Court Opinion

ID: 9779039
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 21:34:15.695694+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:33:19.870920
License: Public Domain

ONION, Presiding Judge,
dissenting.
On original submission the judgments of the Court of Appeals and the trial court were reversed and the causes remanded to the trial court. Three judges dissented without opinion.
On rehearing the majority overrules the State’s motion for leave to file a motion for rehearing. I feel compelled to dissent again and state my reasons therefor.
Appellant was convicted under V.T.C.A., Penal Code, § 20.04(a)(1), of the offense of aggravated kidnapping. After the verdict the trial court assessed punishment at fifty (50) years’ imprisonment.
On appeal in a single point of error appellant complained the trial court “erred in its charge to the jury in failing to apply the law of parties to the facts over the timely objection of the appellant.” The Court of Appeals, in a published opinion, Johnson v. State, 702 S.W.2d 691 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 1985), affirmed the conviction rejecting the sole point of error. The Court of Appeals noted that the trial court properly instructed the jury in the abstract on the law of the parties and in applying the law to the facts authorized the jurors to convict if they found beyond a reasonable doubt that the appellant “either acting alone or with another or others as a party as that term has heretofore been defined” committed the offense charged. The court then observed that there was a reasonable inference that appellant was one of two male guards who actually restrained the complainant. Under our decision in Govan v. State, 682 S.W.2d 567 (Tex.Cr.App.1985), this would have been sufficient to sustain applicant’s conviction as a principal actor despite any error in the charge applying the law of parties. Although the Court of Appeals did not directly cite Govan, it did hold that the error, if any, in the instant jury charge was harmless citing Watson v. State, 693 S.W.2d 938 (Tex.Cr.App.1985). The failure to cite Govan does not render the Court of Appeals’ decision wrong nor render this Court incapable of considering that the appellant was guilty as a principal actor.
Appellant’s petition for discretionary review stated his sole ground of review in the exact wording of his point of error quoted above.
The majority of this Court on original submission reversed the judgment of the Court of Appeals for reasons set forth in its opinion. I am compelled to dissent.
From an examination of the record I find that the summary of facts found in the State’s appellate brief filed in the Court of Appeals is accurate. I quote therefrom:
“On February 23, 1984, Marjorie Lem-ieux, the complaining witness, was abducted from the driveway of her home by a masked assailant. Her hands and feet were bound, her face covered, and she was placed under a roll of carpet in the *308backseat of her automobile. The masked assailant wisked the complainant from her home, in her automobile, and proceeded to drive approximately an hour before stopping and calling Mr. Lemieux, her husband, and making a ransom demand. A second kidnapper joined the complainant and the first kidnapper, and took charge of the complaining witness, while the first kidnapper left for some six hours. Eventually, the first kidnapper rejoined the complaining witness and throughout the rest of the night and next morning the complainant was guarded by two male kidnappers and she was intermittently driven and secreted around the city until her eventual release in return for two hundred thousand dollars.
“Throughout the ordeal, the complaining witness was terrified and felt her demise was imminent. No identification, by voice or sight was made by the complaining witness of any of her assailants.
“Mr. Henry Lemieux, the spouse of the complaining witness, received a call on February 23, 1984, at approximately 3:30 p.m., informing him that Mrs. Lemieux was being held for two hundred thousand dollars ransom. Immediately, Mr. Lemieux contacted the F.B.I. and local police, and tape recordings were made of all the ransom calls made by the kidnappers to the Lemieux residence. These tapes were admitted in evidence against the appellant. Over the course of the next twenty hours, Mr. Lemieux received frequent telephone calls from the kidnappers. In these telephone calls, Mr. Lem-ieux was given various instructions and demands concerning the delivery of the ransom money and the release of his wife. Mr. Lemieux followed a complicated wrangle of telephone instructions, rendezvouses, and drop points which eventually wound up in the exchange of cash for the release of his wife at a North Houston hotel.
“Upon recovery of Mrs. Lemieux’s automobile at the hotel where she was released, it was searched and a notebook, notepad, mirror, and several other items belonging to the complaining witness were found to be missing. Mr. Lemieux positively identified the appellant’s voice as one of the kidnappers who gave instructions over the telephone.
“Gena Hammonds, the appellant’s girlfriend, positively identified the appellant’s voice, as one of the voices from taped records of the conversations between Mr. Lemieux and the kidnappers.
“Officer I.O. Franks of the Houston Police Department, was present at the arrest of Harry Arnold Clifford, shortly after the release of Mrs. Lemieux. Clifford was arrested a short distance from the hotel where Mrs. Lemieux was released, driving a van dropped by the F.B. I. containing the ransom money at the hotel. Pursuant to a search incident to his arrest, the ransom money was found in the van and numerous items were found in a large bag which ultimately linked the appellant to the kidnapping. Specifically, Officer Franks recovered a coke can, a notebook, a ski mask, a pillow case and a mirror from the complainant’s automobile; the complainant’s notebook cover and notebook paper were also recovered. These items found in Clifford’s possession were submitted to the Houston Police Department Crime Lab by Officer Franks for latent print examination.
