Court Opinion

ID: 9772894
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 17:32:26.055133+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:31:49.093855
License: Public Domain

TEAGUE, Judge,
concurring and dissenting.
I agree with the majority opinion that the trial judge erred when he instructed the jury, over objection, that “the act of breaking and entering a building at nighttime raises a presumption that the act was done with the intent to commit theft.” Therefore, I concur. However, given the facts that were presented to the jury, and viewing the charge as a whole, I am convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that such error did not have any impact whatsoever on the *185jury’s decision to find the appellant guilty. Therefore, I cannot agree with the majority opinion’s holding to the contrary and must dissent.
This Court, however, should first address whether the Dallas Court of Appeals obeyed this Court’s unpublished mandate that issued on October 16, 1985. See La Point v. State, Tex.Cr.App. No. 199-85. I find that it did not. This is another reason why I dissent.
Originally, the Dallas Court of Appeals, in an unpublished opinion, ordered the appellant’s conviction reversed after it found that the charge contained fundamental error “[bjecause the charge authorized the jury to convict appellant if they found him merely present at the scene of the offense ...” La Point v. State, (Tex.App.-Dallas, No. 05-84-00069 CR, January 4, 1985). This is different charge error from that which is singled out in this instance.
This Court thereafter remanded the cause to the court of appeals “for further proceedings consistent with our opinion in Almanza [v. State, 686 S.W.2d 157 (Tex.Cr.App.1985) ].”
However, the court of appeals never obeyed this Court’s order; instead, it withdrew its prior opinion and wrote another opinion addressing the ground of error that concerns the erroneous instruction on the presumption, which is the issue before us at this time. It again reversed the appellant’s conviction in another unpublished opinion. See La Point v. State, (Tex.App.Dallas, No. 05-84,00069CR, December 30, 1985).
As a judge who sits on the highest appellate criminal court in this State, I find the failure of the court of appeals to follow this Court’s mandate absolutely and totally shocking. I repeat what I stated in the dissenting opinion that I filed in Garrett v. State, 749 S.W.2d 784 (Tex.Cr.App.1986), (Now pending on State’s motion for rehearing): “If this Court’s express orders are not to be carried out by a court of appeals, then, pray tell, how can we expect our citizenry to obey any court’s orders?” Therefore, I first vote to remand this cause to the court of appeals for it to do what this Court ordered it to do on October 16, 1986. To the failure of this Court to enter such an order, I respectfully dissent.
In light of my past, and now well-known criticisms of Almanza v. State, supra, I should perhaps be in a state of merriment over how it is used in this cause to reverse the appellant’s conviction. However, I am not gleeful; I am sad because “Almanza the Terrible” has prevented justice from being done in this cause. This cause, however, actually highlights and points out why Almanza, supra, should be quickly and expressly overruled by this Court before it needlessly devours more victims. In this instance, “Almanza the Terrible’s” victim just happens to be the great State of Texas; tomorrow, though, it may be any number of defendants. It is truly a monster given birth and turned loose by this Court to devour innocent victims of this State. Hopefully, the great State of Texas will file a motion for rehearing stating all of the reasons why Almanza, supra, should be expressly overruled by this Court, and, also hopefully, a majority of this Court will then see the error of its ways when it created “Almanza the Terrible”, grant the State’s motion for rehearing and then expressly overrule Almanza v. State, supra.
I agree with the majority opinion that the trial judge in this cause erred in instructing the jury, over objection, on the presumption that “the act of breaking and entering a building at nighttime raises a presumption that the act was done with intent to commit theft.” However, given the facts that were presented to the jury in this cause, and the entire jury charge, I am unable to agree that the error was sufficiently significant that it deprived the appellant of a fair trial or that it might have had a tendency to affect any rational trier of fact’s decision to find the appellant guilty. The ap-. pellant’s ground of error should be overruled and not sustained.
From the facts that Presiding Judge On*186ion sets out in his opinion for the Court,1 only one inference can be drawn from those facts: But for the intervention by the police, the appellant and his co-defendant, who by the facts of this cause are obviously extremely sophisticated and skillful burglars, would have successfully burglarized the involved pharmacy; no doubt to obtain controlled substances rather than baby goods.
