Court Opinion

ID: 9775763
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 19:08:32.808589+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:30.893451
License: Public Domain

HUGHES, Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
In the case before us the State alleged that Curry committed aggravated robbery under TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. § 29.03 (Vernon 1974) by using and exhibiting a deadly weapon, to-wit: a knife. Because a knife is not a deadly weapon per se, Blain v. State, 647 S.W.2d 293, 294 (Tex.Cr.App.1983), the State was obliged to prove that the particular knife exhibited by. Curry during the robbery was, in the manner of its use or intended use, capable of causing serious bodily injury or death. See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 1.07(a)(ll)(B) (Vernon 1974). As noted by the majority, the State can, without expert testimony, prove a particular knife to be a deadly weapon by showing its size, shape and sharpness, the manner of its use or intended use, and its capacity to produce death or serious bodily injury. Tisdale v. State, — S.W.2d - No. 743-83 (Tex.Cr.App., June 6, 1984) (not yet reported).
While there was testimony in this case that the blade of the knife exhibited by Curry was three inches long, the evidence with respect to the manner of the knife’s use established that it remained at Curry’s side throughout the entire incident. Both Shetter and Dollar testified that Curry never expressly threatened to harm or kill either of them with the knife; never menaced either of them with the knife or waved it around; never struck either of them with it.
Evidence has been held to be sufficient if it is shown that a knife capable of causing serious bodily injury or death is displayed in a manner conveying an implied threat of infliction of serious bodily injury or death if the desire of the person displaying the knife was not satisfied. See Lewis v. State, 628 S.W.2d 276, 278 (Tex.App.—Amarillo 1982, no pet.). The majority perceives an implied threat of harm in Curry’s statement to Shetter, “I am not going to hurt you; just give me the money.” However, in Tisdale, supra, although the clerk grabbed the appellant’s hand saying “no” in an attempt to prevent him from taking the money, and appellant replied “yes” while holding a knife in his hand, the Court of Criminal Appeals held that there was no threat of serious bodily injury, express or implied, made by the appellant. The facts in the case before us do not show either an express or implied threat of serious bodily injury.
*501Even assuming there was an implicit threat of such injury in this case, the evidence was insufficient to establish that the knife in question was capable of inflicting serious bodily injury or death. Two knives were introduced into evidence, a steak knife and a pocketknife, both confiscated from the vehicle in which Curry was arrested. Neither knife, however, was identified as the actual weapon exhibited by Curry during the commission of the robbery. A photograph depicting the weapon was admitted into evidence. However, in Tisdale, supra, the evidence was held to be insufficient to show the knife to be a deadly weapon, even where the actual knife was before the jury.
A lay witness is competent to testify to the capacity of a knife to cause serious bodily injury or death. Denham v. State, 574 S.W.2d 129, 131 (Tex.Cr.App.1978). However, neither Shetter nor Dollar offered any testimony as to the capacity of the knife displayed to have caused such injury or death. Where there is no lay testimony, or only meager evidence on this point, as in the case before us, expert testimony may be particularly useful in supplementing the evidence to meet the sufficiency requirement. Davidson v. State, 602 S.W.2d 272, 273 (Tex.Cr.App.1980). No such testimony was offered in this case despite the fact that a police officer took the stand to identify the two knives admitted into evidence.
To hold the evidence before us to be sufficient to show that Curry used or exhibited a deadly weapon is tantamount to elevating a knife to the status of a deadly weapon per se. According to Tisdale, we cannot do this.
JORDAN, J., joins.