Court Opinion

ID: 4067733
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-09-29 23:28:55.438745+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:32:40.590793
License: Public Domain

PD-0964-15
                                                       COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS
                                            Oral   argument    waived  AUSTIN, TEXAS
                                                      Transmitted 8/25/2015 4:57:47 PM
                                                       Accepted 8/28/2015 11:22:43 AM
                                                                        ABEL ACOSTA
                         PD-0964-15                                             CLERK

       IN THE TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS
   _________________________________________________

               OCZAVEONE JACKSON
                         APPELLANT

                            vs.

                   THE STATE OF TEXAS
                       APPELLEE
   _________________________________________________

             FROM THE FIFTH COURT OF APPEALS
                CAUSE No. 05-14-00985-CR

     APPEAL FROM CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT NO. 6 OF
     DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS, CAUSE NO. F12-60601-X
   _________________________________________________

          APPELLANT’S PETITION FOR
           DISCRETIONARY REVIEW
   _________________________________________________

BRUCE ANTON                       SORRELS, UDASHEN & ANTON
State Bar No. 01274700            2311 Cedar Springs, Suite 250
ba@sualaw.com                     Dallas, Texas 75201
                                  214-468-8100 (office)
BRETT ORDIWAY                     214-468-8104 (fax)
State Bar No. 24079086
bordiway@sualaw.com               Counsel for Appellant

 August 28, 2015
             Ground for Review

Whether the trial court abused its discretion in
permitting at the punishment phase of trial the
introduction of evidence that Jackson was a
member of a violent street gang.

                       2
                                         Table of Contents

Ground for Review ...................................................................................... 2

Table of Contents ........................................................................................ 3

Index of Authorities .................................................................................... 4

Identity of Parties and Counsel ................................................................. 5

Statement Regarding Oral Argument ....................................................... 6

Statement of the Case and Procedural History......................................... 7

Ground for Review .................................................................................... 10

   The trial court abused its discretion in permitting at the punishment
   phase of trial the introduction of evidence that Jackson was a member
   of a violent street gang. ......................................................................... 10

      I.     The trial court’s error ................................................................. 10

      II. The court of appeals’s errors ...................................................... 12

      III. The court of appeals placed too high a burden on counsel to
      adequately preserve error ................................................................. 13

      IV.        Gang evidence is only admissible if a connection is proven . 15

      V.     The trial court’s error affected Jackson’s substantial rights ... 17

      VI.        Conclusion ............................................................................... 20

Prayer ........................................................................................................ 21

Certificate of Service ................................................................................. 22

Certificate of Compliance ......................................................................... 22

                                                        3
                                        Index of Authorities

Cases

Acevedo v. State, 255 S.W.3d 162, 170 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2008,
  pet. ref’d) ................................................................................................ 20
Benoit v. State, 87 S.W.3d 668, 670 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2002, pet.
  ref’d) ....................................................................................................... 20
Casey v. State, 215 S.W.3d 870, 879 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007) .................. 17
Dawson v. Delaware, 503 U.S. 159 (1992) ............................................... 16
Ford v. State, 73 S.W.3d 923, 925 (Tex. Crim. App. 2002) ..................... 18
Fuller v. State, 829 S.W.2d 191, 197–98 (Tex. Crim. App. 1992) .... 12, 15,
  16
Jackson v. State, No. 05-14-00985-CR, 2015 WL 3899573 (Tex. App.—
  Dallas 2015) ........................................................................... 9, 13, 15, 19
King v. State, 953 S.W.2d 266, 271 (Tex. Crim. App. 1997) ................... 18
Kotteakos v. U.S., 328 U.S. 750, 776, 66 S. Ct. 1239, 90 L. Ed. 1557 (1946)
  ................................................................................................................ 18
Lankston v. State, 827 S.W.2d 907, 909 (Tex. Crim. App. 1992) ............ 14
McCarthy v. State, 65 S.W.3d 47 (Tex. Crim. App. 2001) ....................... 19
Motilla v. State, 78 S.W.3d 352, 356 (Tex. Crim. App. 2002) ................. 20
Sierra v. State, 266 S.W.3d 72, 77 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.]
  2008) ....................................................................................................... 16
United States v. Lemon, 723 F.2d 922, 941 (D.C. Cir. 1983) .................. 15

