Cunningham v. State, 04-84-00129-CR

Decision Date28 June 1985
Docket NumberNo. 04-84-00129-CR,04-84-00129-CR
Citation694 S.W.2d 629
PartiesMaurice Samuel CUNNINGHAM, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee.
CourtTexas Court of Appeals

David R. Weiner, San Antonio, for appellant.

Sam Millsap, Jr., Ernest Glenn, Charles Estee, Criminal Dist. Attys., San Antonio, for appellee.

Before ESQUIVEL, TIJERINA and DIAL, JJ.

OPINION

DIAL, Justice.

This is an appeal from a conviction for the offense of indecency with a child. Punishment was assessed at twenty (20) years' confinement in the Texas Department of Corrections.

Appellant waived a jury, and trial was before the court on an indictment charging appellant with aggravated sexual assault. This indictment, in pertinent part, charged appellant with the offense as follows:

[A]nd on or about the 3RD day of OCTOBER, A.D., 1983, MAURICE SAMUEL CUNNINGHAM, hereafter referred to as defendant, did then and there intentionally and knowingly cause the penetration of the mouth of MIRIAM STALLINGS, hereinafter called complainant, a child, by the sexual organ of the said defendant, and BY ACTS AND WORDS OCCURRING IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SAID COMPLAINANT, THE SAID DEFENDANT INTENTIONALLY AND KNOWINGLY THREATENED TO CAUSE THE DEATH OF THE SAID COMPLAINANT.

Thus the indictment charged appellant with aggravated sexual assault pursuant to TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. § 22.021(a)(3) and § 22.011(a)(2)(B) (Vernon Supp.1985). At the conclusion of the trial, the court found appellant guilty of indecency with a child pursuant to the specific provisions of TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. § 21.11(a)(1) (Vernon Supp.1985).

In his sole ground of error, appellant alleges that the judgment of conviction is void because the conviction is for an offense not alleged or included in the indictment. Appellant asserts that the determination of whether an offense is a lesser included offense under TEX.CODE CRIM.PROC.ANN. art. 37.09 (Vernon 1981) is made upon a case by case basis, and the controlling factor is whether the lesser offense could be proved by the same facts as necessary to establish the offense charged. Williams v. State, 605 S.W.2d 596 (Tex.Crim.App.1980).

TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. § 21.11(a)(1) provides that a person commits an offense if, with a child younger than 17 years and not his spouse, whether the child is of the same or opposite sex, he engages in sexual contact with the child. Sexual contact is defined as any touching of the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of another person with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person. TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. § 21.01(2) (Vernon Supp.1985). It has been consistently held...

To continue reading

Request your trial
5 cases
  • Buckner v. State
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Appeals
    • October 15, 1986
    ...material fact, which fact is not required to be proven for a conviction for aggravated sexual assault. Cunningham v. State, 694 S.W.2d 629, 630 (Tex.App.--San Antonio 1985, pet. pending). Accordingly, we hold that indecency with a child was not a lesser-included offense and the trial court ......
  • Nassar v. State
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Appeals
    • September 13, 1990
    ...and the retrial of the original offense violated their rights against double jeopardy. Appellants cite Cunningham v. State, 694 S.W.2d 629, 630 (Tex.App.--San Antonio 1985), rev'd on other grounds, 726 S.W.2d 151 (Tex.Crim.App.1987) and Sample v. State, 629 S.W.2d 86, 88 (Tex.App.--Dallas 1......
  • Cunningham v. State
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
    • March 18, 1987
    ..."indecency with a child is not a lesser included offense." It ordered an acquittal for indecency with a child. Cunningham v. State, 694 S.W.2d 629 (Tex.App.--San Antonio 1985). In its petition the State challenges the decision (and reasons given for it) of the Court of Appeals, and we grant......
  • Ryan v. State
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Appeals
    • April 17, 1986
    ...of whether indecency with a child is a lesser included offense of aggravated sexual assault has been specifically addressed in Cunningham v. State, 694 S.W.2d 629 (Tex.App.--San Antonio 1985, no pet.). In that case, the San Antonio court It has been consistently held that an essential eleme......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT