Court Opinion

ID: 4059758
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-09-29 19:41:19.481941+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:31:56.334204
License: Public Domain

ACCEPTED
                                                                                       03-14-00545-CR
                                                                                              4499342
                                                                             THIRD COURT OF APPEALS
                                                                                        AUSTIN, TEXAS
                                                                                  3/13/2015 4:36:50 PM
                                                                                     JEFFREY D. KYLE
                                                                                                CLERK

                        NO. 03-14-00545-CR
__________________________________________________________________
                                                           FILED IN
                                                     3rd COURT OF APPEALS
                   IN THE COURT OF APPEALS               AUSTIN, TEXAS
               FOR THE THIRD DISTRICT OF TEXAS 3/13/2015 4:36:50 PM
                             AUSTIN                    JEFFREY D. KYLE
                                                            Clerk
__________________________________________________________________

                    RICHARD LEE POLLARD,
                                     Appellant

                                   v.

                      THE STATE OF TEXAS
                                      Appellee

_________________________________________________________________

                  Appeal in Cause No. CR6692 in the
          424thJudicial District Court of Llano County, Texas
__________________________________________________________________

                      BRIEF FOR APPELLEE

                        -------------------------

                                OFFICE OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY
                                33RD and 424th JUDICIAL DISTRICTS
                                Wiley B. McAfee, District Attorney
                                P. O. Box 725, Llano, Texas 78643
                                Telephone                   Telecopier
                                (325) 247-5755              (325) 247-5274

                                By:      R. Blake Ewing
                                         Assistant District Attorney
                                         State Bar No. 24076376
                                         asstda2@burnetcountytexas.org
                                         ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE

                          March 13, 2015

                   ORAL ARGUMENT WAIVED
                       IDENTITY OF THE PARTIES

Trial Court

     Honorable Dan Mills (now former)
     424th Judicial District
     Burnet County Courthouse Annex (North)
     1701 East Polk St., Suite 74
     Burnet, TX 78611

Trial Counsel for Appellee

     Anthony J. Dodson
     Assistant District Attorney
     P. O. Box 725
     Llano, Texas 78643
     (325) 247-5755
     State Bar No. 05927200

     Robert Blake Ewing
     Assistant District Attorney
     1701 E. Polk St., Suite 24
     Burnet, Texas 78611
     (512) 756-5449
     State Bar No. 24076376

Appellate Counsel for Appellee

     Robert Blake Ewing
     Assistant District Attorney
     1701 E. Polk St., Suite 24
     Burnet, Texas 78611
     (512) 756-5449
     State Bar No. 24076376

                                    ii
Trial Counsel for Appellant

     Richard D. Davis
     P.O. Box 398
     Burnet, TX 78611
     (512) 756-5117
     State Bar No. 05537100
     rdd@austin.twcbc.com

     Barton Joseph Vana
     Attorney at Law
     P.O. Box 398
     Burnet, TX 78611
     (512) 756-5117
     State Bar No. 24084441

Appellate Counsel for Appellant

     Richard D. Davis
     P.O. Box 398
     Burnet, TX 78611
     (512) 756-5117
     State Bar No. 05537100
     rdd@austin.twcbc.com

Appellant

     Richard Lee Pollard
     TDCJ #01934170
     SID #02166353
     Wallace Pack Unit
     2400 Wallace Pack Rd.
     Navasota, TX 77868

                                  iii
                                         TABLE OF CONTENTS

Identity of the Parties........................................................................................ ii

Table of Authorities.......................................................................................... v

Statement of the Case........................................................................................ 2

Statement on Oral Argument............................................................................. 3

Reply to Issues Presented.................................................................................. 3

Statement of the Facts....................................................................................... 3

Summary of the Argument and Argument -
    Reply to Issue No. 1................................................................................ 4
                 The State agrees that no reversible error
                 exists in the record of this cause and that the
                 appeal herein is frivolous.

Prayer for Relief................................................................................................ 5

Certificate of Word Count................................................................................. 6

Certificate of Service......................................................................................... 6

                                                            iv
                        TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

Cases

Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S. Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2nd 492 (1967)….…4

High v. State, 573 S.W.2d 807 (Tex. Crim. App. 1978)………….………………..4

Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75, 109 S. Ct. 346, 102 L. Ed. 2d 300 1988) ……………4

Constitutions

None cited

Statutes/Rules

TEX. R. APP. PROC. 38.1(d) ……………………………………………………..2

                                      v
                              NO. 03-14-00545-CR
                        ______________________________

                       IN THE COURT OF APPEALS
                   FOR THE THIRD DISTRICT OF TEXAS
                                 AUSTIN
                  ______________________________________

                           RICHARD LEE POLLARD,
                                           Appellant
                                    v.