Statutes

TEX. PEN. CODE § 29.03(a)........................................................................... 8

Rules

TEX. R. APP. P. 33.1 ................................................................................... 13

                                                         4
                  Identity of Parties and Counsel

For Appellant Oczaveone Jackson:

     PAUL BRAUCHLE
          Trial counsel of record
     4131 N. Central Expressway, Suite 680
     Dallas, Texas 75204

     BRUCE ANTON
     BRETT ORDIWAY
          Appellate counsel of record
     SORRELS, UDASHEN & ANTON
     2311 Cedar Springs, Suite 250
     Dallas, Texas 75201

For Appellee the State of Texas:

     TOMMY ADAMS
     JOSH HEALY
          Trial counsel of record
     DALLAS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
     133 N. Riverfront Blvd.
     Dallas, Texas 75207

     MICHAEL R. CASILLAS
         Appellate counsel of record
     DALLAS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

Trial court:

     CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT NUMBER 6 OF DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS
     THE HONORABLE JEANINE HOWARD PRESIDING

                                   5
         Statement Regarding Oral Argument

Oral argument is waived.

                           6
          Statement of the Case and Procedural History

     In the early morning hours of September 22, 2012, Oczaveone

Jackson, Disheenee Woolen, and Sabrina Whittenburg were at a Red

Roof Inn in Dallas in which Jackson rented a room. (RR4: 35, 37, 42,

86). At approximately 2:30 a.m., they decided they “needed some mon-

ey,” so Woolen called the complainant, whom she knew to be a pimp,

and asked him to come pick her up from the hotel. (RR4: 43,86-88, 101,

106). In fact, Woolen was “set[ting] [Jackson] up to rob [the complain-

ant].” (RR4: 43-44).

      When the complainant arrived at the hotel, however, he refused

to enter the room, instead insisting on waiting in his car. (RR4: 88, 90).

Accordingly, Woolen went outside with her bags. (RR4: 44, 56, 90). As

she did so, Jackson walked up to the side of the complainant’s car and

demanded the complainant empty his pockets. (RR4: 45, 90-91). The

complainant refused, and hit Jackson in his “shoulder, like neck area.”

(RR4: 148). Jackson then shot the complainant in his arms, side, and

groin. (RR4: 46, 91, 134). Despite this, the complainant was able to run

to a nearby restaurant, where patrons called 9-1-1. (RR4:134-35). In the

meantime, Woolen and Whittenburg fled. (RR4:48, 93).

                                    7
      Police identified Jackson upon recovering a copy of his driver’s li-

cense from the hotel registration desk and viewing the hotel’s video

surveillance recordings. (RR4: 35, 37, 44-45, 88, 157). The following day,

Whittenburg gave the police a statement, too. (RR4: 68). Jackson was

subsequently arrested and interrogated. After initially denying in-

volvement in the offense, Jackson gave a video recorded statement ad-

mitting his role in the robbery. (SX107). The complainant then identi-

fied Jackson in a photo lineup. (RR4: 138-39).

      A grand jury indicted Jackson on November 5, 2012, for the ag-

gravated robbery of James Boyd. (CR: 9); see TEX. PEN. CODE § 29.03(a).

Specifically, the indictment alleged that, on or about September 22,

2012, Jackson “intentionally and knowingly, while in the course of

committing theft of property and with intent to obtain or maintain con-

trol of said property, cause[d] bodily injury to [the] complainant by

shooting [him] with a firearm.” (CR: 9). Accordingly, the indictment fur-

ther alleged that Jackson “used and exhibited a deadly weapon.” (CR:

9).

      Jackson pleaded not guilty. (RR3: 15). His trial began on June 23,

2014, with voir dire, with the State’s case following on June 24 and 25.

                                    8
(RR3; RR4; RR5). Immediately after the State rested, the defense did so

as well, arguing that the State in its case in chief had not met its bur-

den. (RR5: 31, 51-61). The jury was not persuaded and found Jackson

guilty. (RR5: 68; CR: 267). Upon Jackson’s election to have the court set

his punishment, it then sentenced him to life imprisonment. (RR8: 26;

CR: 245, 267).

     Jackson timely filed notice of appeal on June 30, 2014. (CR: 266).

Before the Fifth Court of Appeals, he argued that the trial court abused

its discretion in permitting at the punishment phase of trial the intro-

duction of evidence that he was a member of a violent street gang.

