Court Opinion

ID: 9863180
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-25 03:10:08.130998+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:47:50.118616
License: Public Domain

BAIRD, Judge,
concurring.
While I continue to believe that Arcila v. State, 834 S.W.2d 357 (Tex.Cr.App.1992), was wrongly decided, that decision is final and the doctrine of stare decisis demands that it be followed. Delrio v. State, 840 S.W.2d 443, 449 (Tex.Cr.App.1992) (Bail’d, J. dissenting). To that extent, Judge Clinton is correct in believing Arcila is equally applicable to the State and the defense.
However, the instant case is not controlled by Arcila. Rather this case is controlled by Tex.R.App.P. 200(e)(3) which provides for our review where a court of appeals has decided a question of law in conflict with an applicable decision of this Court. In its opinion, the Court of Appeals failed to recognize, acknowledge or in any manner distinguish our opinion in Godsey v. State, 719 S.W.2d 578 (Tex.Cr.App.1986). On direct appeal, the State relied upon Godsey, albeit weakly. State’s brief pg. 9. As the majority correctly notes, the question of whether appellant’s *466testimony was sufficient to require an instruction on the lesser included offense of sexual assault is controlled by Godsey. Consequently, the Court of Appeals opinion necessarily conflicts with that opinion. Therefore, this was an appropriate case for our review. See, Rule 200(c)(3).
With these comments, I join the majority opinion.