“Officer O.A. Malaer, a certified latent print examiner with the Houston Police Department, examined the items submitted by Sergeant Franks and determined that the appellant’s fingerprints were on the complainant’s notebook, notepad, and the ransom notes all recovered from the co-defendant, Harry Arnold Clifford. Officer Malaer also examined an automobile, owned by Harry Arnold Clifford, which was impounded by Sergeant Franks shortly after Mrs. Lem-ieux was released. This vehicle had been parked at the airport parking lot by Mr. Clifford shortly before the release of Mrs. Lemieux. The appellant’s fingerprints were found on a bottle in the backseat of Mr. Clifford’s vehicle.
“Finally, Mr. Wayne Poyner, a certified questioned documents examiner with the Houston Police Department, testified the appellant wrote the ransom and kid*309napping instructions found in Mr. Clifford’s possession and placed writing on the complaining witness’ notepaper.”
The evidence was such as to authorize the court to submit both theories of the State to the jury, and upon which the prosecution was entitled to rely without surrendering one or the other, and without being faulted because it later stressed one theory more than the other in jury argument. Even the majority concedes in its opinion that a reasonable jury could have found appellant guilty as a principal actor under the evidence.
The trial court in its charge instructed the jury, inter alia, as follows:
“All persons are parties to an offense who are guilty of acting together in the commission of the offense. A person is criminally responsible as a party to an offense if the offense is committed by his own conduct, by the conduct of another for which he is criminally responsible, or by both.
“A person is criminally responsible for an offense committed by the conduct of another if, acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense. Mere presence alone will not constitute one a party to an offense.
“Now, if you find from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that on or about the 23rd day of February, 1984, in Harris County, Texas, the defendant, Samuel Richard Johnson, either acting alone or with another or others as a party, as that term has heretofore been defined, did then and there unlawfully intentionally or knowingly restrain MARJORIE LEMIEUX, by secreting and holding MARJORIE LEMIEUX in a place where she was not likely to be found, with intent to prevent the liberation of MARJORIE LEMIEUX and with intent to hold MARJORIE LEMIEUX for ransom or reward, then you will find the defendant guilty of aggravated kidnapping as charged in the indictment. “Unless you so find beyond a reasonable doubt, or if you have a reasonable doubt thereof, you will acquit the defendant of aggravated kidnapping.” (Emphasis supplied.)
As can be seen the court charged abstractly on the law of parties and then immediately thereafter applied the law to the facts using the phrase “either acting alone or with another or others as a party, as that term has heretofore been defined.” And, of course, the “term” had been defined in the preceding paragraphs.
To this portion of the charge the appellant addressed the following oral objection with the court’s permission:
“MR. BAX: First, the Defense would object to the charging paragraph in the Court’s Charge in that it does not apply the law to the facts. It states that the jury is to find that the defendant, either acting alone or as a party as that term is defined, did commit the offense. It fails to allege the specific acts that the State is relying on to make him a party. It does not say depending on solicitation, encouragement, direction, aid or attempt to aid one Mr. Clifford in the commission of this offense.
“We feel that the charge should and must apply what facts the State is relying upon on the part of Sam Johnson, if there were any, to create him a party in the eyes of the law; and we feel that the charge in its present condition allows the jury to convict on theories that the evidence does not raise.
“THE COURT: Do you have a prepared charge you wish to submit to the Court?
“MR. BAX: No, sir, we do not.
“THE COURT: That request will be denied.”
The manner in which the court charged the jury has long held to constitute an adequate application of the law of parties to the facts even if there were a timely objection. See, e.g., Steen v. State, 131 Tex.Cr.R. 532, 100 S.W.2d 109 (1936); Cain v. State, 136 Tex.Cr.R. 275,124 S.W.2d 991 (1938); Edwards v. State, 144 Tex.Cr.R. 485, 164 S.W.2d 706 (1942); Dukes v. State, *310161 Tex.Cr.R. 423, 277 S.W.2d 710 (1955); White v. State, 385 S.W.2d 397 (Tex.Cr. App.1964); Minor v. State, 476 S.W.2d 694 (Tex.Cr.App.1972); Rivas v. State, 496 S.W.2d 600 (Tex.Cr.App.1973).
Gilmore v. State, 666 S.W.2d 136, 157 (Tex.App.-Amarillo 1983) (Discretionary Review Refused Jan. 25, 1984), held that the evidence supported the following charge:
if you believe from the evidence beyond á reasonable doubt that on or about the 6th day of November, 1980 ... Vernon Ray Gilmore either acting alone or with another as a party to the offense ... did then and there knowingly cause the death of ... Richard Grier Luster ... you will find the defendant guilty of the offense of murder.... [emphasis added]’ ”
The Gilmore court then wrote:
“Since we have concluded that the evidence raised the issue of appellant’s criminal responsibility with Samantha Davidson, it follows that the above stated charge properly applied the law of parties to the facts of the case....” (Emphasis added.)
