Court Opinion

ID: 9771141
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 16:33:37.69914+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:31:25.863525
License: Public Domain

O’CONNOR, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent. This appeal involves the use of criminal conduct, not charged as a crime, as evidence in a trial. We should reverse and remand to the trial court.
A jury found Jose Alfredo Hernandez, appellant, guilty of the offense of use of a motor vehicle without the effective consent of the owner, Ed Malinowski. The elements of the crime are that a defendant, without the consent of the owner, knowingly and intentionally operated a motor vehicle. Tex.Penal Code Ann. § 31.07 (Vernon 1989); Tex.Penal Code Ann. § 12.42(a) (Vernon 1974).
In point of error two, the appellant complains that the trial court erred by allowing Malinowski to testify about events that occurred two days after the offense. The appellant argues this testimony amounts to an improper admission of an extraneous offense.
The State admits that its case against the appellant was circumstantial. There was no direct evidence that the appellant had the intent to drive the van. Proof of a culpable mental state generally is based on circumstantial evidence. Dillon v. State, 574 S.W.2d 92, 94 (Tex.Crim.App.1978). The courts have generally held that evidence of extraneous offenses committed by the accused is admissible to show the context of the criminal act. Albrecht v. State, 486 S.W.2d 97, 100 (Tex.Crim.App.1972). The State claims it introduced the testimo*748ny to show the appellant’s intent or possible motive for taking the van.
As the majority states, the test for the admission of extraneous offenses is two pronged: (1) the court must determine if the extraneous offense is relevant to a material issue in the case other than the defendant’s character; and (2) the evidence must possess probative value which outweighs its inflammatory or prejudicial effect. Caro v. State, 771 S.W.2d 610, 617 (Tex.App. — Dallas 1989, no writ); Clark v. State, 726 S.W.2d 120, 122 (Tex.Crim.App. 1986); Van Brown v. State, 771 S.W.2d 218, 221 (Tex.App. — Houston [1st Dist.] 1989, review refused).
1.Relevance
Our first inquiry is whether the testimony was relevant to the issue of intent, not just to the appellant’s character. Evidence is relevant if it has “any tendency to make the existence of any material fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence.” Tex. R.Crim.Evid. 401; Montgomery v. State, 810 S.W.2d 372 (Tex.Crim.App.1991).
In its brief, the State contends the statement that the appellant was quitting and that he wanted his money from the complainant, “establish[ed] a motive and intent to harm his employer in some manner.” The State contends that Malinowski’s testimony about his feelings of danger, two days after the event clarified the appellant’s intent to drive the van without permission.
There are two things wrong with the State’s argument. First, Malinowski’s testimony about his own feelings have absolutely nothing to do with the appellant’s intent. Second, at the time the appellant made the statement, the offense for which the appellant was charged had already been accomplished. Malinowski’s feeling of danger might be relevant to a crime committed in his presence, but not to a crime committed two days before.
Malinowski’s testimony did not make the existence of fact concerning whether the appellant drove the van or thought he had authorization to use the van “more probable or less probable”; therefore, the testimony was not relevant. The testimony did make it more likely that the jury would convict, not because of the appellant’s intent as to commit this crime, but because of Malinowski’s expression of his fear and sense of danger. Malinowski’s testimony did not provide any context for the criminal act — the confrontation with Malinowski was two days after the van incident. Al-brecht, 486 S.W.2d at 100.
I conclude that the proffered testimony did not effect the probability of what the appellant’s intent and motive was with respect to the unauthorized use of the van: It did not assist him in achieving his goal of payment of wages.
In United States v. Goodwin, 492 F.2d 1141, 1155 (5th Cir.1974), the court stated:
[W]e must continue to recognize, that the various categories of exceptions — intent, design or plan, identity, etc. — are not magic passwords whose mere incantation will open wide the courtroom doors to whatever evidence may be offered in their names.
We should always keep in mind the relevance for which the State is offering evidence of other transactions or offenses. When offered for certain categories of proof, extraneous offenses are not automatically admitted as exceptions to the hearsay rule. Boutwell v. State, 719 S.W.2d 164, 171 (Tex.Crim.App.1985).
2. Probative value
Having found that the evidence was not relevant, I would not examine the evidence under the second prong, to determine if the danger of unfair prejudice outweighed any probative value. Instead, I would examine the evidence and the record to determine if it caused reversible error.
3. Harmless error
Rule 81(b)(2), Tex.R.App.P., states
If the appellate record in a criminal case reveals error in the proceedings below, the appellate court shall reverse the judgment under review, unless the appellate court determines beyond a reason*749able doubt that the error made no contribution to the conviction or to the punishment.
The appellate court should calculate as much as possible the probable impact of the error on the jury in the light of the existence of other evidence. Harris v. State, 790 S.W.2d 568, 587 (Tex.Crim.App. 1989). The appellate court should not focus upon the propriety of the outcome of the trial. Id. Instead, the court should focus on the integrity of the process leading to conviction. The Harris Court directs us to examine: (1) the source of the error; (2) the nature of the error; (3) if the prosecutor emphasized the error; and (4) its probable collateral implications.
What was the source of the error? The State was the source of the error, and the appellant properly objected to it.
What was the nature of the error? The nature of the error was the admission of improper evidence that bolstered a weak case for the State, which was constructed solely of circumstantial evidence.
Did the State emphasize the error? The State emphasized the-error in final argument both at guilt/innocence and at punishment. Before the finding of guilt, the prosecutor argued:
You recall that the defendant was waiting at Mr. Malinowski’s house when he arrived home. He was waiting there. He had been drinking again. He had threatened Mr. Malinowski. He said he wanted his money. He said that he told Mr. Kopech that he would burn down Mr. Malinowski’s house or his van or even kill him because he wanted to get his money.
Before the finding on punishment, the prosecutor argued:
[A]ll the evidence that was brought to you at the first phase of this trial, you can consider when you go back there and assess punishment against that defendant sitting right over there, which means you can consider what he said about threatening to bum somebody’s house down, threatening, wanting to get his money, burn cars up or something like that.
What are the probable collateral implications of the error? The collateral implications of our affirmance of the error would be to encourage the State to offer inadmissible evidence when the State presents a weak case to the jury. The State could gamble that the inadmissible evidence, if admitted, could help convict, and on appeal, the inadmissible evidence would be shielded by presumptions that favor the judgment.
I cannot say beyond a reasonable doubt that the testimony of the complainant did not contribute to the conviction and punishment.