Jackson v. State, No. 05-14-00985-CR, 2015 WL 3899573 (Tex. App.—

Dallas 2015). The court overruled the ground, though, and affirmed

Jackson’s conviction in an opinion filed June 25, 2015. Id. No motion for

rehearing was filed.

                                   9
                          Ground for Review

            The trial court abused its discretion in permitting
            at the punishment phase of trial the introduction
            of evidence that Jackson was a member of a vio-
            lent street gang.

                                 !   !    !

 I.!   The trial court’s error

       At the punishment phase of Jackson’s trial, the State introduced

evidence of other crimes Jackson had committed. (RR5: 80-81; RR6: 27-

29, 37, 46, 100-01, 106-138). Additionally, Dallas Police Officer Greg

Ceraso testified that, based on several tattoos on Jackson’s body, Jack-

son was a member of the Park Row Posse, a “Crip” gang located in the

southern part of Dallas. (RR6: 76-96). Ceraso described the gang as an

over thirty-year-old, predominantly African-American gang which en-

gaged in “anything from simple traffic violations to aggravated rob-

beries to as high as murders, carjackings, [as well as] anything that will

create revenue for them,” including “drug dealing.” (RR6: 79). As Ceraso

began to further explain the “history about the gang, just some back-

ground to it,” defense counsel unsuccessfully lodged a relevancy objec-

tion. (RR6: 79). The court granted defense counsel a running objection,

and Ceraso then testified:

                                     10
     Back in 2008 we saw something that we had never seen be-
     fore where—our traditional gangs, your Bloods and your
     Crips, they would not like each other. They wouldn’t get
     along or anything like that. Back in 2008 we saw where
     Bloods and Crips were coming together for the sole purpose
     of money. That was their whole benefit, all they cared about
     was money. There would be groups from all over the city
     that would join these groups and there would be offsets. We
     call that gang a hybrid bang gang because you have your hy-
     brid gang where you have your Bloods and your Crips that
     are coming together and they’re doing your robberies and
     everything like that, which is not traditional gangs.

(RR6: 80).

     On cross-examination, Ceraso conceded that he did not know

when Jackson acquired the tattoos, which were virtually the only evi-

dence of any gang membership. (RR6: 97). Ceraso further confirmed

that he would in fact consider anyone with a tattoo who had committed

a traffic offense to be a potential gang member. (RR6: 93). The State

then used Jackson’s tenuous gang affiliation to ask for a life sentence.

     What do we know about when he has structure? The gang af-
     filiations, the 187s, the Star of David, the Park Row Boys.
     Judge, these tattoos show you what he wants you to think
     about him, what he wants the people in TDC when he’s
     walking around with his shirt off, they know not to mess
     with him, because he is a Crip, he’s a Park Row Boy, and
     he’s a savage. Not only do his tattoos show what this man is
     about, every crime that he has been committing since 12
     years old show what Oczaveone Jackson is.

(RR8: 24).

                                    11
II.!   The court of appeals’s errors

       On appeal to the Fifth Court of Appeals, Jackson argued that the

trial court abused its discretion in permitting at the punishment phase

of trial the introduction of evidence that Jackson was a member of a vio-

lent street gang. In Jackson’s case, there is no evidence to suggest that

he was a gang member before he was arrested. At best, the evidence

showed that Jackson had gang-related tattoos. Moreover, the evidence

was insufficient to show that appellant intended to further the illegal

activities of the gang. Accordingly, the gang membership testimony was

of little relevance to sentencing, and the trial court abused its discretion

in determining otherwise. (Ap. Br. at 10-14) (citing Fuller v. State, 829
S.W.2d 191, 197–98 (Tex. Crim. App. 1992) (gang membership evidence

irrelevant—and thus, inadmissible—because it was “woefully insuffi-

cient” and “legally inadequate to connect Appellant with the gang in

any meaningful way”)).

       The court rejected Jackson’s appeal on every possible basis. First,

the court found Jackson’s issue unpreserved, because “[i]nstead of ob-

jecting to the State’s introduction or use of the gang-related evidence,

appellant merely objected to the relevancy of Cerasco’s contextual tes-

                                    12
timony describing an alliance formed in 2008 between the Crips and

Bloods for the purposes of making money.” Jackson v. State, No. 05-14-

00985-CR, 2015 WL 3899573, *1 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2015). “Further-

more,” the court noted “[e]vidence of membership in or affiliation with a

gang would fall under the type of ‘bad acts’ relevant to sentencing” ad-

missible under article 37.07 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Id. at

*2. Finally, the court reasoned that, in light of the admitted evidence of

Jackson’s criminal history, he could not have been harmed by the com-

plained-of evidence. Id.

