Court Opinion

ID: 9644391
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 20:54:53.239681+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:22.265849
License: Public Domain

CLINTON, Judge,
dissenting.
In this possession of heroin case appellant’s noticed defense pursuant to Article 46.03, Section 2, V.A.C.C.P., was insanity. Rejecting it, the jury convicted appellant and at the punishment stage found two prior convictions', with the consequence that he was ordered confined for life.
A legal axiom is that the law presumes every person to be sane until the contrary is shown. Indeed, in earlier times, when a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity was made and issue joined, for the trial court to inform the jury of that presumption was *113not unusual.1 Because of the presumption the common law, case law and the applicable statutes impose upon an accused the burden of establishing his plea of insanity by a preponderance of testimony.2 No longer, though, is it recommended that a trial court mention the presumption when charging the jury on insanity.3 Nor, in the charge before us, did the trial court allude to the presumption. I shall show why.
In a section under his ground of error four appellant directs our attention to an oral motion in limine requesting the trial court to instruct the State not to mention or argue concerning the presumption of sanity to the jury, and the action of the court in overruling it.4 Thereupon in closing argument the State was permitted, over stoutly asserted objections, to argue that because of presumption of sanity, it had no burden whatsoever on the issue and did not have to produce evidence.5 I am satisfied that the State occasioned error by the trial court and that it was harmful to appellant beyond a reasonable doubt.
Presumption of sanity, like many other so called presumptions, serves only to guide the trial court in locating the burden of proof at a particular time, 1 Texas Practice, McCormick & Ray, Evidence 75 § 57. “It is by reason of this presumption that the law *114casts upon one relying on insanity as a defense to a crime the burden of establishing by a preponderance of the evidence” his defense, Fuller v. State, 423 S.W.2d 924 (Tex.Cr.App.1968); Nilsson v. State, 477 S.W.2d 592, 599 (Tex.Cr.App.1972); Bonner v. State, 520 S.W.2d 901, 906, n. 2 (Tex.Cr.App.1975), and has been upheld against a challenge that it is not based on any reasonable classification or rational foundation, Breland v. State, 489 S.W.2d 623, 625 (Tex.Cr.App.1973). Yet a “presumption” whose function is to allocate the burden of proof is really not a “presumption” in the dictionary sense of drawing a particular inference from a particular fact or from particular evidence. Rather, in the absence of a statute, it is a rule of law that determines which party has the burden of proof and by what standard.
We have not found nor have the parties directed our attention to a prior decision by this Court on the issue. Thus we may, indeed must, resort to general principles and authorities that examine the rule in a context of the issue of insanity that is before us. Omitting footnotes, I quote from McCormick on Evidence, 2d Ed. 830, § 346 “The Effect of Presumptions in Criminal Cases,” the part of a paragraph that appears applicable here:6
“Similarly, the term presumption has been used in connection with rules that . create affirmative defenses to, a crime. These rules . . . may specify that the defendant simply has the burden of producing evidence . or may also fix the burden of persuasion on the defendant as well. They do not operate with regard to inferences drawn from the evidence, but rather operate as principles of substantive law governing the entire proceeding. An example of such rule of law mislabeled a presumption is the ‘presumption of sanity,’ as it operates against the defendant in a criminal case. The so-called ‘presumption’ is simply a rule stating that the defendant has the burden of producing evidence (or of proving) his insanity at the time of the offense. The use of the term presumption is only confusing.”7
Similarly, in 1 Texas Practice 97, McCormick & Ray, Evidence § 85 are the following observations, omitting footnotes, citing a host of Texas cases:
“By the other view the burden of proving insanity at time of the offense is placed upon the accused. However, the measure of persuasion required is only a preponderance of evidence. The Texas courts adopt this latter view. It is frequently said by our courts that the presumption of sanity casts this burden of persuasion upon the accused. In reality, of course, it is merely an affirmative defense, and the burden of establishing it is placed upon the accused as the result of judicial experience in dealing with this issue in criminal cases.”
