Court Opinion

ID: 9635191
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 13:40:52.690523+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:09:21.067723
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
Justice YÁÑEZ.
I must respectfully dissent because I would sustain appellant’s first point of error, by which he contends the evidence is factually insufficient to support his convic*276tion.1 Accordingly, I would vacate the judgment and remand for a new trial.
In his first point of error, appellant contends the evidence is factually insufficient to prove he knowingly discharged the firearm in the direction of his wife. In support of this contention, appellant testified that: (1) he is an alcoholic; (2) he and his wife argue as normal married couples do; (8) they had been arguing on the day in question; (4) two or three hours later, he unloaded her gun that they kept under their bed; (5) he does not remember why he was unloading it; (6) he is not familiar with guns; (7) the gun went off accidentally; (8) he was shocked and surprised by the loud noise and blinding light from the shot; and (9) he did not know where his wife was in the house or if she was even in the house at all. Appellant’s wife testified that: (1) appellant had been drinking off and on for three days straight and was very drunk on the day in question; (2) appellant had not pointed the gun at her, or in her direction, prior to the shot going off; (3) they had not been arguing through the wall prior to the shot; (4) the shot went off two or three hours after their argument; (5) her initial thought was that appellant had killed himself; (6) appellant appeared surprised by the shot when he came out of the bedroom; and (7) she was relieved that he wasn’t dead. She further testified that, in her opinion, the shot was accidental and she never seriously thought appellant was thinking of hurting her, wanting to hurt her, or going to hurt her. She also testified that “he couldn’t have imagined where I was” in the house.
Aside from this express testimony, Wheaton’s knowledge may be inferred from his words, acts, and conduct and from the circumstances under which the shot occurred. See Hernandez v. State, 819 S.W.2d 806, 809-10 (Tex.Crim.App.1991). As background information, it must be noted, that appellant is sixty-nine years old and his wife is sixty-seven years old. The couple has been married for twenty years. Appellant’s wife testified that: (1) they usually only argue when appellant is drunk; (2) she gets upset with him because of his drinking; (3) of the two, she is the physical aggressor in their arguments; (4) appellant has never hit her or threatened to hit her; (5) appellant has never pushed her, thrown her, or thrown things at her; and (6) she is not scared of him. She further testified that the police handled the situation poorly, did things wrong, and blew the situation out of proportion. I consider the words, acts, conduct, and circumstances surrounding the argument hours before the shot and its similarity to their arguments in general to be very telling. Weighing the entire circumstances of the day in question, I would not infer negative intent to appellant as the majority does, from the circumstances after the shot went off, because their argument before the shot was not out of the ordinary.
I recognize that due deference is to be accorded to the fact-finder’s determinations on the weight and credibility of the evidence. See Swearingen v. State, 101 S.W.3d 89, 97 (Tex.Crim.App.2003). However, such deference is not absolute. A court of appeals has the authority to disagree with the fact-finder’s determination even if probative evidence exists that supports the conviction, see id. at 97, as long as it does not substantially intrude on the fact-finder’s role. See Ortiz v. State, 93 S.W.3d 79, 87-88 (Tex.Crim.App.2002); Vasquez v. State, 67 S.W.3d 229, 236 (Tex.Crim.App.2002). Considering the strength *277of the evidence from the only two people directly involved in the events of the day in question compared to the weakness of the evidence from officers regarding appellant’s intent with the gun, its shot, or its direction, I would hold the proof of guilt here is so weak as to undermine confidence in the fact-finder’s determination. See Swearingen, 101 S.W.3d at 97. Because this was a simple, short trial based on the testimony of a few witnesses, I do not consider the trial court to have had a much clearer or greater view of the proceedings than we have had. As such, I do not consider my interpretation of the facts as a substantial intrusion upon the fact-finder’s role. Thus, I would reverse the fact-finder’s determination “to arrest the occurrence of manifest injustice.” See id. Having concluded that the evidence is factually insufficient, I would remand for a new trial, so that a second fact-finder would have a chance to evaluate the evidence. See id.

. I agree with the standard of review set out by the majority, as mandated by the court of criminal appeals.