        The court was wrong on each basis.

III.!   The court of appeals placed too high a burden on counsel
        to adequately preserve error

        Rule 33.1(a)(1)(A) of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure pro-

vides:

        As a prerequisite to presenting a complaint for appellate re-
        view, the record must show that the complaint was made to
        the trial court by a timely request, objection, or motion that
        stated the grounds for the ruling that the complaining party
        sought from the trial court with sufficient specificity to make
        the trial court aware of the complaint, unless the specific
        grounds were apparent from the context.

TEX. R. APP. P. 33.1. In order to satisfy Rule 33.1’s requirement, “all a

party has to do... is to let the trial judge know what he wants, why he

                                      13
thinks himself entitled to it, and to do so clearly enough for the judge to

understand him.” Lankston v. State, 827 S.W.2d 907, 909 (Tex. Crim.

App. 1992). This standard is “not to be implemented by splitting hairs

in the appellate courts.” Id.

     Only by “splitting hairs” could the court of appeals conclude that

Jackson’s counsel failed to satisfy the fairly minimal requirements of

Rule 33.1. His complaint to the trial court was that Jackson’s gang’s

history was not relevant. (RR6: 79). A reasonable judge in the trial

judge’s position would have understood defense counsel’s argument to

concern the relevancy of acts Jackson was not involved in. And that’s

just what Jackson complained of on appeal—that the gang membership

evidence was irrelevant (and thus, inadmissible) because there was

“woefully insufficient” and “legally inadequate” evidence to connect

Jackson to it “in any meaningful way.” (Ap. Br. at 12). The court of ap-

peals, with its overly strict application of Rule 33.1, broke with the spir-

it of Lankston and putting too great a burden on defense counsel. Ac-

cordingly, Jackson first respectfully requests this Court to grant this

petition so that it may reverse the court of appeals’s holding that Jack-

son’s complaint was not preserved for review.

                                    14
IV.!   Gang evidence is only admissible if a connection is proven

       As to the merits of Jackson’s complaint, the court of appeals re-

jected the ground merely because “[e]vidence of membership in or affili-

ation with a gang would fall under the type of ‘bad acts’ relevant to sen-

tencing” admissible under article 37.07 of the Code of Criminal Proce-

dure. Jackson, 2015 WL 3899573 at *1. But, as repeatedly noted, this

Court has held gang membership evidence to be nonetheless inadmissi-

ble where it was “woefully insufficient” and “legally inadequate to con-

nect Appellant with the gang in any meaningful way.” Fuller, 829
S.W.2d at 197–98. And here, the State failed to connect Jackson to any

gang membership.

       In Fuller, this Court applied the test articulated in United States

v. Lemon, 723 F.2d 922, 941 (D.C. Cir. 1983), which set forth that mem-

bership evidence may not be admitted at punishment unless the evi-

dence is sufficient to establish that the defendant is a member of the

group at issue, the group’s aims are illegal, and the defendant intended

to further those illegal aims. Fuller, 829 S.W.2d at 197-98. Because the

only evidence offered to show Fuller’s connection with a prison gang

was the report of an inmate “whose inarticulate and rambling testimo-

                                    15
ny is almost impossible to decipher,” this Court held that, at best, the

inmate’s testimony suggested that the defendant once mentioned the

gang in conversation and “that he might have expected it to furnish him

protection while in prison.” Id. at 197-98. Accordingly, this Court held:

     [P]roof in the abstract of that organization’s beliefs and ac-
     tivities was ultimately irrelevant to any issue at the pun-
     ishment phase of its trial. Without other evidence sufficient
     for a rational finding that Appellant was actually a member
     of such organization or that he subscribed to its cannon of vi-
     olence, the testimony in question did not increase the proba-
     bility that he would be violent in the future.

Id. (emphasis added). This Court also observed that “proof of an organi-

zation’s violent practices is not ultimately relevant to the sentencing of

a specific individual without proof of that individual’s membership in

the organization.” Id. at 196 n. 2 (discussing Dawson v. Delaware, 503
U.S. 159 (1992)). In Sierra v. State, 266 S.W.3d 72, 77 (Tex. App.—

Houston [14th Dist.] 2008), for example, the court found that the trial

court did not err in admitting the testimony of a police officer during

the punishment phase because the officer testified to his familiarity

with the gang and his opinion that the defendant was a member.