Of course, the common view perceived by eminent authors of both scholarly works with respect to insanity is now codified without reference to any “presumption.” V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 8.01(a) provides that insanity is “an affirmative defense to prosecution,” and by reason of id. § 2.04(c), (d) the issue of insanity “is not submitted to the jury unless evidence is admitted supporting the defense,” and, if submitted, “the court shall charge that the defendant must prove the affirmative defense by a preponderance of the evidence.” Thus, provisions of the Penal Code that characterize insanity as an affirmative defense and prescribe the occasion for submitting the affirmatively defensive issue of insanity have stripped the “presumption of sanity” of its purpose and function and reduced it to the anachronism that it had already become.
In this light, then, any effort to categorize a “presumption of sanity” is an exercise in futility. It simply no longer exists. The question then becomes whether the trial *115court erroneously permitted the State to argue in such a way as to gain support for its position by asserting as a matter of law and fact that which is neither.
Canvassing prior opinions and annotating rules derived from them, in Alejandro v. State, 493 S.W.2d 230 (Tex.Cr.App.1973) the Court stated:
“To receive the stamp of approval of this Court, jury arguments need to be within the areas of: (1) summation of the evidence . . . ; (2) reasonable deduction from the evidence . . . ; (3) answer to argument of opposing counsel . ; and (4) plea for law enforcement . . . The arguments that go beyond these areas too often place before the jury unsworn, and most times believable, testimony of the attorney.”
Correlatively stated, improper argument is that which asserts as fact matters which are not in the record, e. g., Alejandro, supra, Lott v. State, 490 S.W.2d 600 (Tex.Cr.App.1973), and that which is represented as law but is. not and, further, is contrary to the charge of the court, Davis v. State, 506 S.W.2d 909 (Tex.Cr.App.1974). Here patently the argument to which objection was persistently made was not confined to Alejandro subjects and offended its mutually, related principles.
In the first place, counsel was urging the jury to consider the presumption as if it were evidence favorable to the State. Whereas the charge of the court instructs the jury that in deciding whether the affirmative defense of insanity has been proven by a preponderance of the evidence the jury is to determine “the greater weight and degree of credible testimony or evidence introduced before you and admitted in evidence in this case.” The presumption, of course, was neither credible testimony nor evidence adduced. Yet the prosecutor persisted, even to the point of drawing an analogy between the presumption he was relying on and the better known presumption of innocence, concerning which the court did charge in the usual manner. If not ruled directly by Stockton v. State, 146 Tex.Cr.R. 164, 171 S.W.2d 877 (1943), that decision is enough to persuade me that the argument was improper. There Stockton, who had earlier been adjudged sane in the county court, advanced the defense of insanity to the criminal prosecution; when he began to present evidence in support of his plea, the district attorney made a side-bar remark in the presence and hearing of the jury in the course of purporting to object to the testimony “for the reason that this defendant has had an insanity hearing in the County Court and he has been determined to be a sane individual and we object to any further testimony in regard to any insanity on his part.” The court sustained the objection and instructed the jury not .to consider it. Then, as a witness was testifying in support of the plea, the district attorney repeated the ploy and the court again sustained an objection and instructed the jury not to consider the statement. This Court found that the instruction was not sufficient to have withdrawn effectively the prejudicial nature of the remarks:
“It is obvious that the District Attorney, by his conduct, got before the jury un-sworn testimony of a secondary nature upon a material issue which they, according to their own admission, considered in determining whether the appellant was sane or insane at the time of the commission of the offense charged.” 8
Similarly, here, the district attorney put before the jury his unsworn testimony concerning a presumption of sanity to earn for the State the benefit of that presumption as the jury passed on the primary crucial defensive issue raised by appellant.
