Court Opinion

ID: 9772536
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 17:21:05.204636+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:31:45.293799
License: Public Domain

OPINION ON STATE’S MOTION FOR REHEARING
ONION, Presiding Judge.
The appellant was convicted of possession of more than four ounces of marihuana. The jury assessed punishment at five (5) years’ imprisonment and a fine of $1,000.00.
On original submission the panel opinion reversed the conviction because of jury misconduct at the punishment stage of the trial when a juror (John Journey) told his fellow jurors in response to an inquiry that he knew the appellant and that if he had testified he would testify appellant’s reputation as a peaceful and law-abiding citizen was bad. The panel held that the jury had received other evidence after retiring to deliberate in violation of Article 40.03(7), Y.A.C.C.P.
At the hearing on the motion for new trial, the only witness called was Juanita Christopher, who was called by the appellant. She testified, among other things, that the juror Journey during deliberation had stated his opinion of the appellant as stated out above and as set out in the opinion on original submission. Her affidavit filed in support of the new trial motion was introduced. The State introduced the “controverting” affidavits of three jurors which it was entitled to do under Article 40.06, V.A.C.C.P. These affidavits controverted some of the things Juanita Christopher had stated in her affidavit and testimony, but did not mention or controvert in any way her affidavit and testimony that juror Journey had stated to the jurors he knew the appellant and that his reputation *754in the community as a peaceful and law-abiding citizen was bad. Thus the testimony before the court at the hearing on the motion for new trial on the particular point was undisputed.
The cases cited by the State such as McCartney v. State, 542 S.W.2d 156 (Tex.Cr.App.1976), are not relevant. Those cases hold that issues of fact as to jury misconduct raised at a hearing on a motion for pew trial are for the determination of the trial judge, and where there is conflicting testimony there is no abuse of discretion where the motion for new trial is overruled. The testimony here, however, was undisputed on the particular issue in question.
The appellant called, at the penalty stage of the trial, a banker, a dentist, a cattle man, and an electrician as reputation witnesses, four in all, who testified that appellant’s reputation for being a peaceful and law-abiding citizen was good. Thus the issue of appellant’s reputation as a peaceful and law-abiding citizen at the penalty stage of the trial was sharply drawn. The 28-year-old appellant, a dairy farmer, his wife, his mother, his father and father-in-law and a florist in Dublin, a friend, all testified at the penalty stage of the trial. They testified as to appellant’s occupation, work habits, etc., and the florist stated the appellant paid his bills to her and was a sensitive individual. It was thereafter during deliberations that juror Journey, upon inquiry, stated that he knew the appellant and that the appellant’s reputation as a peaceful and law-abiding citizen was bad. The jury received from a fellow juror other testimony, not under oath, on a disputed issue before the jury at the penalty stage of the trial which was damaging to the appellant. How can we say that there was harmless error beyond a reasonable doubt? We can’t.
The State’s motion for rehearing is overruled.