Court Opinion

ID: 9675821
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 05:06:43.43409+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:39.998494
License: Public Domain

DUNCAN, Judge,
concurring and dissenting opinion.
I do not think that the appellant was able to show under Adams v. State, 707 S.W.2d 900 (Tex.Cr.App.1986) that he was harmed by the absence in the indictment of the name of the individual who was going to supply the money for the murder. However, I still maintain that it is incorrect to designate that information a matter of form rather than substance. See: Janecka v. State, 739 S.W.2d 813 (Tex.Cr.App.1987) (Duncan, J. dissenting). Therefore, as far as I am concerned, Adams v. State, supra was not even applicable. Therefore, I concur in the result.
CAMPBELL, Judge, dissenting opinion. The proper standard for evaluating a motion to quash, when based on a notice defect, was set out in Adams v. State, 707 S.W.2d 900 (Tex.Cr.App.1986).
The important question is whether a defendant had notice adequate to prepare his defense. The first step in answering this question is to decided whether the charging instrument failed to convey some requisite item of ‘notice’. If sufficient notice is given, this ends our inquiry. If not, the next step is to decide whether, in the context of the case, this had an impact on the defendant’s ability to prepare a defense, and, finally, how great an impact.
Adams, 707 S.W.2d at 903. In Janecka I, 739 S.W.2d 813. This Court answered the first question posed by Adams in the affirmative. After holding that appellant was entitled to indictment-notice of the identity of the remunerator, we remanded this case in order to allow appellant to provide evidence concerning what impact this notice defect had on his defense. Ja-necka I, 739 S.W.2d at 842 (opinion on rehearing).
In response to the evidence adduced at this hearing, several findings of fact were made.1 The majority holds that these findings of fact are supported by the record, and therefore accepts them as true. I do not dispute the accuracy of these findings. Instead, I believe that these facts provide an insufficient showing of harm to warrant reversal under Adams.
The majority inexplicably focuses on four aspects of appellant’s defense that might have changed had the State pleaded the identity of the remunerator in the indictment. The majority’s first assertion is that Walt Waldhauser would have been forced to testify, thus allowing appellant the opportunity to impeach Waldhauser’s testimony. Such a suggestion is unfounded. First, had appellant’s motion to quash been granted, and the State had amended the indictment, the indictment could have identified either Waldhauser or Markham Duff-Smith individually; it could have identified both Waldhauser and Duff-Smith; it could have identified Waldhauser or Duff-Smith; or, finally, it could have alleged any and all of these combinations in the alternative. Assuming arguendo that the State would have chosen to narrow its available theories of prosecution by alleg*239ing only a single remunerator and further assuming that the State would have chosen Waldhauser as that person, there is no legal basis for assuming that Waldhauser would have testified at trial.2 The majority’s first reason for finding harm is an unfounded legal conclusion based on an unfounded factual assumption.
The majority’s second observation is that additional pleading would have created the possibility of appellant benefitting from a variance in proof. Again, this argument rests on the faulty assumption that the State would have alleged that Waldhauser was the sole remunerator. As discussed above, there is no reason to believe that the State would have limited its trial options by amending the indictment in this way.3 The majority’s third suggestion for possible harm is that appellant was forced to argue that his confession was made involuntarily, and if Waldhauser had been named as the remunerator, he could have focused his efforts on impeaching Waldhauser. First, this argument, once again, assumes that an amendment to the indictment would have somehow forced Waldhauser to testify. Second, even had Waldhauser testified, there is no reason to believe that any of the other evidence admitted at trial to prove remuneration would not have been introduced. Thus, even with an amended indictment, appellant would have been forced to discredit his own confession and all other evidence that was introduced on the remuneration issue. There is no basis for belief that an amended indictment would have allowed this radical shift in appellant’s defense strategy.
The majority’s final attempt to justify a reversal of appellant’s conviction is that, at the punishment stage, appellant could have argued that Waldhauser’s involvement in this offense, coupled with his sentence of thirty years, would have mitigated against the imposition of the death penalty against appellant. Whether Waldhauser was named in the indictment is irrelevant to the mitigating value of Waldhauser’s participation in this case.
The Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution guarantee that a defendant can introduce any evidence in mitigation of imposing a death sentence. See generally Penny v. Lynaugh, 492 U.S. 302, 109 S.Ct. 2934, 106 L.Ed.2d 256 (1989); Franklin v. Lynaugh, 487 U.S. 164, 108 S.Ct. 2320, 101 L.Ed.2d 155 (1988); M. Sicola and K. Shreves, Jury Consideration of Mitigating Evidence: A Renewed Challenge to the Constitutionality of the Texas Death Penalty, 15 American Journal of Criminal Law 55 (1988). In addition, the United States Supreme Court has upheld the facial validity of our capital-sentencing scheme and ability to allow the sentencing jury to hear relevant mitigating evidence.
Thus, Texas Law essentially requires that one of five aggravating circumstances be found before a defendant can be found guilty of capital murder, and that in considering whether to impose a death sentence the jury may be asked to consider whatever evidence of mitigating circumstances the defense can bring before it. It thus appears that, as in Georgia and Florida, the Texas capital-sentencing procedure guides and focuses the jury’s objective consideration of the particularized circumstances of the individual offense and the individual offender before it can impose a sentence of death.
Jurek v. Texas, 428 U.S. 262, 273-74, 96 S.Ct. 2950, 2957, 49 L.Ed.2d 929 (1976) (emphasis added). Therefore, if the evidence of Waldhauser’s involvement and sentence were, in fact, mitigating, the absence of Waldhauser’s name from the indictment could not prevent evidence of his lighter *240sentence from being presented to and considered by the jury.4
As a final observation, appellant’s confession establishes that he had actual knowledge that Waldhauser remunerated him for the murders he committed. In addition, the confession clearly states that appellant also believed that the money he was paid originated from “Mark.” Therefore, no additional pleading by the State would have provided appellant with information that he did not already possess or suspect.5
Simply stated, the possible effect on the conduct of appellant’s defense that are identified by the majority do not bear close scrutiny. In addition, appellant’s own words establish that he had knowledge of the issues of which he now claims that the State deprived him. For these reasons, I respectfully dissent.
McCORMICK, P.J., and BERCHELMANN, J., join.
APPENDIX
The following is a complete transcription of a statement made by appellant on November 29,1980. The statement was typed on a pre-printed form which related various statutory warnings and waivers. These portions have been omitted.
“I know that I have been appointed an Attorney named Phillip Scardino to represent me while I am under arrest. I have told Detective McAnulty that I want to make a statement without my attorney’s presence or advice fully understanding that I am not being promised anything. I had intended to tell everything I know about this situation when I came back to Texas from Georgia this year, 1980.
“I have known Walt Waldhauser since 1975. I was introduced to him by a Paul McDonald who was a bond runner there. Walt got me involved in running guns through Florida to the Bahamas. I would fly from Houston to Miami, Florida with 6 to 12 guns and then go to the Bahamas and sell them. To the best of my knowledge, Walt was buying the guns from Don Fan-tich’s pawn shop.
“I didn’t see Walt but one time from December 1975 until June of 1978. In 1978, Walt called my mother and told her he wanted to see me. This was in the summer in July or August. I was living at my grandmother’s and after I got his message I called him.
“Walt said he wanted to keep in touch with me and said he had some things in the fire but he didn’t say what. Walt came over to my grandmother’s several different times and would take me out to eat. During this time, I was working for Jimmy Manteris and I know that Walt and Jimmy had some kind of business dealings together. Walt or Mark Duff-Smith sold Jimmy Manteris an insurance policy on a camping trailer that Manteris owned in 1977 and they either had it burned or stolen to collect the insurance on it.
“About Christmas of 1978, I moved in with Ben Barr in Lakeside Village apartments. I lived there 3 months. I went to work for Texas Pipethreaders on the Katy Freeway. I met Rick Thran and his wife Brenda and they asked me to move in and share expenses at the Wilcrest Estates Apartments.
“Around April 1979, Walt took me to eat at the Mason Jar restaurant and he told me there was a dude that needed to be wasted meaning killed. He told me I had to do it because I had to do this because I was involved in the organization and had run guns. He didn’t know when it needed to be done but he would give me more detail later. Right at three weeks later he came to Rick and Brenda's and we sat out in his car which is a light blue Buick LeSabre with white interior.