Secondly, as has been demonstrated above, the statements concerning the presumption being in effect at the very time *116the district attorney was making them are incorrect statements of the law. Appellant having introduced testimony in support of his plea of insanity, the State’s passive role was drained of its vitality.9 In Davis v. State, supra, to the charge of murder the accused raised the defense of accident and the trial court instructed the jury to find him not guilty if it believed or had a reasonable doubt “that the shooting was by the accidental discharge of a shotgun in the hands of the defendant.” The State was permitted to argue over objection that the defense was valid only if the accused was engaged in a lawful act at the time of the shooting and would be forfeited if he were then committing an unlawful act. Here, again, the court instructed the jury to determine from the preponderance of the evidence, meaning credible testimony and evidence admitted, whether appellant was legally insane at the time of the offense. It further instructed the jury in the usual form that the jurors were exclusive judges of the facts proved, of the credibility of the witnesses and of the weight to be given to the testimony and were bound to receive the law from the court as contained in the charge. To admonish the jury, then, to “remember” that the accused “was and is presumed to be sane” derogates the charge of the court and, when reiterated after overruled objections, conveys the impression that the jury may properly give weight to the presumption. Writing for this Court on motion for rehearing in Rodriquez v. State, 100 Tex.Cr.R. 11, 271 S.W. 380, 383 (Tex.Cr.App.1925), Judge Lattimore observed that a trial court may not “so sanction statements as to the law of the case made by the district attorney as in effect to make his approval thereof nullify charges already given.” There the matter at issue was a charge on circumstantial evidence given at the request of the accused and the assault on that part of the charge was made by the district attorney telling the jury that it was not a case of circumstantial evidence, that the court did not believe it to be such and “that the court had simply given to them the special charge because appellant’s counsel had requested same, and that it had been requested only by appellant’s counsel in order that they might make a big speech in the case.”
In the case before us, as required by Article 46.03, Section 2, V.A.C.C.P., and as the jury was informed, appellant gave notice of his intention to offer evidence of insanity as a defense. Since the defense was supported by psychiatric and other testimony, the trial court submitted insanity as an affirmative defense. In his closing argument the prosecuting attorney made a few preliminary remarks and then argued:
“What do you do when your man is caught red handed, what can you do? Well, then you plead not guilty, when you do that you come up and you say this is all a frame, these officers are lying, they are not to be trusted. As long as we are on the subject of foul blows, you can say we didn’t do it, but yes we did. In other words, no ladies and gentlemen he didn’t do this, we plead not guilty, but just in case you prove beyond a reasonable doubt that we did, then we are not guilty by reason of insanity. Blow two hurts.”
Revisiting the facts of the offense briefly, counsel then made the statements, drew the objections and achieved favorable rulings from the court concerning the presumption of sanity that we have been discussing. He then addressed the testimony of the psychiatrist presented by the defense, reminded the jury of portions of testimony given by the psychiatrist for the State, interpreted the testimony of both and then returned to the original theme:
*117“You decide for yourselves. The defendant is as crazy as a fox isn’t he? Is he compelled to sell it? If you are an addict you are not going to give it away under any circumstances. Well I am finished. I think that is the insanity defense. I would like to call it the escape hatch defense. When you were hemmed in on all sides, you come to the courtroom and you know you can always say I knew it was wrong but I couldn’t help myself and a couple of days before trial if you can get somebody to come in and talk to somebody and say that, it looks so good.”
To an objection pointing out that the State was on notice “about our defense and they never had him examined,” which was overruled, the prosecuting attorney responded:
“There is a lot of prisoners up in the jail ladies and gentlemen. I hate to think what would happen if I had to wonder whether or not a defendant was going to put on the defense of insanity so I could have them all examined before trial.”
Given the context in which they were made, surely the inaccurate statements of what purports to be the law constitute improper argument, for they were not contained in the charge of the court and designed to nullify it in that regard. Cook v. State, 540 S.W.2d 708 (Tex.Cr.App.1976); Davis v. State, supra, and Rodriquez v. State, supra.
In the circumstances of this case, I cannot say that the argument is harmless. Therefore, I conclude that the trial court erred in denying the motion in limine, overruling pointed objections to the argument and permitting it to be accepted by the jury as correct. Cook v. State, supra, and cases cited therein.
Because the judgment is not reversed and the cause remanded, I respectfully dissent.

