Court Opinion

ID: 9681963
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 08:02:18.658443+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:36.767764
License: Public Domain

BARAJAS, Justice,
dissenting.
I find myself in disagreement with the majority members of the panel and record my respectful dissent.
In Appellant’s fifth point of error, he asserts that the trial court erred in admitting evidence of prior misdemeanor convictions. Specifically, Appellant alleges that the prior convictions were inadmissible because they were obtained without effective assistance of counsel. I would sustain Appellant’s fifth point of error.
I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY
In the trial court, Appellant filed a motion to suppress evidence.1 This motion sought to suppress introduction of Appellant’s two prior misdemeanor convictions, each of which served as elements of the instant offense. After a hearing on the motion, the trial court denied the request for suppression. As a consequence, the State was permitted to introduce the two prior misdemeanor convictions in evidence and use them for enhancement purposes.
II. STANDARD OF REVIEW
The issue before this Court is whether the trial court erred in admitting, and using for enhancement purposes, evidence of two prior misdemeanor convictions over Appellant’s objection. Resolution of this issue requires an overview of the applicable standard of review.
The majority opinion correctly states the law as it relates to Appellant’s procedural attack as to the use of the prior convictions. Indeed, it is proper for Appellant to attack, on direct appeal, any prior conviction used for enhancement purposes if such prior conviction is void due to a fundamental or constitutional defect. Galloway v. State, 578 S.W.2d 142, 143 (Tex.Crim.App.1979); Sparks v. State, 809 S.W.2d 773, 774 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1991, pet. ref’d). Since Appellant argues that the prior convictions are void, it is our duty as an appellate court to determine whether Appellant met his burden of proof on this issue in the trial court.
Once the State made a prima facie showing of the validity of the prior convictions, it then became the burden of Appellant to make an affirmative showing of a fatal defect in the prior convictions. Johnson v. State, 725 S.W.2d 245, 247 (Tex.Crim.App.1987). According to the United States Supreme Court, this burden has been met and the prior convictions are void, if Appellant was able to demonstrate that the prior convictions were obtained in violation of his constitutional right to counsel. See Bur*482gett v. Texas, 389 U.S. 109, 88 S.Ct. 258, 19 L.Ed.2d 319 (1967).
The majority recognizes that prior convictions are void if obtained in violation of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel. Unfortunately, what the majority fails to recognize is the full and complete meaning of our Sixth Amendment right to counsel. Contrary to 20 years of firmly established constitutional jurisprudence, the majority claims that Appellant’s prior convictions are void only if there was a “total deprivation of counsel” or if counsel was so deficient that it amounted to “no assistance of counsel.” Majority Opinion at 478. Based on this reasoning, the majority states “we will not consider whether the convictions are voidable due to ineffective assistance.” Id. at 479.
The majority’s standard for measuring Sixth Amendment violations is legally meaningless because the Sixth Amendment “right to counsel is the right to the effective assistance of counsel.” Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 686, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 2063, 80 L.Ed.2d 674, 692 (1984), citing McMann v. Richardson, 397 U.S. 759, 771, n. 14, 90 S.Ct. 1441, 1449, n. 4, 25 L.Ed.2d 763 (1970). Moreover, since the right to effective assistance of counsel is of a constitutional dimension, this Court must determine whether Appellant affirmatively proved that he was denied effective assistance in regard to the prior convictions.
Finally, if it is determined that Appellant’s constitutional rights were infringed and the fruits of the infringement were directly used for the purpose of securing an increased sentence, the error asserted by Appellant cannot be harmless. Burgett, 389 U.S. at 115, 88 S.Ct. at 262; Gill v. Estelle, 530 F.2d 1152, 1155 (5th Cir.1976). Tex.R.App.P. 81(b)(2); Mallory v. State, 752 S.W.2d 566 (Tex.Crim.App.1988).
III. SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE
In support of his motion to suppress, Appellant called his appointed trial defense counsel [hereinafter Misdemeanor Counsel] on the two prior misdemeanor convictions. Misdemeanor Counsel testified that on June 23, 1988, he was appointed by the Presiding Judge of El Paso County Court at Law Number Five to represent the Appellant on four misdemeanor charges pending against him. Three of the charges were for misdemeanor theft violations. On June 23, 1988, pleas of guilty were entered by the Appellant and accepted by the Misdemeanor Trial Court as to the two misdemeanor charges involved in this appeal. Misdemeanor Counsel, while not having any specific recollection of conferring with the Appellant prior to the entry of Appellant’s pleas, stated that the procedure which was followed that day was consistent with procedure followed by both the Jail Magistrate and himself on all “jail pleas” taken prior to and subsequent to June 23, 1988.
Misdemeanor Counsel testified that jail personnel would review charges pending for all inmates at the El Paso County Jail. When jail personnel felt that a certain inmate had spent enough time for the particular offense for which the inmate had been incarcerated, the inmate was brought down to the jail courtroom for the purpose of pleading guilty for time served. Misdemeanor Counsel further testified that it was the Court’s procedure to appoint him to represent the inmates brought down for pleas.
As a general rule, inmates are brought down en masse, 25 to 45 at a time. Misdemeanor counsel is given a few minutes at most to talk to his “clients” as a group, taking no less than 30 nor more than 45 minutes to talk to the group. Misdemean- or Counsel testified that he was the attorney on the particular afternoon when Appellant was brought down to the courtroom to enter his plea. Misdemeanor Counsel gathered the Appellant and the inmates into one large group and spoke to them collectively. He proceeded to advise them, en masse, that they were there to plead guilty, if they chose to do so, and in exchange for their plea of guilty, they would be given a sentence equal to their time served. In short, Misdemeanor Counsel advised the inmates that a plea of guilty would result in a release from jail on that very same day.
*483Misdemeanor Counsel testified that it was his standard procedure to advise the group that all of the charges against them were for misdemeanor offenses. In regard to the range of punishment, it is standard procedure to tell the inmates “you can get out today with the time you have been here.” Misdemeanor Counsel further testified that he does not necessarily tell each and every one of the inmates what the range of punishment is for their particular offense, but rather, he tells them that they can stay incarcerated as long as one year, but misdemeanors differ.2 Misdemeanor Counsel did advise the inmates that they were presumed innocent. He also stated that sometimes he would pick up an inmate’s file and review it briefly. Further, if the inmate stated that he did not know what he was charged with and if the inmate requested, Misdemeanor Counsel would read the inmate the information on file against him.
In addition to the above information, Misdemeanor Counsel stated that he attempted to inform the inmates of the consequences of a guilty plea. Specifically, he would advise the inmates, again en masse, that they did not have to plead guilty if they were not guilty, they had a right to a jury trial and if they wanted a jury trial they would get one, but not that day. He further advised that if an inmate requested a jury trial, the inmate could expect a delay of between three to six months, during which time he would remain incarcerated. In sum, Misdemeanor Counsel’s testimony revealed that the inmates had two choices: (1) plead guilty and get out that day, or (2) plead not guilty and remain in jail.
Advice regarding the two choices noted above never included any information about the inmates right to appeal from a plea of guilty. In fact, Misdemeanor Counsel testified that once an inmate stated that he wanted to plead guilty, Misdemeanor Counsel would not speak to that inmate again. As a consequence, it is not surprising to note that Appellant never indicated to Misdemeanor Counsel that Appellant wished to appeal his guilty pleas.
Finally, Misdemeanor Counsel testified that the trial court would take approximately 40 pleas in the above fashion within an hour and one-half, and as such, the trial court did not give Misdemeanor Counsel more than a few minutes to converse with his “clients.”