                             THE STATE OF TEXAS
                                             Appellee

                  ______________________________________

                           Appeal in Cause No. CR6692
                       in the 424th Judicial District Court of
                               Llano County, Texas

                         ____________________________

                             BRIEF FOR APPELLEE

TO THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF THE COURT OF APPEALS:

      COMES NOW the State of Texas, hereinafter called Appellee, and submits

this brief pursuant to the provisions of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure in

support of the State’s request to affirm the judgment of the trial court.

                                           1
                          STATEMENT OF THE CASE

      Appellant has adequately described the Statement of the Case, although the

undersigned will provide a separate statement of the case supported by record

references to assist the Court. TEX. R. APP. PROC. 38.1(d).

      Appellant was indicted for the offense of Driving While Intoxicated 3rd or

More on August 13, 2013. C.R. 6. The State gave notice of its intent to seek an

enhanced penalty range on Jan 2, 2014 and amended its notice on April 23, 2014.

C.R. 16-17, 37-38. The State moved to amend and interlineate the indictment on

April 23, 2014. C.R. 39-40. The trial court granted the State’s motion over

Appellant’s objection. R.R., Vol. 3, pp. 4-6.

      Appellant proceeded to trial on June 16, 2014 and entered a plea of not

guilty. R.R., Vol. 4, pp. 1, 18. After hearing evidence, the jury returned a verdict

finding Appellant guilty of the offense of Driving While Intoxicated 3rd or More as

charged in the indictment. C.R. 64. Appellant timely filed his election to have the

jury assess punishment. C.R. 59. Upon conclusion of the punishment phase of

trial the jury returned its verdict assessing punishment at confinement in the

                                          2
Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for a term of

life. C.R. 71. Notice of Appeal was timely filed. C.R. 80.

                    STATEMENT ON ORAL ARGUMENT

      The undersigned waives oral argument. The undersigned does not believe

that Oral Argument will be beneficial for this case for the reason that the issues are

straightforward and devoid of any novel or complex questions. Should the Court

believe that oral argument will assist the Court in any way, the undersigned will

accommodate the Court.

                        REPLY TO ISSUE PRESENTED

Reply To Issue One:       The State agrees that no reversible error exists in the
                          record of this cause and that the appeal herein is
                          frivolous.

                         STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

      Appellant’s statement of the facts is adequate, and the undersigned believes

that Appellant’s statement is supported by the record with only one discrepancy.

Appellant notes that the State introduced at the punishment phase of trial evidence

                                          3
of Appellant’s prior convictions, and states that one of those convictions was for

“intoxication manslaughter.” APPELLANT’S BRIEF 3. The conviction

referenced by Appellant was, in fact, for involuntary manslaughter under the law

as it existed in 1981. R.R., Vol. 7, STATE’S EXHIBIT 15.

      In all other respects, the undersigned believes that Appellant has accurately

stated the facts of the case.

            SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT AND ARGUMENT ON
                       REPLY TO ISSUE NO. 1

      (1)     The State agrees that no reversible error exists in the record

              of this cause and that the appeal herein is frivolous.

      Appellant seeks to appeal his conviction and sentence. Appellant’s appellate

counsel describes various arguable grounds for appeal and explains why such

grounds do not support a finding of reversible error. The State of Texas has fully

reviewed the record and agrees that there was no reversible error committed in the

trial proceedings and that the appeal thereof is frivolous. See Anders v. California,

386 U.S. 738, 87 S. Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2nd 492 (1967); Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75,

109 S. Ct. 346, 102 L. Ed. 2d 300 (1988); and High v. State, 573 S.W.2d 807 (Tex.

Crim. App. 1978).

                                         4
                             PRAYER FOR RELIEF

      WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, Appellee prays the Court deny

Appellant’s appeal and affirm the judgment of the trial court.

                                       Respectfully submitted,

                                       OFFICE OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY
                                       33RD and 424th JUDICIAL DISTRICTS
                                       Wiley B. McAfee, District Attorney
                                       P. O. Box 725
                                       Llano, Texas 78643
                                       Telephone               Telecopier
                                       (325) 247-5755          (325) 247-5274

                                       By: /s/ R. Blake Ewing___________
                                          R. Blake Ewing
                                          Assistant District Attorney
                                          State Bar No. 24076376
                                          ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE

                                         5
                      CERTIFICATE OF WORD COUNT

      This is to certify that the pertinent portion of this brief contains 608 words
printed in Times New Roman 14 font according to the Microsoft Word™ 2013
word count tool.

                                              /s/ R. Blake Ewing_____________
                                              R. Blake Ewing

                          CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

      This is to certify that a true copy of the above and foregoing instrument,
together with this proof of service hereof, has been forwarded by email on the 13th
day of March, 2015, to Mr. Richard D. Davis, Attorney for Appellant, at
rdd@austin.twcbc.com.

                                              /s/ R. Blake Ewing_____________
                                              R. Blake Ewing
                                              Assistant District Attorney

                                          6