Court Opinion

ID: 9779296
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 21:44:24.797051+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:33:25.071157
License: Public Domain

OPINION
ROBERTS, Judge.
Appellant was convicted of the offense of burglary with intent to commit theft. His punishment was enhanced under Article 63, Vernon’s Ann.P.C., and appellant was assessed a life sentence.
Before considering the merits of the appeal, we must first rule upon the State’s motion to dismiss which has been filed in this Court. An affidavit by the sheriff of Galveston County is attached to the motion, in which the sheriff states that appellant escaped from custody on April 5, 1972, but was recaptured on April 7, 1972 and is currently in custody. The record was filed in this Court on February 1, 1972. Therefore, the dismissal of the appeal is permissible. Art. 44.09 and 44.10, Vernon’s Ann.C.C.P.; McGee v. State, 44S S.W.2d 187 (Tex.Cr.App.1969).
Appellant, in reply to the State’s motion, has acknowledged that a dismissal is permitted, but has moved this Court to exercise the discretion given it by Art. 44.-09, V.A.C.C.P., in cases where the punishment assessed is either death or confinement for life and the defendant has been recaptured within thirty days after his escape. In light of the penalty assessed, this Court will overrule the State’s motion and will consider the appeal on its merits. Steese v. State, 170 Tex.Cr.R. 269, 340 S. W.2d 49 (1960).
In his brief, appellant raises two grounds of error. He does not challenge the sufficiency of the evidence to support the conviction.
In his first ground of error, appellant contends that the trial court erred in overruling his motion for continuance which was filed on the day of trial. In support of his motion, appellant alleged the absence of a material witness, Emmett Sullivan. He further alleged that the testimony of the witness would be material in regard to the issue of the voluntary nature of an oral statement which he made to police officers at the time of his arrest. According to the allegations of the motion, the witness observed a beating which appellant had received from police officers at the time of arrest.
In the motion, appellant states that his counsel requested, on the date of trial (June 14, 1971), that a subpoena issue for the missing witness. Appellant further stated that this was done at the first opportunity, as the witness was not discovered until the preceding Saturday, June 12, 1971. Appellant states that Monday, June 14, 1971, was the first opportunity he had to obtain process. At the hearing on the motion for new trial, appellant’s counsel testified that he first learned of the existence of the witness Sullivan while con*293ducting his investigation of the case on Saturday prior to the Monday trial and learned at that time that the witness was out of town. The missing witness did, in fact, appear in answer to the subpoena in the middle of the week after the trial, stating that he had just been served.
Sullivan testified at the hearing on the motion for new trial and stated that from his window directly above, he observed the police officers apprehend appellant. Appellant was underneath the house and Sullivan testified that the officers told appellant to come out or they would blow him out, and that they began kicking him when they got him out from underneath the house. Sullivan further testified that although his vantage point was directly above the spot where appellant was apprehended, he never heard any warnings administered to appellant. He did hear someone say, “I have my rights,” followed by someone stating, “We have our rights.” Sullivan then heard someone hollering, “like somebody was getting hit.”
The only witness besides appellant who testified before the jury concerning the alleged beating was a twelve-year-old boy who lived next door to the house where appellant was arrested. His testimony was that appellant was kicked by the officers but that he didn’t remember anything being said to appellant once he was pulled out from underneath the house.
A crucial issue in this cause was whether or not appellant’s oral confession which the arresting officer testified appellant made at the time of arrest, was freely and voluntarily given. The police officers denied that such a beating took place. Sullivan’s testimony was much more detailed than the young boy’s and would have added weight to appellant’s version of the facts surrounding his arrest.
Appellant’s counsel, appointed 18 days before trial, has shown proper diligence in seeking this motion, his first motion for continuance. To answer the State’s argument, we note that an accused’s first application for continuance because of the absence of a witness is generally not subject to attack on the ground that the testimony sought would merely be cumulative. Carter v. State, 37 Tex.Cr.R. 403, 35 S.W. 378 (Tex.Cr.App.1896); Suber v. State, 88 Tex.Cr.R. 416, 227 S.W. 314 (1921).
The motion for continuance should have been granted. For that reason, the judgment is reversed and the cause remanded.