Court Opinion

ID: 9943938
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-26 15:22:44.233381+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:52:44.269754
License: Public Domain

OPINION
The offense is felony theft of an automobile; the punishment 3 years.
The indictment was returned and filed March 28, 1966. The theft was alleged to have occurred on or about the 19th day of February, A.D. 1966.
Further allegation that the offense was committed anterior to the presentment of the indictment was not necessary. Archie v. State, 91 Tex.Crim. R., 237 S.W. 257; Busby v. State,143 Tex.Crim. 72, 157 S.W.2d 394; Flores v. State, 143 Tex.Crim. 382,158 S.W.2d 1012; Mason v. State, 160 Tex.Crim. R., 272 S.W.2d 527; Flores v. State, 167 Tex.Crim. R., 318 S.W.2d 663.
Represented by counsel of his choice, appellant waived a jury and pleaded guilty before the court.
A "Stipulation of Evidence" sworn to by appellant and approved by his counsel and *Page 426 
by the court was filed which included appellant's judicial confession:
 "On the 19th day of February, 1966, in Harris County, Texas, I did fraudulently take and steal one automobile of the value of over fifty dollars, which was the personal property of Frank Joubert, and I took the same from his possession, without his consent, and with the intent to deprive him of the value of the same and to appropriate it to my own use and benefit."
In the written stipulations appellant also waived the appearance, confrontation and cross-examination of witnesses and consented to the introduction of testimony by affidavits, written statements of witnesses and other documentary evidence.
The transcript of the court reporter contains the testimony of the owner of the automobile and the arresting officers showing the guilt of appellant, which testimony such witnesses would have given had they been sworn and testified. It also contains the stipulation by appellant, his counsel and counsel for the state that such testimony would have been so given and was true.
Appellant contends that under the provisions of Art. 1.15 C.C.P. it is essential that all evidence, written statements or affidavits, or any other documentary evidence used to form the basis of the conviction, must appear in the record. He points to the absence of any affidavits or written statement of the witnesses whose testimony was stipulated.
The consent of appellant in writing in open court to waive the appearance, confrontation and cross-examination of the witnesses complied with the requirements of Art. 1.15 C.C.P. We do not construe such statute to require that the state produce a prior statement or affidavit of every witness whose testimony is stipulated.
The stipulated evidence was 'filed in the papers of the cause' in the transcript of the court reporter's notes which forms a part of the record on appeal.
The judgment is affirmed.