IV. RIGHT TO ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL IN PLEAS OF GUILTY
In a criminal proceeding, an accused has a constitutional right to the effective assistance of counsel, whether counsel is employed or is court appointed. Brewer v. State, 649 S.W.2d 628 (Tex.Crim.App.1983); Newton v. State, 456 S.W.2d 939 (Tex.Crim.App.1970). Issues pertaining to violations based on failure to render effective assistance of counsel are to be judged by the totality of the representation, and challenges will be sustained only if firmly founded. Mercado v. State, 615 S.W.2d 225, 228 (Tex.Crim.App.1981); Ex parte Prior, 540 S.W.2d 723 (Tex.Crim.App.1976).
In the instant case, it is undisputed that the Appellant was afforded his right to counsel. Indeed, Misdemeanor Counsel, the “attorney for the day,” was appointed to represent Appellant, along with 25 to 40 other criminal defendants. However, the Sixth Amendment requires more than the mere appointment of counsel. Specifically, the Sixth Amendment requires that appointed counsel render effective assistance. Diaz v. Martin, 718 F.2d 1372 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 466 U.S. 976, 104 S.Ct. 2358, 80 L.Ed.2d 830 (1984); Cuyler v. Sullivan, *484446 U.S. 335, 344, 100 S.Ct. 1708, 1716, 64 L.Ed.2d 333, 343 (1980). Thus, a mere, pro forma appearance of counsel does not amount to the “assistance of counsel” and “due process of law” that are guaranteed by the United States Constitution.3 Powell v. Alabama, 287 U.S. 45, 53 S.Ct. 55, 77 L.Ed. 158 (1932). Our Constitution does not require “errorless counsel, and not counsel judged ineffective by hindsight, but counsel reasonably likely to render effective assistance_” MacKenna v. Ellis, 280 F.2d 592, 599 (5th Cir.1960); Powers v. State, 492 S.W.2d 274 (Tex.Crim.App.1973).
It is evident from the record that Misdemeanor Counsel was periodically appointed “attorney for the day.” As such, it was his duty to separate those inmates desiring to plead guilty for time served, from those who felt they were not guilty. This distinction of pleas is important because the entering of a plea of guilty is a critical step in our criminal process.
A plea of guilty is more than a confession of having acted culpably; it is itself a conviction which waives the constitutional right against self-incrimination, the right to confront one’s accusers, and the right to trial by jury. Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 242, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 1711, 23 L.Ed.2d 274, 279 (1969). In the instant case, Appellant simultaneously plead guilty to three misdemeanor theft charges, two of which were later used for enhancement purposes. Insofar as his pleas of guilty were admissions of all the elements of the formal criminal charges against him, they could not have been truly voluntary unless the Appellant possessed an understanding of the law in relation to the facts. Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U.S. 458, 58 S.Ct. 1019, 82 L.Ed. 1461 (1938).
In regard to Appellant’s pleas of guilty, the only required duty of Misdemeanor Counsel, under the most liberal construction, was to ascertain if the pleas were entered voluntarily and knowingly. Lamb v. Beto, 423 F.2d 85, 87 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 400 U.S. 846, 91 S.Ct. 93, 27 L.Ed.2d 84 (1970); Butler v. State, 499 S.W.2d 136 (Tex.Crim.App.1973). Specifi-eally, Misdemeanor Counsel’s duty was to ensure that Appellant’s guilty pleas were entered only as the product of an informed and voluntary decision.
The aforementioned duty could only have been fulfilled if Misdemeanor Counsel actually and substantially assisted Appellant in deciding whether to plead guilty. This duty inherently entails familiarity with the facts and the law, including potential defenses, so that Misdemeanor Counsel could fully advise Appellant of the options available to him. Diaz, 718 F.2d at 1372; Mitchell v. State, 762 S.W.2d 916 (Tex.App.—San Antonio 1988, pet. ref’d).