“At that time he told me that there were two other people involved that had to be wasted also. He said it was a whole family and there was a kid involved. I told him it *241was no use to talk to me further because I wasn’t going to do that. He kept being persistent about it.
“I left out that just before this, Walt came to my job about 4 times and told me something had come up and there were two more people involved but he didn’t say one of them was a kid.
“Walt when he was talking in the car with me kept saying that we needed to get it done now and wanted to know if I needed to get somebody to help me. I had quit my job because I was worrying about this whole thing at that time. I told I would ask somebody else to help him because I didn’t want to do it. I asked him if he couldn’t get somebody else and he said I was in it and knew too much and I didn’t have no choice and to make up my mind to it.
“A boy I knew named Rick Bufkin moved in with Rick and Brenda. I asked Rick Bufkin about doing the job and he said he would go for it because he needed some money to keep up his habit and shooting speed. I think Walt and Rick Bufkin talked about killing the family, but I’m not sure because I didn’t hear them. Rick Buf-kin was arrested about a week later on another killing and after that Walt was worried about what happened to Rick that he might say something.
“Walt was still pressuring me to get someone and was saying the light was green and we' had to get it done. I asked another person living in the apartments about doing it named Mike Spaulding. Mike said he had killed people in Florida and that he would go for it. Three days later, Mike and his wife Penney and Rick and Brenda Thran sold everything they had and went to Georgia. Mike never talked with Walt. I didn’t asked anybody else to help on the job.
“Walt told me that the dude that needed to be killed had taken $50,000 bribe that was something to do with the job he had in Houston. When I asked Walt about this, he would avoid any of my questionz. He didn’t tell me the peoples name at this time, and he didn’t mention Mark. He didn’t tell me why all three had to be killed.
“Walt kept asking me if I could find a gun to use.' I told him I wasn’t going to buy a gun in my name. Walt asked me if Brenda could get a gun. This was before Brenda and Rick had moved by several days. Walt went to Brenda and asked her to help him get one but I didn’t hear him asked. Walt told me later that Brenda told him she could get one for $110.00 and that it was legal.
“If remember right, the day Brenda and Rick moved or else the day he bought the gun, Walt gave it to me. Brenda did asked me what Walt wanted the pistol for but I didn’t tell her and said I didn’t know.
“The pistol Walt gave me was a .22 magnum Frontier Scout Colt single action. It was dark blue with brown wooded handles. It was used but in good shape. Walt also brought a whole box of .22 magnum hollow points. I still did not want to do the deal, but Walt told me I had too. About the last week of June, Walt set it up for me to do it by myself but I backed out on it. He was shook up I wouldn’t go do it myself like somebody was pressuring him. This is when he said he would set it up and go with me himself. On the day it was supposed to be done, Walt told me that morning he wanted me to go rent a car and had given me money for it. I went to Avis Rental on Dairy Ashford and rented a Chev Citation, light blue in my name. Sometime between 7:30 PM and 8:30 PM that night, I drove to his apartment in Memorial near Stratford High School, I think. I didn’t see Debbie’s car and Walt said that Debbie was out of town. I went inside but I didn’t go in the bedroom and I didn’t see her.
“Walt had bought big bottle of Champagne in a styrofoam container and it had a lid on it. It may have been yellow. Walt told me the plan was to go there to show them some plans because they were interested in building a house and that would get us inside. He gave the Champagne to them also. He told me to just follow him and let him so the talking. He was wearing a blue suit with a vest and tie. I was wearing blue jeans, dress jeans and shirt. *242Before we went to the peoples house, Walt told me to stop at the pay phone on the side of the Katy Fwy and around Blalock or Campbell so he could make some phone calls. He made one phone call and sat back in the car. Walt said something about the man was there right then and was at the store or something. Then he made at least two more phone calls and we were at this place about 30 to 45 minutes waiting altogether. He came back to the car after the phone calls and said we would leave as soon as the pay phone rang. I think this was out on the lot of a Gulf Stattion. The phone then rang a couple of times and he said we were on our way.
“I was driving and he directed me to where it was. I didn’t know where the street was but I saw some street that was Briar something. It was off Westheimer. When we got to the house, we parked in the driveway. It was dark and about 9:00 PM. We went to the front door and rang the bell and the man and the woman came to the door. They knew Walt and called him by name. Walt gave them my name as Bobby or something like that and I never said hardly two words. Walt gave them the Champagne and said it was a little gift. I sat on the couch and the man was sitting in a chair. The woman was to his right and Walt was near the woman. The man had on a sport shirt, and the woman had on a long gown. Walt had told me that when he stood up I was to make my move and start doing it. Walt had a .38 pistol, but he never pulled it. He also had some mace in a black can in his inside coat pocket. He stood up and opened his coat pocket and I think he maced the woman. She hollered and said What is this?
“I then went to the man and shot him twice in the head standing right next to him. I didn’t look at him when I did it. Walt was fighting with her and he threw her down and was holding her down. He was straddled across her. He said come on and get this one. I shot her one time in the head. Walt then said he was going to go get the jewwlry in the bedroom. He told me the baby was in the bedroom. I went in the baby’s room and and shot him in the head once and then ran out. The baby was in a baby bead. I ran out after Walt and I don’t know if he had got anything because he had a briefcase. When we got in the car the mace can was still going off and it was burning my eyes. I took Walt home and he said he had to get inside and made a long distance phone call. I also went home to the Wilcrest Apt. I kept the car three days or so and took it back. I kept the pistol for several months but told Walt I had cut it up with a cutting torch. I kept it for my ace in the hole. I later heard the news on TV and read in the paper that the peoples name was Wanstrath.
“I read the name Mark DuffSmith in the paper and asked Walt who that was. Walt told me that it was the lady’s brother. Walt always led e off that there was some other people behind wanting the people dead but he never directly said it was Mark behind anything. Walt always said there was three and a half million dollars behind this and that was what the outcome was supposed to give. He has also said that the the big boat would make its drop at the end of the year. Im not sure what he meant by this.
“Late in 1979,1 took the pistol I used up to Weimar and gave it to my brother Kevin Janecka and told him to take the gun out in the post oak somewhere and don’t let anything happen to it because it was used to kill some people. A couple of months before I went to Georgia, I went and got the gun and a boy named Cernoch (last name) had it at the ice house where he was working in Weimar. Kevin went and got it and gave it to me. I took it a couple of months later with me to Georgia where I lived with Karen Holder’s mother. I left the gun with Karen when I came back to Texas around the first of October, 1980. I had told Karen what had happened and to take care of the gun. Karen once had a conversation with Walt from her mothers telling him I needed an operation on my back because I was done in my back.
“Karen told him I needed 15 to 20 thousand dollars. Karen told Walt that we had the fishing reel that he and I had used to *243go fishing with and that Mr. Holmes in Houston would probably like to have it to go fishing with himself. Walt went bananas over the phone and said you don’t want to do that. His voice went in spasms. I was listening on the other line. Walt only sent us a total of $600, $200 at a time by Western Union. He didn’t use his name. He sent it to Karen Holder once and another time in my name. Once it had a Wilcrest St. return address, but not 718 Wilcrest.
“Walt had in the past just after the job, he and I were getting $30,000 to split; I think I ended up getting between $11,000 and $14,000 total. Once I got $2,000 and later I got a $1,000 a month or so. This was always in cash.
“Walt once mentioned the Minnie McFarland Estate being involved somehow. I also figured Mark had something to do with it, but when I asked to meet Mark, Walt said it was best I didn’t [sic in passim].”

. Because, the majority opinion sets out these findings of fact, we need not reiterate them here. See majority op. pp. 235-236.

. I know of no legal doctrine that would require the State to call Waldhauser as a witness, merely because he was named in the indictment. In addition, whether Waldhauser was or was not named in the indictment would not affect appellant’s ability to call Waldhauser as a witness.

. A twist on this variance argument is that, if a specific remunerator was named, appellant would have had the opportunity to challenge his identity. Appellant’s confession clearly states that he has know Waldhauser for a number of years. This portion of appellant’s confession would seem to make any type of mistaken identity claim untenable.

. Appellant does not argue that the failure of the jury to hear this evidence, in and of itself, constituted error.

. The complete text of appellant’s confession is included as an appendix to this opinion.