Court Opinion

ID: 9675707
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 05:03:08.272576+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:37.713599
License: Public Domain

DALLY, Judge,
dissenting.
A defendant may agree to waive a jury trial in writing in open court without signing that agreement. Neither Art. 1.13 nor 1.15, V.A.C.C.P. (1965) requires that a defendant sign the agreement he has made in writing in open court. These articles merely require that the agreement be in writing. The majority without reason have added the requirement that a defendant must sign the agreement.
The petitioner was charged with the offense of murder with malice in Cause Nos. 1250 and 1251 in the 71st District Court of Harrison County. On May 30, 1973, petitioner entered pleas of guilty to both offenses. After finding petitioner guilty the court assessed punishment of imprisonment for twenty years in each case and ordered that the sentence in Cause No. 1251 be cumulated with that in Cause No. 1250.
The petitioner asserts that the judgment and sentence imposed in Cause No. 1251 are void since the record affirmatively reflects that a Waiver of Trial by Jury form was not signed by him. The appellant alleges that his signature does appear following the Waiver of Jury Trial form used in Cause No. 1250 and he seeks no relief in that cause.
Art. 1.13, V.A.C.C.P. (1965) provides:
“The defendant in a criminal prosecution for any offense classified as a felony less than capital shall have the right, upon entering a plea, to waive the right of trial by jury, conditioned, however, that such waiver must be made in person by the defendant in writing in open court with the consent and approval of the court, and the attorney representing the State. The consent and approval by the court shall be entered of record on the minutes of the court, and the consent and approval of the attorney representing the State shall be in writing, signed by him, and filed in the papers of the cause before the defendant enters his plea. Before a defendant who has no attorney can agree to waive the jury, the court must appoint an attorney to represent him.”
The form used when the appellant entered his plea of guilty in Cause No. 1251 is here reproduced.
*473IN THE 71ST DISTRICT COURT OF HARRISON COUNTY, TEXAS
THE STATE OF TEXAS VS. James Earl Felton_
No. 1251
May__ 1973
WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL
COMES NOW THE DEFENDANT, in the above styled and numbered cause in open court and before having pleaded to the indictment herein, announces that Defendant will plead guilty to said charge and hereby requests the consent and approval of the court and of the attorney for the State that Defendant may waive the right to trial by jury herein, and does hereby upon the consent of the court and State’s attorney waive trial by jury.
DEFENDANT /s/ Charles A. Allen
ATTORNEY FOR DEFENDANT
AGREEMENT TO STIPULATE TESTIMONY
Said Defendant, Defendant’s counsel, and the State’s attorney do hereby enter into an agreement that the Defendant waives the appearance, confrontation, and cross-examination of witnesses in the above entitled and numbered cause and agrees that the testimony of said witnesses may be stipulated into the record by the State’s attorney, such testimony being the same as the witnesses would give if they were present in court and testifying under oath and the Defendant further consents to the introduction of testimony by affidavit, written statements of witnesses, and all other documentary evidence that may be introduced by the State.
/s/ James Earl Felton_ DEFENDANT
/s/ Charles A. Allen_ ATTORNEY FOR DEFENDANT
APPROVAL OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Before the said Defendant enters his plea herein, each of the above requests of the said Defendant are hereby consented to, and approved by me, the attorney representing the State herein.
/s/ Sam Baxter_ ASSISTANT — CRIMINAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY
CONSENT OF COURT
The above and foregoing applications of the Defendant herein having been duly considered by the court and it appearing to the court that the Defendant is herein charged with a felony, that the Defendant is represented by counsel, and that attorney representing the State herein has given the consent and approval to same, therefore consent and approval of the court is hereby given thereto.
/s/ John Furrh_ JUDGE PRESIDING
Art. 1.13, V.A.C.C.P. simply does not require that the appellant sign the agreement in writing; this is in contrast with the requirement of Art. 1.13 V.A.C.C.P. that the consent and approval of the attorney representing the State shall be in writing, signed by him.
When a defendant waives a trial by jury, all that is required by Art. 1.13, V.A.C.C.P. is that the agreement be made in open *474court in writing. The agreement was made in open court and reduced to writing in this case.
The form was signed in the blank provided in Cause No. 1250; that it was not signed in Cause No. 1251 does not mean that the petitioner did not agree to waive a jury in open court and it does not contradict the judgment entered which reads in pertinent part:
“. . . and it appearing to the Court that the Defendant, his counsel, and the State’s attorney have agreed in writing, in open court to waive a jury in the trial of this cause and to submit this cause to the Court; and the Court having consented to the waiver of a jury herein, the indictment was read, and the Defendant entered his plea of guilty thereto . . .”
See and compare Martinez v. State, 555 S.W.2d 462 (Tex.Cr.App.1977) and Ex parte Smith, 449 S.W.2d 266 (Tex.Cr.App.1969). The relief sought in this collateral procéed-ing should be denied. I dissent.
DOUGLAS and TOM G. DAVIS, JJ., join this dissent.