Although there is no question that the trial court erred, given the entire instruction that is set out on pages 181 and 182 of Judge Onion’s opinion, I am unable to understand, like Ms. Anne B. Wetherholt, who represents the great State of Texas in this cause, how the error constitutes any harm, much less “some” harm. Given the entire instruction on the presumption, and viewing it in the context of the facts that were presented, I am also unable to understand how it was “ ‘calculated to injure the rights’ of the appellant,” as the majority opinion declares. See and cf. Hall v. State, 661 S.W.2d 101, 102-106 (Tex.Cr.App.1983). Also see Francis v. Franklin, 471 U.S. 307, 105 S.Ct. 1965, 85 L.Ed.2d 344 (1985); State v. Chambers, 709 P.2d 321 (Utah 1985).
For the above and foregoing reasons, I dissent to the failure of this Court to remand this cause to the court of appeals for it to do what it was ordered to do on October 16, 1985; I concur in the holding that the charge was subject to the appellant's objection; I dissent to the holding that the error was reversible error.
McCORMICK and CAMPBELL, JJ., join.
“APPENDIX A”
FACT STATEMENT
Garland Police Officer Bill Connatser testified that about 12:10 a.m. in the early morning of Thursday, October 28, 1982, he was patrolling behind the Orchid Hills shopping center with his police vehicle’s lights off. (R. Ill — 124—126, 141; R. IV-178). He pulled alongside the walkway in front of a pharmacy located in the shopping center. (R. Ill — 127). See State’s Exhibit Nos. 3-12, photographs of the scene. While he was there he observed a light blue Ford van moving slowly pull up and stop near the front of the pharmacy parallel to the sidewalk. (R. Ill — 128; R. IV-173). He observed a white male, Daniel Gaston Shockley, get out of the passenger side of that van after it stopped. (R. IH-130, 184-185). The pharmacy had substantially reduced its lighting inside the store. (R. III-131). Shockley walked to one of the doors at the front of the pharmacy, stooped slightly as if looking at the door handle, dipping his shoulders with his hands forward, then walked through the door. (R. Ill — 132; IV-123). Because of the reduced lighting and the absence of other vehicles in the parking lot of the pharmacy (R. Ill — 136), the officer believed a burglary could be occurring. (R. Ill — 133, 139-140). He called for backup. (R. Ill — 137). After Shockley went inside the pharmacy, the van pulled off. (R. III-134-135). The officer followed it with his lights still turned off. As the van entered onto the roadway, West Kingsley Road, the officer turned on his driving lights as well as his red and blue police flasher. (R. Ill — 137). The van stopped and turned back into the parking lot. The officer got out of his car and approached the driver’s side of the van. (R. III-138). Appellant was the driver of the van. (R. Ill — 141). The officer asked Appellant for his driver’s license. Appellant did not have one; the officer asked Appellant for other identification; Appellant had no identification. (R. Ill — 142, 159-160). Appellant was arrested and detained. (R. III-142,160). At this point the jury was excused while the hearing occurred outside the presence of the jury. (R. III-142).
Upon receiving information over the police radio that police had one person in custody inside the pharmacy, the officer searched the van. (R. Ill — 143—144). He *187heard what sounded like a police broadcast (R. IV-186-187), State’s Exhibit No. 14, a plugged-in, operating radio apparatus, a programmable scanner was located behind the driver’s seat and plugged in. (R. Ill— 150-151,174-175,182). State’s Exhibit No. 15, a Thermos, was on a seat behind the driver’s seat. (R. Ill — 151). State’s Exhibit No. 16, a pliers or pinchers, was lying on the floor of the van behind the driver’s seat. (R. III-152). Scientific comparison showed it was that pliers which made the marks on the cylinder removed from the lock. (R. IV-101-103). State’s Exhibit No. 17 was a case containing a pair of binoculars. State’s Exhibit No. 18, an operational four-channel radio frequency scanner, using crystals and bearing the frequency numbers 155.370, 460.375, 460.075 and 460.-425, was on the floor behind the driver’s seat near the cover for the engine between the driver’s and passenger’s seat. (R. Ill— 153-154,176-179). It would have been possible to see it before he began to search. He did not remember if he actually saw it before he searched, but he did hear it. (R. Ill — 155,159). State’s Exhibit No. 19 was a small pen light bearing black electrician’s tape found near the scanner. (R. Ill — 155— 156). State’s Exhibit No. 20 was a converter, to convert DC power to AC, found on the floor near the scanner. (R. Ill — 156— 157, 180). State’s Exhibit No. 21 was a Yaesu brand programmable radio transmitter with microphone and receiver, found plugged in, operational, on the floor of the vehicle immediately behind the front seats on the floor just behind the engine cover, where someone only had to reach down to get it. (R. Ill — 157, 181; IV-198-199; V-144-145).
