Court Opinion

ID: 9671950
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:46:00.36077+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:13.280537
License: Public Domain

CLINTON, Judge,
dissenting.
Finding that our prior decisions regarding an unauthorized jury verdict “share a common premise and conclusion,” the majority believes that “[t]he logic connecting the premise and conclusion involves the lack of specific vehicle by which the improper verdict could be reformed.” Slip Opinion, p. 3. The majority is mistaken. *613The real reason for the rule flows from the constitutional character and immutable principles of trial by jury in a criminal action. Article I, §§ 10 and 15, Constitution of the State of Texas; see, e.g., Freeman v. State, 143 Tex.Cr.R. 265, 186 S.W.2d 683 (1945);1 Moreau v. Bond, 114 Tex. 468, 271 S.W. 379 (1925);2 Ex parte Quintanilla, 151 Tex.Cr.R. 328, 207 S.W.2d 377 (1947, 1948).3
The dual guarantees of the right of an accused to trial by jury in Article I, §§ 10 and 15 of the Constitution of the State of Texas must be construed together. Dabney v. State, 124 Tex.Cr.R. 21, 60 S.W.2d 451 (1933); Ex parte Holland, 91 Tex.Cr.R. 339, 238 S.W. 654, 655 (1922); Moore v. State, 22 Tex.App. 117, 2 S.W. 634, 635 (1886). Though the latter authorizes the Legislature to pass laws “to regulate the same, and to maintain its purity and efficiency,” it is axiomatic that the clause “does not permit reduction of the right,” Interpretive Commentary to § 15, or, as stated by Mr. Bishop, “the substance of it cannot be impaired,” 1 Bishop, Criminal Procedure (3rd.Ed.) § 893, quoted approvingly in Moore v. State, supra, 2 S.W. at 636.4
The constitutional right to trial by jury includes, among other prerequisites, that jurors must take an oath that each “will a true verdict render according to the law and evidence ...,” Article 35.22, V.A.C. C.P.5, and “[i]t has been held by all the courts ... that [jurors] sitting in judgment, unsworn, do not constitute a jury,” and that “a conviction by an unsworn jury is a mere nullity,” Crisp v. State, 87 Tex.Cr.R. 137, 220 S.W. 1104, 1106 (1920).6 That requisite is laid down because the ultimate function and plain duty of a jury in this State have practically always been, first, to “speak the truth between the State and the defendant by their verdict of ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ of any one of the offenses of which he may be convicted” and, secondly, “to assess the punishment if the same is not absolutely fixed by law.” Buster v. State, 42 Tex. 315, 318-319 (1875). By our current statutory definition, “A ‘verdict’ is a written declaration by a jury of its decision of the issue submitted to it in the case.” Article 37.01, Y.A.C.C.P. And, where the issue of punishment is referred to the jury, “the verdict shall not be complete until the jury has rendered a verdict on both the guilt or innocence of the defendant and the amount of punishment, *614where the jury finds the defendant guilty.” Article 37.07, § 3(c). Misdemeanor cases within the jurisdiction of justice and municipal courts aside, “Article 37.07 applies to all criminal cases ... with the express exception [§ 2(b)] as to who is to assess punishment in cases under Article 37.071, supra,” Eads v. State, 598 S.W.2d 304, 308 (Tex.Cr.App.1980) (emphasis in original opinion).
A trial court “cannot render a verdict or any part thereof,” Harrison v. State, 162 Tex.Cr.R. 301, 284 S.W.2d 367 (1955). When Judge Woodley wrote that he was echoing what dissenting Judge W.L. Davidson had insisted in his repetitive way was the law in Bessett v. State, 78 Tex.Cr.R. 110, 180 S.W. 249 (1915), viz:
“An illegal verdict is a paradox. If illegal, it is not to be received or enforced. * * * The judge cannot render a verdict, or any portion of it, except as the jury returns it. He must either take the verdict as it is, or send the jury back to agree in accordance with law. * * * The judge is not a juror, and cannot render a verdict, or any part of it, in a felony case, nor can he substitute his judgment for the verdict of a jury. He has the power to cause a correct and proper verdict to be returned, and, if such verdict is not rendered, he can retire the jury till they agree on such verdict. He cannot substitute his judgment, however, for an incorrect or illegal verdict.”
Id., 180 S.W. at 250-251. Of course, as a general proposition, Judge Davidson was correct then,7 and in the context stated his views came to be accepted by the Court. See Pritchard v. State, 117 Tex.Cr.R. 106, 35 S.W.2d 717 (1931); see also Castro v. State, 118 Tex.Cr.R., 53, 42 S.W.2d 779 (1931). Today, though a trial court may cause to be corrected an informal, contradictory or otherwise illegal verdict in accordance with Article 37.10, V.A.C.C.P., Ex parte McIver, 586 S.W.2d 851, 854 (Tex.Cr.App.1979), it is still true that “the court cannot substitute its judgment for the jury’s verdict,” Eads v. State, 307.
That admonishment is especially compelling “where the defect or insufficiency in the verdict relates to the assessment of punishment,” id., at 306. Horn v. State, 117 Tex.Cr.R. 22, 35 S.W.2d 145, 146-147 (1931). It is not, as the majority would have it, “the lack of a specific vehicle by which the improper verdict could be reformed” which precludes a court from reforming the verdict. Rather, the problem is that neither the trial court nor an appellate court is capable of determining with confidence “the true finding of the [jury as] fact finder” on the matter of punishment.8 Thus, an unauthorized verdict is held to be “void at the inception,” Releford v. State, 683 S.W.2d 385, 386 (Tex.Cr.App.1984); Bogany v. State, 661 S.W.2d 957, 959 (Tex.Cr.App.1957), because only in that way may the right to trial by jury with “a true verdict” remain inviolate.
With deference, I respectfully dissent.