     In Jackson’s case, there was insufficient evidence to show that he

was a gang member before he was arrested. In fact, the State presented

                                    16
no evidence that any of Jackson’s conduct was gang-related. At best, the

evidence showed that Jackson had gang-related tattoos. Those tattoos,

however, cannot be used to show that Jackson was a violent gang mem-

ber, as the State argued. Moreover, the evidence was insufficient to

show that appellant intended to further the illegal activities of the

gang. Accordingly, the gang membership testimony was of little rele-

vance to sentencing, and the trial court abused its discretion in deter-

mining otherwise. See, e.g., Casey v. State, 215 S.W.3d 870, 879 (Tex.

Crim. App. 2007) (A trial court’s ruling on the admissibility of evidence

is reviewed for an abuse of discretion). The court of appeals was wrong

to approve of the error simply because, if connected, gang evidence is

admissible. Accordingly, on this basis, too, Jackson respectfully requests

this Court to grant this petition, here so that it may reverse the court of

appeals’s holding that the gang evidence was admissible.

V.!   The trial court’s error affected Jackson’s substantial rights

      Pursuant to Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 44.2(b), non-

constitutional error that does not affect the substantial rights of the de-

fendant must be disregarded. “A substantial right is affected when the

error had a substantial and injurious effect or influence in determining

                                    17
the jury’s verdict.” King v. State, 953 S.W.2d 266, 271 (Tex. Crim. App.

1997) (citing Kotteakos v. U.S., 328 U.S. 750, 776, 66 S. Ct. 1239, 90
L. Ed. 1557 (1946)).

     When the admission of evidence is at issue, a substantial right is

affected when the error had a substantial and injurious effect or influ-

ence in determining the jury’s verdict. Ford v. State, 73 S.W.3d 923, 925

(Tex. Crim. App. 2002). Or conversely, a substantial right is not affected

when the appellate court, after examining the record as a whole, has

fair assurance that the error did not influence the jury, or had but a

slight affect. Id. Neither party has a burden to prove or disprove harm;

rather, it is the responsibility of the reviewing court, once it concludes

there was error, to determine whether the error affected the judgment.

Id. It must do so without the benefit of such aids as presumptions or al-

located burdens of proof that expedite fact-finding at the trial. Id.

     In Jackson’s case, the court of appeals held that his substantial

rights were not affected because of the other, non-disputed punishment

evidence:

     [E]vidence was presented to the trial court of appellant’s ex-
     tensive criminal history, beginning with burglary of a habi-
     tation at twelve years of age and including a carjacking ap-
     pellant committed immediately after robbing and shooting

                                    18
      Boyd. Under these circumstances, we fail to see how appel-
      lant could have been harmed by the complained of evidence.

Jackson, 2015 WL 3899573 at *2. In so doing, however, the court ig-

nored that the State specifically used Jackson’s tenuous gang affiliation

to ask for a life sentence:

      What do we know about when he has structure? The gang af-
      filiations, the 187s, the Star of David, the Park Row Boys.
      Judge, these tattoos show you what he wants you to think
      about him, what he wants the people in TDC when he’s
      walking around with his shirt off, they know not to mess
      with him, because he is a Crip, he’s a Park Row Boy, and
      he’s a savage. Not only do his tattoos show what this man is
      about, every crime that he has been committing since 12
      years old show what Oczaveone Jackson is.

(RR8: 24). And the court then obliged. (RR8: 26). The State’s emphasis

on Jackson’s supposed gang membership, then, quite clearly affected his

substantial rights. See, e.g., McCarthy v. State, 65 S.W.3d 47 (Tex.

Crim. App. 2001) (error in admitting defendant’s statement to police de-

tective in capital murder prosecution was not harmless; state relied on

statement extensively, both during its case-in-chief and during its clos-

ing arguments, to establish defendant’s guilt of capital murder either as

a party or as a conspirator, and to paint defendant as an unrepentant

liar and set out her cruel and greedy motive for killing victim, and there

was reasonable likelihood that state’s use of statement materially af-

                                   19
fected jury’s deliberations); Benoit v. State, 87 S.W.3d 668, 670 (Tex.

