Court Opinion

ID: 9690825
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 19:46:54.681497+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:19:05.036479
License: Public Domain

TOM GRAY, Chief Justice,
dissenting.
One of the most difficult standards of review to apply is the abuse-of-discretion standard. It is an easy test to state and most people have some notion of what it means just by the label. It becomes a bit more problematic, however, when you actually try to define the standard. It serves no useful purpose here to catalog all the different ways that the test has been described to try to actually define how to objectively test a trial court’s decision by an abuse-of-discretion standard. Probably the most complex test is the one defined by Justice John Powers in Landon v. Jean-Paul Budinger, Inc., from the Austin Court of Appeals in 1987. Landon v. Jean-Paul Budinger, Inc., 724 S.W.2d 931, 934-937 (Tex.App.-Austin 1987, no writ). The test is cumbersome and time consuming. Parties do not brief in light of this description of the test because courts seldom attempt to use it. On the other end of the spectrum of descriptions for the abuse-of-discretion standard of review would be something like, “the trial court’s decision is within the zone of reasonable disagreement.” Montgomery v. State, 810 S.W.2d 372, 391 (Tex.Crim.App.1990) (op. on reh’g).
And oh how easy it is to find an abuse-of-discretion when the reviewer simply disagrees with the trial court. Indeed, if the case law on the issue that defines the test gets in the way, go around it. Never mind there was no specific objection made, and no argument that told the trial court what the complaint on appeal would be: the failure to sever will make me present a defensive theory I would not otherwise pursue involving presenting other extraneous bad acts that may prejudice my client on the guilt or innocence determination on count two.
In this case, “[ajppellant argued that prosecution in a single criminal action would present a myriad of problems including unitary trial, bifurcated trial, prejudice, the decision whether to testify, and difficulty on voir dire.” Appellant’s brief, pg. 12. Appellant ultimately contends “[i]f the trial court had granted the severance, appellant would not have been placed in the unique position of presenting his own extraneous offenses as a defense to the offence charged in count two.” Appellant’s brief, pg. 12. If Wheat had made this specific argument in connection with the motion for severance, the trial court would have been informed of the specific problem that Wheat now wants to argue on appeal. This argument was not made *638as a ground for the severance. The trial court made its ruling on the severance motion based on the information and complaints then before it. We should review it based on the state of the record at the time the ruling was made.
From my review, it seems pretty clear the defense was going to be the same whether these counts were severed or not. Defense counsel never argued otherwise at trial. Now on appeal, he expands his grounds for severance to include a complaint not made at trial. I would review the ruling on the motion based upon the grounds and complaints actually presented under the relevant case law and hold the trial court did not abuse its discretion.
I would then proceed to review the other issues raised by Wheat. But a single vote will not change the result; so I will yield to a more timely response, note my dissent, and await the time with patience until I can review the remaining issues. In the Interest of S.A.P., 135 S.W.3d 165, 177-178 (Tex.App.-Waco 2004) (Gray, C.J., dissenting), rev’d, 156 S.W.3d 574 (Tex.2005).