. "The right of trial by jury is one of the sacred rights which our courts should accord every person charged with crime, independent of his guilt or innocence. Our Constitution guarantees to every person charged with crime a fair and impartial trial, with the right to submit the matter of punishment to a jury, even when he pleads guilty to the offense ... unless and until waived in accordance with law.” Id,, 186 S.W.2d at 684.

. "Those rights, fundamental in their nature, which have been guaranteed by the Bill of Rights cannot be the subject of judicial discretion. Judicial discretion is a legal discretion and not a personal discretion — a legal discretion to be exercised in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of the land.” Id., 207 S.W.2d at 379-380.

. “The record before this court shows affirmatively by the recitals in the judgment that no punishment was assessed by the jury, but was fixed by the ... Judge. Such a judgment in this character of case is void.” Id., 207 S.W.2d at 379.

. “It is also the well settled law of this state that a jury in district court means a jury composed of 12 jurors. Such is the requirement of the Constitution of Texas, Art. V. § 13. Clark v. State, Tex.Cr.App., [161 Tex.Cr.R. 278] 276 S.W.2d 819 [1955].” Houston v. State, 162 Tex. Cr.R. 551, 287 S.W.2d 643, 652 (Tex.Cr.App.1956), cert. denied 351 U.S. 975, 76 S.Ct. 1042, 100 L.Ed. 1492 (1956), rehearing denied 352 U.S. 861, 77 S.Ct. 28, 1 L.Ed.2d 72 (1956). So, for example, a legislative provision for a jury of six in a district court "violates Article I, Section 15” and is, therefore, "invalid.” Iordan v. Crudgington, 149 Tex. 237, 231 S.W.2d 641, 646-647 (1950); see also dissenting opinion of Smedley, J., 231 S.W.2d at 651, and of Griffin, J., 231 S.W.2d at 654.

. All emphasis is mine throughout unless otherwise indicated.

. The finding of the Court in Crisp v. State, supra, and in Hewey v. State, 87 Tex.Cr.R. 248, 220 S.W. 1106, 1108 (1920), that the oath actually taken must include “so help you [me] God" was overruled in Craig v. State, 480 S.W.2d 680, 684 (Tex.Cr.App.1972).

. Slaughter v. The State, 24 Tex. 410, 413-416 (1859); Alston v. The State, 41 Tex. 39 (1874); May v. State, 6 Tex.App. 191 (Ct.App.1879); Jones v. State, 7 Tex.App. 103 (Ct.App.1879); Gage v. State, 9 Tex.App. 259 (Ct.App.1880); Wooldridge v. State, 13 Tex.App. 443, 454-462 (Ct.App.1883); Walker v. State, 13 Tex.App. 618 (Ct.App.1883); Taylor v. State, 14 Tex.App. 340 (Ct.App.1883); Robinson v. State, 23 Tex.App. 315, 4 S.W. 904 (Ct.App.1887); Guest v. State, 24 Tex.App. 530, 7 S.W. 242 (Ct.App.1888); Rocha v. State, 38 Tex.Cr.R. 69, 41 S.W. 611 (1897); Jones v. State, 54 Tex.Cr.R. 507, 113 S.W. 761 (1908); Murphree v. State, 55 Tex.Cr.R. 316, 115 S.W. 1189, 1190 (1909).

. As the Supreme Court pointed out more than one hundred years ago in Buster v. The State, supra, at 319;
“To support the judgment, the court must be able to see from the verdict of ‘guilty’ returned by the jury, that it authorizes and requires the assessment of a penalty affixed by law, or that the penalty assessed is warranted by law. And also that the jury are not mistaken in degree of the offense of which they have, in fact, found the defendant guilty, and imposed a penalty not affixed to it by law. How can the court know this, unless the verdict finds the offense, or its degree, as well as the penalty?"