App.—San Antonio 2002, pet. ref’d) (error in admitting inadmissible

statement made by murder defendant to police officer was not harmless;

State relied on statement extensively, both during its case-in-chief and

during its closing arguments, to establish defendant’s guilt of murder,

and there was reasonable likelihood that State’s use of statement mate-

rially affected jury’s deliberations). Only by ignoring the proper analysis

did the court of appeals conclude otherwise. See, e..g, Acevedo v. State,

255 S.W.3d 162, 170 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2008, pet. ref’d) (“In ac-

cordance with Rule 44.2(b), our analysis of the harm associated with the

erroneous admission of expert testimony considers everything in the

record, including the evidence admitted, the jury instructions, the

State’s theory, defensive theories, closing arguments, and voir dire.”)

(citing Motilla v. State, 78 S.W.3d 352, 356 (Tex. Crim. App. 2002)). Ac-

cordingly, on this basis, as well, the court of appeals was wrong to deny

Jackson’s argument on appeal, and Jackson respectfully requests this

Court to grant this petition so that it may hold as much.

VI.!   Conclusion

                                    20
     The court of appeals rejected Jackson’s appeal on three separate

bases. Each one, though, was incorrect. This Court should thus grant

this petition so that it may reverse the judgments of the court of appeals

and trial court and remand this case for a new trial.

                                 Prayer

     For the foregoing reasons, Jackson respectfully requests this

Court to grant this petition for discretionary review.

                                  Respectfully submitted,

                                       /s/ Bruce Anton
                                  BRUCE ANTON
                                  Bar Card No. 01274700
                                  ba@sualaw.com

                                       /s/ Brett Ordiway
                                  BRETT ORDIWAY
                                  State Bar No. 24079086
                                  bordiway@sualaw.com

                                  SORRELS, UDASHEN & ANTON
                                  2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 250
                                  Dallas, Texas 75201
                                  (214)-468-8100 (office)
                                  (214)-468-8104 (fax)

                                  Counsel for Appellant

                                    21
                        Certificate of Service

      I, the undersigned, hereby certify that a true and correct copy of
the foregoing Appellant’s Petition for Discretionary Review was elec-
tronically served to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and
State Prosecuting Attorney on August 25, 2015.

                                       /s/ Bruce Anton
                                  Bruce Anton

                      Certificate of Compliance

      Pursuant to TEX. R. APP. P. 9.4(i)(3), undersigned counsel certifies
that this brief complies with:

  1.! the type-volume limitation of TEX. R. APP. P. 9.4(i)(2)(D) because
      this brief contains 2,466 words, excluding the parts of the brief ex-
      empted by TEX. R. APP. P. 9.4(i)(1).

  2.! the typeface requirements of TEX. R. APP. P. 9.4(e) and the type
      style requirements of TEX. R. APP. P. 9.4(e) because this brief has
      been prepared in a proportionally spaced typeface using Microsoft
      Word 2011 in 14-point Century.

                                      /s/ Bruce Anton
                                  BRUCE ANTON

                                   22
AFFIRMED, and Opinion Filed June 25, 2015.

                                         S   In The
                                Court of Appeals
                         Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
                                      No. 05-14-00985-CR

                            OCZAVEONE JACKSON, Appellant
                                         V.
                             THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

                      On Appeal from the Criminal District Court No. 6
                                   Dallas County, Texas
                           Trial Court Cause No. F-1260601-X

                             MEMORANDUM OPINION
                       Before Justices Francis, Lang-Miers, and Whitehill
                                   Opinion by Justice Francis
       Oczaveone Jackson appeals his conviction for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.

After the jury found him guilty of the charged offense, the trial court assessed punishment at life

in prison. In a single point of error, Jackson contends the trial court abused its discretion by

admitting certain evidence during punishment. We affirm the trial court’s judgment.

       On September 22, 2012, appellant robbed and shot the complainant, James Boyd, at a

Red Roof Inn in Dallas. Boyd identified appellant in court as the man who robbed and shot him.

The two women who were with appellant that night each testified he robbed and shot Boyd. In

addition, the State offered appellant’s video-taped statement in which he admitted he robbed and

shot Boyd. After hearing this and other evidence, the jury found appellant guilty.