When the officer walked up to the van, he had made the decision to arrest Appellant and detain him until an investigation could be made; make a temporary seizure of his body. (R. III-160). In addition to believing the pharmacy closed from the absence of cars outside and reduced lighting inside, he noted he did not see a broom, mop, cleaning pail or cleaning equipment indicating the person entering the pharmacy was part of a cleaning crew. (R. Ill— 161-162).
Upon receiving the radio transmission that a man had been arrested in the store, he conducted a search of the van based on the written police policy that in every case prisoners’ vehicles will be searched for inventory purposes to secure and protect their property. (R. Ill — 163).
Also found inside the van later were State’s Exhibits Nos. 81-105. (R. IV-3). State’s Exhibit No. 81 was a Radio Shack police call radio directory which contained markings next to the frequency number for the Garland Police Department, 155.370. It matched the number on the crystal found in the van. There was also a mark by a frequency 460.075 which the book showed belonged to the Northeast Section of the Dallas Police Department, adjacent to the City of Garland, and a mark by frequency by 460.425, which the book showed to be the frequency for the Southeast Subsection of the Dallas Police Department. The van also contained crystals for these frequencies. (R. IV-13-18). The antenna belonging to the radio inside the van was also located inside the van. (R. IV-18). State’s Exhibits Nos. 91-99 were found inside the blue bag, which was located in the van. (R. IV-21). State’s Exhibits Nos. 100-106 were also items found inside the van. (R. IV-23).
The police scanner was plugged into the converter and the converter had wires leading from it up under the dash to the cigarette lighter plug. (R. Ill — 165). (The scanner contained crystals to receive frequencies 155.370, 460.375, 460.075, 460.425 and State’s Exhibit No. 81 also found in the van showed police frequencies for Dallas and Garland). (R. IV-12-18). State’s Exhibits Nos. 85, 86, 87, 88 and 89 were maps. (R. IV-20).
State’s Exhibit No. 101 was a stapler found inside the van (R. IV-24). Police processed it, among other things, for latent fingerprints. (R. IV-25). Prints taken from the stapler were put on State’s Exhibit No. 108. (R. IV-27). Those prints belonged to Daniel Shockley. (R. V-13-16, 32-33).
*188The trial court overruled Appellant’s objection to the admission of State’s Exhibits Nos. 4-21. (R. III-166-169, 173). Other items subsequently recovered from the van, State’s Exhibit Nos. 81-105, were also admitted over Appellant’s objection. (R. IV-3, 12).
Officer Steve Flanagan testified that, when he approached the door of the pharmacy, the cylinder lock in the door had been taken out but was placed back into it to appear as if it had not been removed. It fell out when he touched the handle. (R. V-41). A reasonable person would have known the building was closed because there were no cars in front of the building, the light inside was lower than usual, and a normal person would have noticed that there was no one inside the building. (R. V-43). When he went inside the pharmacy, he observed a white male crouched down behind some shelves. (R. V-45-46). He ordered the man to “Freeze.” (R. V-48). Although the man, Daniel Shockley, told the officer that he had stayed in the building after it closed and that he was looking for a pack of cigarettes, numerous tools were found inside the pharmacy. (R. V-49-51). Inside the pharmacy the officer found a padlock had been knocked off the back door. Lying in front of the door was a green knapsack with assorted tools in it. A pry bar tire tool and a glove were lying nearby. (R. V-54, 102). Based on his experience, these were the types of tools used in burglaries. (R. V-102-103).
