Court Opinion

ID: 9774389
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 18:18:45.859395+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:07.838896
License: Public Domain

ROBERTS, Judge,
dissenting.
I dissent to the majority’s holding that we have jurisdiction to entertain the present appeal.
The majority cites the recent decision of Parr v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 575 S.W.2d 522, 1979 (Douglas, J.), as authority for its holding that appellant’s acquiescence to premature sentencing in the present case precludes us from considering this matter on direct appeal. In Parr, supra, it was held that the defendant was not entitled to complain on motion for rehearing of the premature pronouncement of sentence in violation of Article 42.03(1), Vernon’s Ann.C.C.P.
Although this writer questions the soundness of Parr, supra, in light of our past decisions, the present case is yet distinguishable because, unlike Parr, appellant’s premature sentencing was called to this Court’s attention while his appeal was pending on original submission. In Ex parte Shields, 550 S.W.2d 670 (Tex.Cr.App.1976) (Opinion on State’s Motion for Rehearing), a decision which has not been overruled by this Court, it was held that:
“. . .if [the complaint of premature pronouncement of sentence is made] on direct appeal or the matter is called to the attention of this court in any manner while the appeal is pending, the appeal will be dismissed. If no appeal is taken or if the matter of untimely pronounced sentence is not called to the appellate court’s attention in any manner on appeal, such voidable only sentence will not be subject to collateral attack by habeas corpus proceeding or otherwise.” Ibid at 676. (Emphasis supplied.)
Thus, the majority s holding today is in direct conflict with our decision in Ex parte Shields, supra. Stare decisis should mean something.
Moreover, the present case is clearly distinguishable from Housewright v. State, 573 S.W.2d 233 (Tex.Cr.App.1978), in which it was held that where the record is silent as to waiver of time provided for in Articles 40.05 and 41.02, Vernon’s Ann.C.C.P., it would be presumed on appeal that the defendant waived the time and that sentence was timely pronounced. The record in the present case affirmatively reflects that there was no intelligent and voluntary waiver of time by the appellant; therefore the sentence was pronounced prematurely.
As was stated in dissent in Housewright v. State, supra:
“Procedural law for criminal cases is established by the Legislature so that a lawyer representing clients may go anywhere in the State and be assured that the procedure will be the same. See Bouie v. State, 565 S.W.2d 543, 554-555 (Tex.Cr.App.1978) (Dissenting Opinion).
“In [the present] case the trial judge pronounced sentence without allowing the necessary 10 days to elapse for a motion for new trial or a motion in arrest of judgment, and, in addition, he failed to ascertain if the appellant wished to waive his right to this 10-day period. The right to have 10 days to file these motions is fundamental to our procedure. See Woods v. State, 532 S.W.2d 608 (Tex.Cr.App.1976), and authorities there cited.”
For the reasons stated, the appeal should be dismissed because the premature pronouncement of sentence was called to this Court’s attention while the present appeal was pending, and therefore, consistent with our holdings in Ex parte Shields, supra; and Housewright v. State, supra, we lack jurisdiction to entertain this appeal. Accordingly, the appeal should be dismissed.