. E. g., Guerrero v. State, 75 Tex.Cr.R. 558, 171 S.W. 731, 733 (1914). See also Branch’s Annotated Penal Code, 2d Ed. 50, § 59.5.

. Lovegrove v. State, 31 Tex.Cr.R. 491, 21 S.W. 191 (1893) and cases cited therein; Cross v. State, 446 S.W.2d 314, 316 (Tex.Cr.App.1969); Graham v. State, 566 S.W.2d 941, 943 (Tex.Cr.App.1978); V.T.C.A. Penal Code, Sections 8.01 and 2.04(d).

. See and compare Texas Criminal Pattern Jury Charges 24, CPJC 8.01 Insanity; 8 Texas Practice, Criminal Forms Annotated, 8th Edition, 175 § 85.01 Insanity; McClung’s, Jury Charges for Criminal Practice, 1979 revised edition, 185 Insanity.

. The position of the parties and rationale of the court were discussed in a colloquy that included the following pertinent excerpts:
“MR. CABALLERO: I don’t want any mention that he is presumed sane because that is not the case, he is presumed sane until I put some evidence in and you submit the issue to the jury and then the presumption is gone.
MR. ELLIS: Your Honor, the State takes issue with the last statement of counsel.
THE COURT: I will reconsider. I don’t think it is improper argument. It is not different from where you say a defendant is presumed to be innocent until his guilt is established by legal evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. * * *
MR. CABALLERO: The presumption of innocence remains with the person, whereas the presumption of insanity does not.
THE COURT: I think it does until overcome by a preponderance of the evidence.
MR. CABALLERO: Once you submit the issue to the jury you have already made that deterrñination and it is in issue.
THE COURT: We are just talking about words of argument as I understand it, I see no reason to prohibit the State from stating that in his summation of the case if he so wishes.”

.Portions of that exchange were as follows:
“MR. ELLIS: * * * Remember that the defendant was and is presumed to be sane until you say definitely by your verdict. And I don’t have the slightest burden in the world imposed on me in that respect. Now how did the defendant—
MR. CABALLERO: Judge, I object to any mention of presumptions, those presumptions have vanished at the point I submitted evidence of insanity and my burden is only to prove insanity by a preponderance of the evidence. * * * It is an improper remark and not the law.
THE COURT: I will refer the ladies and gentlemen of the jury to the charge, and overrule your objection.
MR. ELLIS: Look in the charge. The defendant must prove an affirmative defense by the preponderance of the evidence. Why does the defendant have to prove something, if it is not the case, because it is presumed to be the other way around.
MR. CABALLERO: Judge, I object to that. There is not a word presumption in the charge anywhere. That presumption is not given to the jury and I object to counsel arguing about a presumption that no longer exists.
THE COURT: I will refer the jury to the charge and overrule your objection.
MR. ELLIS: Let me draw an analogy that I am sure Mr. Caballero won’t quarrel with. The presumption of innocence, the defendant is presumed to be innocent until the State proves him guilty.
MR. CABALLERO: Judge, I object to that. The presumption of innocence is in the charge and the presumption of insanity is not. That is improper argument.
THE COURT: Overruled, sir.”

. I present portions appearing ahead of, and include the excerpt set forth in the majority opinion, in order to show the full context and give its complete meaning.

. All emphasis is supplied throughout by the writer of this opinion unless otherwise indicated.

. Perhaps because it is now generally regarded as improper to call upon jurors to identify factors considered in their deliberation, we do not have the information alluded to by the court in Stockton. But it is noted that in passing on the defense of insanity the jury sought, through a note to the trial court, further data concerning the hospitalization of appellant for 27 months, the testimony from a psychiatrist called by appellant being that at some unspecified date appellant was a patient at the Federal Narcotic Hospital in Fort Worth for heroin addiction.

. Indeed, in obvious recognition of its demise, the State joined issue with the plea by presenting its own expert witness in rebuttal. That well qualified psychiatrist had just been contacted by the State the afternoon preceding his next morning testimony and whether for lack of time or opportunity or whatever he neither examined appellant nor purported to diagnose him. The thrust of his testimony was an explanation of terms and classifications of the disease, defects and disorders used in psychiatry and a denigration of the examination of appellant by his psychiatric witness. Not presenting any opinion testimony that appellant was sane, the need of the State to invoke and urge the presumption of sanity thus became a real one.