Court Opinion

ID: 9771583
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 16:47:59.249076+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:31:33.309615
License: Public Domain

WHITE, Judge,
dissenting.
The instant case involves an incident where the appellant violently assaulted both his wife and her boyfriend during the same course of conduct. The majority has decided that appellant’s wife was disqualified as a witness against him because of the spousal testimonial privilege set out in Article 38.11, V.A.C.C.P. The majority cites Willard v. State, 719 S.W.2d 595 (Tex.Cr.App.1986) and Young v. State, 603 *582S.W.2d 851 (Tex.Cr.App.1980) m support of its decision.
For the reasons set out in my dissenting opinion to Willard, supra, at 601, I would hold that Art. 38.11 permitted the appellant’s wife to testify against him at trial. The language of Art. 38.11 sets out an exception to the privilege against adverse spousal testimony. Article 38.11 states “a wife or husband may voluntarily testify against each other in any case for an offense involving any grade of assault or violence committed by one against the other.” Under this exception to the privilege, appellant’s wife was properly allowed to testify against her husband.
I would overrule Young v. State and its predecessors. I respectfully dissent.
McCORMICK, J., joins.