Court Opinion

ID: 9811474
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 22:21:41.864042+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:14:56.500530
License: Public Domain

ROSS, Justice,
concurring.
Generally, we presume a jury follows the trial court’s instructions. Colburn v. State, 966 S.W.2d 511, 520 (Tex.Crim.App.1998). During voir dire, the trial judge gave the jury panel the Geesa definition of “reasonable doubt.” Neither party objected. To preserve a complaint for appellate review, a party must present a timely, specific objection at trial. Tex.R.App. P. 33.1(a); see Martinez v. State, 22 S.W.3d 504, 507 (Tex.Crim.App.2000); Etheridge v. State, 903 S.W.2d 1, 14 (Tex.Crim.App.1994); Little v. State, 758 S.W.2d 551, 563 (Tex.Crim.App.1988); Granviel v. State, 552 S.W.2d 107, 121 (Tex.Crim.App.1976). To preserve error, a party must object at the first opportunity. Carmona v. State, 698 S.W.2d 100, 105 (Tex.Crim.App.1985).
*625In Paulson, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overruled the portion of Geesa requiring the trial court to define reasonable doubt for the jury. Paulson v. State, 28 S.W.3d 570, 573 (Tex.Crim.App.2000). If it is error for the trial court to give the definition in the jury charge, and if we presume juries follow the court’s instructions, then it is error for the trial judge to give the definition at voir dire. It makes little sense to permit the trial court to get around Paulson by moving the definition out of the charge and into voir dire. C.S. should have objected to the trial court’s giving of the Geesa definition during voir dire. By failing to timely object, C.S. has failed to preserve this point for appeal.