Court Opinion

ID: 9775652
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 19:05:57.87344+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:29.965574
License: Public Domain

OPINION ON APPELLANT’S MOTION FOR REHEARING
ONION, Presiding Judge.
On rehearing appellant vigorously re-urges his claim that the trial court erred in holding his oral confession was voluntarily made and the fruits thereof admissible.
He contends that the recitation of the facts in the opinion on original submission supports his position and is at variance with the conclusion reached by this court.
Perhaps an explanation of what transpired at the trial will clarify the situation.
When the State commenced to elicit testimony from Officer Preston Parks as to appellant’s oral confession, the jury, following objection, was removed. Thereafter a Jackson v. Denno, 378 U.S. 368, 84 S.Ct. 1774, 12 L.Ed.2d 908, type hearing was conducted. See Article 38.22, V.A.C.C.P. By virtue of Parks’ testimony the State laid the predicate for the introduction of the oral confession. The witness Parks was then cross-examined at some length. At the conclusion of his testimony the State called no other witnesses, and the appellant called none nor did he take the stand for the limited purpose of testifying as to the voluntariness and admissibility of his oral confession. Having only Officer Parks’ testimony before him, the trial judge found the confession to have been voluntarily given and admissible in evidence. The trial judge dictated his findings into the record, had the same reduced to writing and filed among the papers of the cause. Thereafter Parks was permitted to relate the oral confession to the jury.
Only after the oral confession was before the jury did Detective Meritzky of the Denver Police Department testify or did the appellant offer any witnesses.
*141In Lopez v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 384 S.W.2d 345, this court wrote:
“After a confession has been admitted in evidence to the jury, the defendant may still adduce evidence relating to its voluntariness, which evidence may be considered by the trial judge with other evidence on the issue of its voluntariness.
“If the trial judge concludes from all the evidence that the confession should not have been admitted, he will withdraw it. Otherwise the jury may and shall, upon request of the defendant, be instructed to the effect that they cannot consider the confession unless they believe beyond a reasonable doubt that it was voluntarily made.”
It is obvious from the record that the trial judge did not conclude from the evidence offered after the confession was admitted that the confession should be withdrawn, and we find no request from the appellant that he do so.
The issue of voluntariness as raised by the evidence before the jury was submitted to them under instructions to which the appellant addressed no objections.
Remaining convinced this cause was properly decided on original submission, appellant’s motion for rehearing is overruled.