Court Opinion

ID: 3097416
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-10-16 04:44:32.241341+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:35:03.367238
License: Public Domain

In
The
                                                Court
of Appeals
                        Sixth
Appellate District of Texas at Texarkana
 
                                                ______________________________
 
                                                             No. 06-08-00195-CR
                                                ______________________________
 
 
                             WANDA HIGBEE SCHINDLEY,
Appellant
 
                                                                V.
 
                                     THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
 
 
                                                                                                  

 
 
                                                  On Appeal from the County Court
                                                           Franklin County, Texas
                                                            Trial
Court No. 11134
 
                                                                        
                          
 
 
 
                                          Before Morriss, C.J.,
Carter and Moseley, JJ.
                                              Memorandum Opinion by Justice Carter

                                                     MEMORANDUM 
OPINION
 
            Wanda
Higbee Schindley appeals from her conviction for misdemeanor driving while
intoxicated.  On September 4, 2008,
Schindley was convicted, and the jury assessed punishment at 120 days’
confinement probated for two years and a $1,000.00 fine.  This case has had a wandering path through
the legal system after Schindley’s retained appellate attorney failed to seek
preparation of a record to pursue her initial appeal, followed by a dismissal
by this Court and its ultimate remand back to this Court by the Texas Court of
Criminal Appeals, with directions to abate for a hearing on (among other
things) her indigency.  The trial court
held a hearing and found Schindley not indigent.  She appealed to this Court, and after
briefing, on September 29, 2009, we reversed the trial court and directed that
she be appointed counsel and provided a free copy of the reporter’s
record.  After multiple extensions and an
order to the court reporter from this Court, a free record was provided, and
now, finally, over a year and a half after the trial, her appeal is ripe for
review.  
            Counsel
has filed a brief in which he contends in a single point of error that the
trial court committed reversible error by failing to administer the proper jury
oath required by Article 35.22 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure after
the panel was selected.  Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 35.22
(Vernon 2006).  Counsel points out that
there is authority holding that the complete failure to administer a jury oath
renders the verdict a nullity—and that it is reversible error that may be
raised for the first time on appeal.  See White v. State, 629 S.W.2d 701, 704
(Tex. Crim. App. 1981) (citing Howard v.
State, 80 Tex. Cr. 588, 192 S.W. 770 (1917)); Brown v. State, 220 S.W.3d 552, 554 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2007, no
pet.).
            The
reporter’s record as originally presented did not contain any indication that
the jurors had been sworn.  After the
brief was filed, the State contacted the court reporter, who acknowledged that
she had accidentally omitted part of the proceedings.  She then prepared a supplemental record which
contains the discourse in which the empaneled jurors were sworn in by the court
prior to the commencement of trial.  No
error has been shown.
            We
affirm the judgment.
 
 
 
                                                                        Jack
Carter
                                                                        Justice
 
Date Submitted:          June
9, 2010
Date Decided:             June
10, 2010
 
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