A few days later the owner of the pharmacy found a walkie-talkie inside the pharmacy. It did not belong to him and he took it to the Garland Police Department. (R. V-107-108). That walkie-talkie bore the brand name “Yaesu” as did the radio transmitter/receiver, State’s Exhibit No. 21, which was found in the van Appellant was driving. (R. V-144-145, 181).
Jackie Waggoner, an investigator for the Garland Police Department, testified that in his experience investigating building burglaries, the tools contained in State’s Exhibit No. 36, the canvas knapsack, were the type of tools used in burglarizing places. (R. V-173-176). Found inside the canvas knapsack, which was found inside the pharmacy, State’s Exhibit No. 36, were State’s Exhibits Nos. 37-80 and 109-111 with the exception of State’s Exhibit No. 57, the padlock, and State’s Exhibits Nos. 39, the tire tool and State’s Exhibit No. 66, the gloves, which were found inside the pharmacy near the bag. (R. IV-9-11). State’s Exhibits Nos. 75-80 found in the knapsack and 109-110 found in the van were drill bits. (R. IV-11).
“ADDITIONAL SUMMARY OF THE FACTS”
The State suggests the following evidence, by itself, separate and apart from the presumption, reasonably permits the inference that Appellant’s intent was to commit theft:5 The owner of the pharmacy testified he closed it at 10:30 p.m. (R. Ill — 25). The regular doors were all locked with standard cylinder locks when he left that night. One door was permanently closed (R. III-29); that door back by the pharmacy was padlocked. (R. III-30-32). It was locked on the inside so it could only be removed by someone on the inside. (R. IV-95). See pictures, State’s Exhibits Nos. 24, 26. When closed the store had one-fourth to one-fifth regular lighting. (R. Ill — 32). Garland Police Officer Steve Flanagan testified that he arrived at the pharmacy within 15-20 seconds after Officer Connatser had spotted what he reasonably believed to be a burglary (because in addition to the late hour, there were no cars in the parking lot, the lights inside were dimmer than normal and there was no one inside the pharmacy). (R. V-43). Con-natser had called for back up about 12:10 a.m. (R. Ill — 141; V. 56). Flanagan noticed the cylinder lock in the door had been *189pried out, then put back so as to appear undamaged and undisturbed. But, when he touched the door to pull it open, the cylinder, State’s Exhibit No. 34A, immediately fell out in his hand. (R. V-40-42). Expert scientific testimony showed that the pliers that made the marks on the cylinder were from the pliers found in the van Appellant was driving. (R. VI-101-103).
Since Shockley quickly entered in the pharmacy less than a minute before, unless he knew it was that way, it would have come off in his hand also. It had been in this condition from their earlier tampering. Then they replaced it in the door to appear undamaged, and left briefly to watch to see if police had been alerted. That Flanagan observed Shockley quickly enter without the cylinder coming out in his hand — because he did not take enough time to replace it neatly in the lock and it was not set on the nearby ledge as Flanagan had to do — meant Shockley knew the cylinder had deceptively been put back in the lock to avoid detection. This was one circumstance from which the culpable intent could be inferred. After entering the pharmacy Flanagan went around back of some shelves to see if he could see anything. (R. V-44). He observed a white male (Shockley) in an aisle between aisle shelves crouched down trying to look around the comer of the shelf towards the front of the store. (R. V-45-47, 51). Officer Flanagan told Shockley to freeze. (R. V-48). Shockley stated, “I stayed in the building after it closed.” (R. V-49). “I was looking for a pack of cigarettes and couldn’t find nobody.” (R. V-50). This res gestae statement, which is contrary to the fact that Officer Connatser saw Shockley enter the building barely a few minutes earlier when the store was obviously closed. (R. Ill— 130-136). (Connatser called for backup when he saw Shockley enter the store; Flanagan got there in 20 seconds). (R. III — 137; V-56). It is a statement whereby Shockley attempted to deceive Officer Flanagan and indicates his consciousness of guilt — another circumstance showing he entered with a culpable intent.
