and diverted it away from me. You're doing this. I'm not doing that. Q You were pointing the gun at her? A I was getting it away from me. That was my main ... Q Getting it away from you? A Yes. Q And it went towards her? A It did when it went over. Q Were you trying to discharge the gun in her direction? A I was trying to protect myself. This evidence, although refuted and rebutted by circumstantial evidence, clearly is some evidence that Mrs. Bounds was shot during the scuffle which ensued when Dr. Bounds undertook to disarm her in order to keep from being shot. This testimony raises the issue of self-defense as well as that of accidental death. We do not find the two defenses inconsistent under the facts in this case. The submission of both have been upheld in criminal cases under somewhat similar facts. See Garcia v. State, 492 S.W.2d 592 (Tex.Cr.App.1973). We are required to apply the no evidence test in determining whether the requested instruction was required to be submitted to the jury. Garza v. Alviar, 395 S.W.2d 821 (Tex.1965); McDonald v. New York Central Mutual Fire Ins. Co., 380 S.W.2d 545 (Tex.1964); 3 McDonald, Texas Civil Practice § 12.08C (1970); Tex.R.Civ.P. 279; Calvert, No Evidence and Insufficient Evidence Points of Error, 38 Tex.Law Rev. 359 (1960). As a result, we must consider only the evidence and the inferences that may be reasonably drawn therefrom which are favorable to Dr. Bounds' contention that he was acting in self-defense, and to disregard all of the evidence and inferences to the contrary. Under this test, the testimony of Dr. Bounds does raise the issue that he was acting in self-defense at the time that Mrs. Bounds was shot and killed. Furthermore, the issue was properly raised by his trial amendment and was timely requested by him in his instruction to be given with Special Issue No. 3. The trial court therefore erred in refusing to give this instruction. This error mandates a reversal of the judgment and remand for a new trial. We have considered the other procedural errors complained of by Dr. Bounds and we agree with the disposition made of these points by the court of civil appeals. The judgments of the courts below are reversed and the consolidated cause is remanded to the trial court for trial on the merits. The costs of this appeal are taxed one-half to Dr. Bounds and one-half to the Caudle children.