See Minor v. State, supra; Rivas v. State, supra.
In McClung, Jury Charges for Texas Criminal Practice (Rev.Ed.1985), p. 10, it is written:
“(2) where the issue is raised or there is a question-or dispute as to whose activity caused the specific result, such as who fired the shot, or whose shot hit deceased or whose blow or kick hit the victim in the head and caused serious bodily injury then the charge should incorporate a phrase or clause to take care of such situation:
“(After giving the law of parties, as in the first paragraph of (1) next preceding, which starts with ‘Each party to an offense,’ follow with this as the second paragraph:”
“ ‘Now, if you find from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt* that on or about the _ day of_, 19_, in _ County, Texas, the defendant, Y, either acting alone or with (or “another") as a party to the offense), as that term is hereinbefore defined, did intentionally or knowingly (cause serious bodily to D by beating him with his fists and kicking him with his feet), then you mil find the defendant guilty of aggravated assault.’ ” (Emphasis added.)
See also McCormick and Blackwell, Texas Practice, Texas Criminal Forms and Trial Manual, § 84.01, pp. 301-302; Branch’s 3rd Ed., Texas Anno. Penal Statutes, Vol. 1, § 7.02, p. 257, form 2. When a jury charge on parties is necessitated by the evidence, the charge may take various forms depending upon the evidence as the form books indicate. These submissions are not always given without difficulty. See generally Foreman and Jones, Submitting Law of Parties in a Texas Criminal Prosecution, 33 Baylor Law Review 267. And this is also true where an issue is raised by the evidence whether the defendant is criminally responsible for the commission of the offense by his own conduct, or by the conduct of another, or by both.
In Foreman and Jones, supra, it is written:
“It is not unusual for a charge to apply the law of parties to the facts by an instruction allowing the jury to convict on finding that defendant, either alone or acting as a party with another person, did the act charged [citing Morrison and Blackwell, New Penal Code Forms, C-7.01 at 100-01]. An instruction of that kind is permissible if the evidence raises both the theory that the defendant did the act charged and the theory that another person participated with defendant in doing that act.”
The instant case is not one where the court charged only abstractly on the law of parties and thereby failed to apply the law to the facts.1 The court applied the law to the facts in a time honored manner, al*311though that method may not suit the present majority.2 It simply cannot be said that the trial court erred in failing to apply the law of parties to the facts of the case as was appellant’s contention on appeal and is his contention in his petition for discretionary review.
Where the trial court’s instructions to the jury encompass the substance of the matters which the defendant desires to have propounded to the jury, the failure to give the defendant’s specific requested instruction does not entitle the defendant to a reversal. Debolt v. State, 604 S.W.2d 164, 168 (Tex.Cr.App.1980); LeDue v. State, 593 S.W.2d 678, 685 (Tex.Cr.App. 1979); Thomas v. State, 578 S.W.2d 691, 698 (Tex.Cr.App.1979).
When read as a whole the charge, in my opinion, was sufficient to charge the jury on the law of parties and apply the law to the facts.
Certainly it may have been better practice to have redrafted the charge somewhat in response to appellant’s objection, no error for failure to do so is reflected. Under the evidence appellant was not entitled to have the charge applying the law of parties to the facts limited to “a Mr. Clifford” as his objection states. I would find no error in the charge and would affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals.
Further, if there was error, it was harmless error since the evidence was also sufficient to support the conviction of appellant as a principal actor and any rational jury could have so found. See Govan, supra.
Most disturbing to me is the majority conclusion that while a rational jury under the evidence could have found the appellant guilty as a principal actor, the fact that the State, which relies upon two theories, seemed to more fervently advance the theory of parties, at least in one quoted excerpt from the jury argument, the error in the charge, perceived by the majority, “precipitated at least ‘some harm’ to appellant under Almanza v. State, supra, irrespective of whether the evidence incidentally supported the conviction of appellant as a primary actor as well....”
Nonsense, utter nonsense. I dissent.
DAVIS and McCORMICK, J., join this opinion.

. See Minor v. State, supra, at 696; see also Harris v. State, 522 S.W.2d 199 (Tex.Cr.App. 1975); Perez v. State, 537 S.W.2d 455 (Tex.Cr. App.1976); Williams v. State, 547 S.W.2d 18 (Tex.Cr. App. 1977).

. It was only in Govan for the first time that the Court, without discussion of the time honored practice, or citation of authority, indicated in passing that the use of the term “acting alone or as party as that term is herein defined” did not apply the law to the facts. Id. at p. 568. This is another reason this writer has considered Go-van a most unusual case in many respects.