Court Opinion

ID: 9763129
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:37:14.627164+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:39.564843
License: Public Domain

COLLEY, Justice,
concurring.
While I have no disagreement with the majority’s view and its holdings in this case, I am persuaded that it is unwise to encourage the submission of charges to juries on both theories of criminal responsibility for the conduct of others set forth in Sections 7.02(a)(2) and 7.02(b) of the Penal Code in capital murder cases in which the indictment alleges capital murder pursuant to Section 19.03(a)(2). The charge in English v. State, 592 S.W.2d 949 (Tex.Cr.App.1980), and in this case are examples of the confusion which results from such submissions. In both English and this case the jury was not authorized to convict the defendant unless it found beyond a reasonable doubt that the evidence established that the defendant was criminally responsible for the conduct of another under both 7.02(a)(2) and 7.02(b), an unfair and unnecessary burden on the State. Also under English and Pitts v. State, 569 S.W.2d 898 (Tex.Cr.App.1978), the State is entitled to a charge on the law of parties embodied in Section 7.02(b) even though no criminal conspiracy is alleged in the indictment. This seems to me to result in allowing the State to prove up the of*19fense of criminal conspiracy against the defendant as defined in Section 15.02(a)(1), (2) and 15.02(b), and having done so, to employ the provisions of 7.02(b) to hold a defendant criminally responsible for the act of another without fair notice to the defendant. Such a practice permits the State to “convict” the defendant of criminal conspiracy so that the provisions of 7.02(b) become applicable to establish his responsibility for the acts or conduct of others involved in the conspiracy, all without any allegation in the indictment to put the defendant on notice thereof.
It is my opinion that Section 7.02(b) should logically be applicable only to capital murder cases in which the indictment alleges criminal conspiracy to commit or to attempt to commit one of the felonies listed in 19.03(a)(2), viz., kidnapping, burglary, robbery, aggravated rape or arson. Then, where the evidence so justifies, a jury could convict such a defendant of “... the felony actually committed.... ” to-wit, capital murder.
For the reasons stated, I believe the legislature should consider removing 7.02(b) from Chapter 7 of the Penal Code and placing it in Chapter 15 as a subdivision to Section 15.02, Criminal Conspiracy, where it appropriately belongs.