Court Opinion

ID: 9748130
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 15:52:56.002009+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:31.872235
License: Public Domain

Concurring Opinion by
Justice CARTER.
The Jackson case appears to establish two principles:
(1) Texas law does not include a defense that, due to mental impairment (short of insanity), the defendant did not have the requisite mens rea at the time of the offense because he or she does not have the capacity to ever form that frame of mind. Jackson v. State, 160 S.W.3d 568, 574 (Tex.Crim.App.2005); and
(2) evidence of mental impairment (short of insanity) may be admissible and the jury may consider if it negates the mens rea element. Id.
Even though in Jackson the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals acknowledged that the facts did not require a determination of whether the doctrine of diminished capacity existed in Texas, the court set out its understanding of the Texas law on the subject. The Texas Court of Criminal Ap*656peals opined that it was proper to admit evidence of the defendant’s history of mental illness to negate mens rea even though the defendant did not allege insanity. A history of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and paranoia was admissible. However, the court further held that the trial court properly precluded the defense from arguing to the jury that it should find the defendant did not have the capacity to intentionally and knowingly commit the crime. How are these determinations reconciled and applied at trial? The court unambiguously stated that one may not argue that due to mental impairment he or she is incapable of ever forming the necessary mens rea requirement. However, since the court declared that evidence of mental impairment (mental illness) was admissible to negate mens rea, it is clear that, in some circumstances, such evidence is proper. Perhaps the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals intended to allow a defendant to attempt to negate the mens rea proof and show that, in the particular situation, the defendant in fact did not form the required mens rea because of a mental impairment (without showing that he or she could never form such intent). However, we do not need to decipher the full scope of the Jackson decision. In this case, one purpose of introducing this evidence was to request a lesser included charge that included a different mens rea requirement.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stated that the trial court may determine whether the mental illness evidence raises an issue on a lesser included charge. Id. In Jackson, the court agreed that the evidence did not raise a lesser included offense.
So, here, when the trial court stated that evidence of mental impairment, short of insanity, was not a defense to the crime, the court was correct. However, here, all evidence of mental impairment was excluded for any purpose during the guilt/innocence stage of the trial. In this murder case, it is possible that evidence of lesser charges may have been presented (i.e., manslaughter, negligent homicide). The ruling of the trial court excluding all mental illness evidence came before the trial started or the jury had been selected. Consequently, it could not be determined at that time if lesser included charges were required. Since mental illness evidence is at least relevant regarding the possible lesser included offense mental state requirements (recklessness, negligence), the trial court erred in the blanket exclusion.
I concur with the majority opinion.