Court Opinion

ID: 9643995
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 20:46:14.191551+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:07.322305
License: Public Domain

ODOM, Judge
dissenting.
I dissent to the majority’s disposition of appellant’s second ground of error. The majority erroneously construe the phrase “14 years of age or younger” in Sec. 22.04, V.T.C.A. Penal Code, to refer to “two distinct groups of children.” The result is that the phrase is held to be equivalent in scope to the phrase “younger than 15 years.” The majority opinion does point out that the Penal Code in at least ten instances does use the terminology of “younger than” a certain age. See, e. g., the provisions listed in footnote 1 of the majority opinion. To borrow a proposition that is sound, although misapplied by the majority: Had the Legislature intended to protect all children under fifteen years of age, it would have been a simple matter for them to have so provided by the use of the phrase “younger than.” The fact that such language was not used in Sec. 22.04, supra, coupled with the fact that such language is used as a standard form of terminology in numerous other provisions of the same Act, is strong evidence of legislative intent that “14 years of age or younger” has a meaning distinct from, not equivalent to, “younger than 15 years.”
To the majority’s erroneous construction of Sec. 22.04, supra, I respectfully dissent.
ROBERTS and PHILLIPS, JJ., join this opinion.