Court Opinion

ID: 9770678
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 16:19:07.148363+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:31:19.867579
License: Public Domain

DOUGLAS, Judge,
dissenting.
The indictment alleges that appellant “. . did then and there intentionally and knowingly attempt to cause the death of Marvin McClelland, Mattie C. Handy, Mary Louise Williams, and Jerry Preston, by shooting them with a gun.”
The majority holds that the indictment is fundamentally defective because it fails to allege the “specific intent to commit an offense.” Such reasoning would require an indictment to allege in effect that the accused intentionally intended attempted murder, or that he intentionally attempted to murder with intent.
Today’s holding contravenes the express language of Article 21.11, V.A.C.C.P., which provides in part:
“An indictment shall be deemed sufficient which charges the commission of the offense in ordinary and concise language in such a manner as to enable a person of common understanding to know what is meant, and with that degree of certainty that will give the defendant notice of the particular offense with which he is charged, and enable the court, on conviction, to pronounce the proper judgment; . . .” (Acts 1965, 59th Leg., p. 317, ch. 722, § 1, eff. Jan. 1,1966).
*524The allegation, all in one sentence, in the instant case that appellant intentionally attempted to kill conveys the meaning that he made such an attempt to murder. It does not take a lawyer to see this.
The most recent case of this Court is contrary to the majority opinion. In Prodon v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 555 S.W.2d 451 (1977), the indictment alleged that appellant unlawfully committed “an offense hereafter styled the primary offense in that he did attempt to enter a building owned by Elizabeth Leal by removing a ventilator and cutting a hole in the roof, having intent to commit burglary.” In' that case we rejected the defendant’s contention that the indictment was fundamentally defective because it failed to allege the particular intent required by the attempt statute. Only one intent was alleged in that indictment.
In the case at bar appellant filed no exception or motion to quash the indictment. He knew that he was charged with attempted murder and was not misled or harmed in any way.
The judgment should be affirmed.