Court Opinion

ID: 9777067
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 19:54:06.463042+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:47.334803
License: Public Domain

ONION, Judge
(concurring).
I fully concur in the results reached by the majority. I would, however, make the following observation: Johnson and White, supra, involved a bifurcated trial upon a plea of not guilty before a jury under the provisions of Art. 37.07, § 2(a) and (b), V.A.C.C.P., with the judge assessing punishment. In the case at bar the appellant when arraigned pled not guilty and requested a jury trial invoking the provisions of Art. 37.07, supra. Upon the indictment being read to the empaneled jury, the appellant, however, entered a plea of guilty and the trial proceeded under the provisions of Art. 26.14, V.A.C.C.P. At the close of the State’s case, appellant then requested the court to assess punishment and the court in honoring such request with the State’s approval in effect afforded the appellant a bifurcated trial.
It should be further noted that the same results as reached by the majority would have also been reached under the circumstances described even if the two counts of the indictment had both properly charged non-capital felony offenses under the provisions of Art. 21.24, V.A.C.C.P., the second paragraph (as to the prior conviction) being tied by its allegation to the first count of the indictment alone. See Parasco v. State, 165 Tex.Cr.R. 547, 309 S.W.2d 465.
In view of the confusion as to the “third count” in the instant case, it should be pointed out that allegations as to prior convictions do not constitute “counts” in the indictment. Square v. State, 145 Tex.Cr.R. 219, 167 S.W.2d 192; Beck v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 420 S.W.2d 725; Steward v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 422 S.W.2d 733. It seems to be common practice to refer to such allegations as “counts” though they are not. Even the United States Supreme Court has erroneously referred to such allegations “counts.” See Burgett v. Texas, 389 U.S. 109, 88 S.Ct. 258, 19 L.Ed.2d 319.
During the trial of this case some question arose as to a proper plea to be entered to an allegation in an indictment charging a prior conviction. It should be noted *828that in Davis v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 429 S.W.2d 895, this Court said:
“Whether the plea entered by or for the defendant to the allegations as to prior convictions was ‘not guilty’ or ‘untrue’ is not material, though a plea that the allegations are ‘true’ or ‘untrue’ would seem to be more appropriate in view of Sec. 1 of Art. 37.07, supra, which relates to the findings of a jury on special pleas.”
For the reasons stated, I would concur in the result reached by the majority.
DOUGLAS, J., not participating.