Upon examination of the pharmacy Officer Flanagan discovered a padlock had been knocked off the back door. Lying next to the door was an open green knapsack, State’s Exhibit No. 36, with assorted tools, State’s Exhibits Nos. 37-80 (except for State’s Exhibit Nos. 39, 57, 66). (R. IV-9-10).6 A pry bar/tire tool, State’s Exhibit No. 39, was lying outside it (R. V-54, 77) and gloves, State’s Exhibit No. 66, next to it (R. IV-81). See pictures, State’s Exhibit No. 26. Such a pry bar/tire tool is frequently used to gain entrance in burglaries. (R. V-103). The tools found inside the knapsack could be used to commit burglaries and/or break into safes. (R. IV-85; V. 175-176). The redundancy of tools in the bag indicates the person using the tools would have an immediate need for replacements if one failed to do the job (because of the hour and/or the lack of time to leisurely complete the job for fear of being discovered). The tips of several of the tire tools/lug wrenches and screwdrivers had freshly honed; such is not normally done if one is merely using it to change a tire. (R. IV-177-179). The purpose of this in a burglary is to eliminate any tool marks that might otherwise be left on the point of entry and scientifically traced to a particular tool. (R. V-179). Moreover, the next day a pharmacy employee found a Yaesu walkie-talkie in the store; this was a brand the pharmacy did not sell. (R. Ill — 44—45, 87). It was the same brand as the transmitter/receiver, State’s Exhibit No. 21, found in the van which Appellant was driving. (R. V-180-181). The plethora of professional burglars tools found in and *190around the open bag near a door which could only have been unlocked from the inside after Appellant had quickly entered a different door whose cylinder lock would have fallen out in his hand if he did not know it had been deceptively replaced, in conjunction with the fact that the store was obviously closed because there were no cars in the lot, the lights inside were one fourth to one fifth dimmer and there was no one inside, and in conjunction with the fact police saw Shockley enter the store minutes before but he told Flanagan a story shown to be untrue — that he stayed in the store after it closed (at 10:30 and it was now after midnight) but couldn’t find nobody (obviously, since it was closed) to get some cigarettes (from whom would he buy them if the store was closed? Was he really saying he was going to steal them?) —provide a multitude of circumstances from which intent to commit theft could be inferred beyond a reasonable doubt.”

. Although I do not have any quarrel with Presiding Judge Onion's summary of the facts of this cause, but because I find that Ms. Wether-hold has a done a better job in setting out the facts, I attach her summary to this opinion as "Appendix A”.

. This is in addition to the evidence summarized in the Fact Statement above and discussed by the State in its previous petition before this Court to show beyond a reasonable doubt that Appellant was the lookout-man and get away driver aiding Daniel Gaston Shockley, the person who entered the building, to make Appellant liable as a party under TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. §§ 7.01 and 7.02 (Vernon 1974).

. State’s Exhibit No. 37, extension cord; No. 38 tire tool; No. 40 drill; No. 41 hammer; No. 42 hatchet; No. 43 pry bar; No. 44 hammer; No. 45 screwdriver; No. 46 pliers; No. 47 screwdriver; No. 48 pick; No. 49 vise grips; No. 50 handle; No. 51 screwdriver; No. 52 screwdriver; No. 53 screwdriver; No. 84 screwdriver; No. 55 tire tool; No. 56 pliers; No. 58 punch; No. 59 battery; No. 60 screwdriver; No. 61 bolt; No. 62 bag; No. 63 bag; No. 64 bag; No. 65 pair of gloves; No. 67 plastic garbage bag; No. 68 plastic garbage bag; No. 69 plastic garbage bag; No. 70 plastic garbage bag; No. 71 plastic garbage bag; No. 72 plastic garbage bag; No. 73 instruction booklet; No. 74 bottle of oil; No. 75 drill bit; No. 76 drill bit; No. 77 drill bit; No. 78 drill bit; No. 79 drill bit; No. 80 drill bit.