Court Opinion

ID: 9762064
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:09:37.835083+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:29.705750
License: Public Domain

BURGESS, Justice,
dissenting.
I join the majority’s disposition of the resisting arrest charge, No. 09-92-151 CR. I respectfully dissent as to the assault charge. My quarrel is not with our Chief Justice as I applaud my brother for cautiously and faithfully following the recent dictates of our reviewing court in Criner v. State, 860 S.W.2d 84 (Tex.Crim.App.1992). I would not be so cautious. As Judge Clinton pointed out in his dissenting opinion to denial of appellant’s motion for rehearing on State’s petition for discretionary review, at page 88, the court of criminal appeals is simply playing lip service to its opinions in Arcila v. State, 834 S.W.2d 357 (Tex.Crim.App.1992) and Meraz v. State, 785 S.W.2d 146 (Tex.Crim.App.1990). Either the courts of appeals are the final arbiters of fact questions or they are not; Arcila and Meraz say they are, Criner erodes that position. Either the “factual conclusivity clause” of our state constitution means something or it does not. Under the majority opinion in Criner, when the court of criminal appeals agrees with the court of appeals, the clause means what it says; when the court of crimi*92nal appeals disagrees with the lower court, the clause loses its meaning.
Since it is undisputed the state failed to produce any evidence that the physical contact caused bodily injury, i.e., produced any physical pain, illness, or any impairment of physical condition, our analysis must focus on whether there is any circumstantial evidence of bodily injury. Here the majority believes they are required to view the demonstration as supporting the jury’s verdict, citing Rogers v. State, 756 S.W.2d 332, 336 (Tex.App.— Houston [14th Dist.] 1988, pet. ref’d), and Gaona v. State, 733 S.W.2d 611, 613-614, n. 1 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1987, pet. ref’d). (Emphasis mine). Neither case is similar to the one before us. In Rogers, the demonstration involved the placement of the accused’s hands during a robbery attempt. In Gaona, the demonstration involved a witness testifying how the accused held a gun. Here the demonstration apparently concerned the amount of force of the push. However, the amount of force is not controlling, but rather whether the victim received any bodily injury. When the same amount of force is directed against the proverbial “98 pound weakling” and a 250 pound body builder, different results are not only possible, but probable. Even if the prosecutor had asked his “boss” whether the demonstration caused the “boss” bodily injury, this does not constitute evidence the same type of push caused the officer bodily injury. There is a difference between a reasonable inference and speculation. Under the majority’s analysis (an analysis I suggest is forced under Criner), bodily injury can always be inferred from a push. If that were the case, there would be no requirement for bodily injury, only a forceful touching. Thus, the legislative scheme for grading assaults would shift from harm to the victim to force of the blow from the actor. If such a scheme is to be adopted, that is for the legislature and not for the courts.
Consequently, I would hold there is no evidence of bodily injury to the victim and would reverse and remand for the entry of a judgment of acquittal on the assault charge, No. 09-92-150 CR.