Court Opinion

ID: 9764702
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 03:37:24.064342+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:00.894091
License: Public Domain

W. C. DAVIS, Judge,
dissenting.
I dissent from the majority’s reversal for refusal of the trial court to submit appellant’s requested charge on cause of death. I would hold that the charge actually given adequately submitted the appellant’s issues and served to protect appellant as to matters contained in the requested charge.
The majority opinion concedes that the charge given is “quite similar” to paragraph two of the requested charge. The basis of the majority’s reversal appears to be failure to affirmatively charge on cause of death as requested in paragraph one of the requested charge.1
I agree with the general proposition that a defendant is entitled to an affirmative charge on every defensive theory raised by the evidence. Aguillar v. State, 153 Tex. Cr.R. 509, 221 S.W.2d 242 (1949). However, I also realize that this general proposition is limited where the charge of the court adequately protects the defendant on the issues contained in the requested charge. Sheppard v. State, 545 S.W.2d 816 (Tex.Cr.App. 1977).
Here, the requested charge required a not guilty if the jury found the deceased expired from natural causes. The charge given required a jury finding that deceased was killed by “choking or beating” administered by the appellant. The necessary and only implication arising from the charge actually given was that if the jury determined death resulted from a cause other than choking or beating, then their duty was to return a not guilty verdict.
The charge given adequately protected appellant on the issue of death from natural causes. For this reason, I respectfully dissent.

. Paragraph one of the requested charge reads:
“If you believe from the evidence, or have a reasonable doubt thereof, that the death of Sandra Maria Rudolph if any, was caused by some natural bodily ailment or disease, you will find the defendant not guilty.”