       During punishment, the State introduced photographs of appellant’s tattoos. Detective

Greg Cerasco of the Dallas Police Department identified fourteen photographs of appellant and
noted details of the tattoos that indicated appellant was a member of a gang. Cerasco also said

several of appellant’s tattoos were consistent with tattoos belonging to members of the Park Row

Posse, a subset of the Crips gang located in South Dallas. When Cerasco began detailing the

history of an alliance between Crips and Bloods beginning in 2008, appellant’s trial counsel

stated, “[w]e object to this testimony in that it’s not relevant to 2014.” Although the trial court

overruled the objection, appellant was granted a running objection to the testimony on the

history. Cerasco went on to testify that appellant’s tattoos were also consistent with membership

in this hybrid gang of Crips and Bloods, known as the “Get Money Boys.”

       In his sole issue on appeal, appellant contends the trial court’s admission of gang-related

evidence was reversible error because it was not relevant and, therefore, was improperly

considered by the trial court.

       To preserve a complaint for appellate review, the record must show the complaint was

made to the trial court by a timely request, objection, or motion stating “the grounds for the

ruling that the complaining party sought from the trial court with sufficient specificity to make

the trial court aware of the complaint, unless the specific grounds were apparent from the

context.” TEX. R. APP. P. 33.1(a)(1). When an appellant does not timely object to the admission

of evidence, he fails to preserve the issue for review. Mays v. State, 318 S.W.3d 368, 391−92

(Tex. Crim. App. 2010). And the complaint raised on appeal must comport with the objection

lodged at trial. See Guevara v. State, 97 S.W.3d 579, 583 (Tex. Crim. App. 2003) (appellant

failed to preserve any error regarding the admission of evidence because objection at trial did not

comport with complaint raised on appeal).

       After reviewing appellant’s sole issue, we conclude he waived the issue because he did

not make a timely and specific objection to the admission of the gang-related evidence and, when

he did object, his complaint below differs from the one raised in his appellate brief. See TEX. R.

                                               –2–
APP. P. 33.1(a)(1)(A); Reyna v. State, 168 S.W.3d 173, 177 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005). Instead of

objecting to the State’s introduction or use of the gang-related evidence, appellant merely

objected to the relevancy of Cerasco’s contextual testimony describing an alliance formed in

2008 between the Crips and Bloods for the purposes of making money. Appellant did not object

when the State sought to admit photos of appellant’s tattoos or when Cerasco described the gang-

related significance of appellant’s tattoos or the types of criminal activities consistent with those

engaged in by gang members or associates. Appellant’s relevancy objection addressed only the

testimony about the 2008 alliance between two gangs; thus, the objection was insufficient to

preserve error, if any. Under these circumstances, we conclude appellant has waived this issue.

       Furthermore, under article 37.07 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, a trial court

has broad discretion to admit evidence the court deems relevant to sentencing, including

evidence of prior crimes, reputation, character, or the circumstance of the offense. TEX. CODE

CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 37.07 § 3(a)(1) (West Supp. 2014); see Hayden v. State, 296 S.W.3d 549,

552 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009). Evidence of membership in or affiliation with a gang would fall

under the type of “bad acts” relevant to sentencing, and article 37.07 allows the introduction of

such evidence to show the defendant’s character. See Beasley v. State, 902 S.W.2d 452, 456

(Tex. Crim. App. 1995).      Finally, evidence was presented to the trial court of appellant’s

extensive criminal history, beginning with burglary of a habitation at twelve years of age and

including a carjacking appellant committed immediately after robbing and shooting Boyd.

Under these circumstances, we fail to see how appellant could have been harmed by the

complained of evidence. See TEX. R. APP. P. 44.2(b). We overrule appellant’s sole issue.

                                                –3–
       We affirm the trial court’s judgment.

                                                     /Molly Francis/
                                                     MOLLY FRANCIS
                                                     JUSTICE

Do Not Publish
TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b)

140985F.U05

                                               –4–
                                       S
                               Court of Appeals
                        Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
                                      JUDGMENT

OCZAVEONE JACKSON, Appellant                          On Appeal from the Criminal District Court
                                                      No. 6, Dallas County, Texas
No. 05-14-00985-CR         V.                         Trial Court Cause No. F12-60601-X.
                                                      Opinion delivered by Justice Francis,
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee                          Justices Lang-Miers and Whitehill
                                                      participating.

       Based on the Court’s opinion of this date, the judgment of the trial court is AFFIRMED.

Judgment entered this 25th day of June, 2015.

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