Court Opinion

ID: 9776945
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 19:49:34.219727+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:45.457165
License: Public Domain

VANCE, Justice,
dissenting.
When a statute is clear and unambiguous, courts need not resort to rules of construction or extrinsic aids to construe it, but should give the statute its common meaning. Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. v. Glyn-Jones, 878 S.W.2d 132, 133 (Tex.1994). The Supreme Court tells us:
It is a well-established principle of Texas law that when a statute is clear and unambiguous, and reasonably admits of only one construction, the courts will take the legislative intent from the words of the statute and apply that intent as written. Cail v. Service Motors, Inc., 660 S.W.2d 814, 815 (Tex.1983); Ex parte Roloff, 510 S.W.2d 913, 915 (Tex.1974). When the statute’s meaning is plain, this court will not explore its legislative history to contradict its express terms. Railroad Commission v. Miller, 434 S.W.2d 670, 672 (Tex.1968); City of Port Arthur v. Tillman, 398 S.W.2d 750, 752 (Tex.1965).
Stauffer v. Henderson, 801 S.W.2d 858, 868 (Tex.1990).
The language of the concealed handgun licensing statute is clear and unambiguous, in part because the term “convicted” is defined. The statute says:

In this subchapter:

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(4) “Convicted” means an adjudication of guilt or an order of deferred adjudication entered against a person by a court of competent jurisdiction whether or not:
(A) the imposition of the sentence is subsequently probated and the person is discharged from community supervision; or
(B) the person is pardoned for the offense, unless the pardon is expressly granted for subsequent proof of innocence.
Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. § 411.171 (Vernon 1998) (emphasis added). Thus, a person has been “convicted” for purposes of the licensing statute if he has been adjudicated guilty, even though he is placed on community supervision and later discharged.
The statute also provides:
(a) A person is eligible for a license to carry a concealed handgun if the person:
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(3) has not been convicted of a felony;'. ...
Id. § 411.172 (Vernon 1998) (emphasis added). Thus, to be eligible for a license, a person must not have been adjudicated guilty of a felony, even though he was placed on community supervision and later discharged.
McLendon was adjudicated guilty of the offense of felony theft on October 6, 1969, and was placed on probation for five years. When he was discharged from probation in 1974, he was granted a new trial and the cause was dismissed. McLendon is ineligible for a concealed handgun license. In my view *582it simply does not matter whether the finding of guilt was set aside or whether a new trial was granted.
The majority seems to believe that the word “convicted” must have the same meaning throughout all statutes passed by the legislature. Because it ignores the plain meaning of the concealed handgun licensing statute, as adopted, in favor of a strained construction, I dissent.