Based on the record as a whole, it is apparent that Misdemeanor Counsel did not fulfill his duty to ascertain whether Appellant’s pleas were voluntarily and knowingly entered. At the outset, no investigation was made of Appellant’s case. In fact, Misdemeanor Counsel never asked to see the State’s file, even though he did not know the pertinent facts on which charges against the Appellant were based. In addition, Misdemeanor Counsel did not know what the State was required to prove as to each of the two charges then pending against the Appellant and, as a consequence, he never explained to the Appellant the nature of the charges or elements of the offenses. Furthermore, the record conclusively establishes that Appellant was never admonished, from any source, as to the range of punishment for his misdemeanor offenses. Finally, once Appellant expressed his desire to plead guilty, Misdemeanor Counsel never communicated with his “client” again.
At his hearing on his motion to suppress, the Appellant established that the prior convictions were void and, thus, inadmissible. Indeed, Appellant affirmatively established that he was denied his Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel at the time of his entry of guilty pleas to the two prior misdemeanor convictions. Consequently, the trial court erred in admitting the two prior misdemeanor convictions for enhancement purposes.
Having found error in the use of the prior convictions, I would find that the *485error complained of is harmful as a matter of law. Tex.R.App.P. 81(b)(2). To permit a conviction, obtained in violation of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel, to be used against a defendant for enhancement purposes is to erode the fundamental tenents of such a right. Burgett, 389 U.S. at 115, 88 S.Ct. at 262. For as Justice Douglas stated, “since the defect in the prior conviction was denial of the right to counsel, the accused in effect suffers anew from the deprivation of that Sixth Amendment right.” Id. In an effort to remedy the deprivation, I would sustain Appellant’s fifth point of error.
Despite my disposition of Appellant’s fifth point of error, I would not contend that in all cases where a trial court appoints an “attorney for the day” or otherwise appoints counsel on the same day of trial for entry of a plea of guilty, that indigent defendants have satisfied their burden of establishing that they were denied effective assistance of counsel. In fact, it is within my realm of imagination that effective counsel could have been rendered in the brief period of time that Misdemeanor Counsel said he spent with the group of inmates. On the other hand, I can imagine a situation where counsel may be ineffective despite six months of futile exertions. It is the quality of time spent with those facing criminal sanctions in our society, rather than the quantity.
The members of this Court, having been trial judges, elected prosecutors, or otherwise having previously performed their ethical duties in their representation of indigent defendants, fully appreciate the problems facing dockets in this State, particularly in misdemeanor cases. Notwithstanding this fact, we cannot permit the Sixth Amendment right to counsel take a backseat to a fast expedient way of clearing our dockets.
For the above reasons, I cannot join in the affirmance of the judgment in this case.

. The motion filed in the trial court was labeled “Motion to Limit State’s Evidence Concerning Defendant’s Prior Criminal Record.” Despite the title, this motion was in substance, a motion to suppress in that it sought to prevent the admission of void convictions. For purposes of appellate review, the denial of a motion to suppress is sufficient to properly preserve error under Tex.R.App.P. 52(b). Hernandez v. State, 767 S.W.2d 902 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1989).

. The record reveals that the trial court likewise failed to admonish Appellant as to the range of punishment. As a result, in his sixth point of error, Appellant asserts that he was denied constitutional due process. As correctly stated in the majority opinion, and as conceded by the . Appellant, art. 26.13(a)(1) does not apply to pleas in misdemeanor cases. McGuire v. State, 617 S.W.2d 259 (Tex.Crim.App.1981); Empy v. State, 571 S.W.2d 526 (Tex.Crim.App.1978); Tex. Code Crim.Pro.Ann. art. 26.13 (Vernon 1989). The cases relied upon by the majority are not controlling because they do not address the issue of whether due process requires a defendant to be admonished, from some source, as to the range of punishment prior to entering a plea of guilty to a misdemeanor offense.

. U.S. Const. Amends. VI & XIV, § 1.