Lujan v. State

Decision Date17 July 1968
Docket NumberNo. 41229,41229
Citation430 S.W.2d 513
PartiesFidel LUJAN, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee.
CourtTexas Court of Criminal Appeals

Jack Connell, Wichita Falls, for appellant.

Stanley C. Kirk, Dist. Atty., John Bradshaw, Asst. Dist. Atty., Wichita Falls, and Leon B. Douglas, State's Atty., Austin, for the State.

OPINION

MORRISON, Judge.

The offense is murder without malice; the punishment, four years.

As ground for reversal, appellant contends that the trial court erred in charging on mutual combat.

Three witnesses testified for the State as to the circumstances surrounding the shooting of deceased.

Mrs. Gonzales, the owner of the establishment where the shooting occurred, testified that on the night in question the deceased entered and began arguing with appellant. She then left the bar and while in her living quarters attached to the bar heard some shots fired.

The witness Galvan said that he was there when the deceased entered; that the deceased came over to appellant and had some words with him, which the witness did not hear. He then heard appellant tell deceased to 'Shut up', to which deceased replied that 'he (appellant) couldn't shut him up.' Galvan testified further:

'Q. Did they leave the Palmita Bar, or did they stay there all the time that night?

A. No, they walked outside.

Q. All right, were you standing there when they walked outside?

A. Yes, Sir.'

The witness Tobar testified that he was present when the deceased came in and started talking with the appellant, but that he had no idea as to what they were talking about. He remembered Mrs. Gonzales talking with deceased, but did not hear the conversation. He testified that both the deceased and the appellant left, but that he did not recall which one left first.

The appellant testified substantially as follows: While he was seated on a stool at the bar, appellant was joined by deceased, who told him that 'he (deceased) would have to kill me a s_ _o_ _b_ _ tonight.' According to appellant, Tobar told the deceased to leave appellant alone. Deceased then told appellant to go outside with him. Deceased grabbed appellant and tried to jerk him off the stool, saying that if appellant would not go outside with him, he (deceased) would have to drag him (appellant) outside. Appellant refused to go outside with deceased. Again the deceased insisted that appellant accompany him outside, and again his requests were refused. Deceased then walked toward the side door, then returned to...

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8 cases
  • Davis v. State, NUMBERS 13-15-00355-CR
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Appeals
    • June 1, 2017
    ...claims the defense of consent or "mutual combat," there must be evidence of an antecedent agreement to fight. See Lujan v. State, 430 S.W.2d 513, 514 (Tex. Crim. App. 1968) ; see also Miller v. State, 312 S.W.3d 209, 212 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2010, pet. ref'd) (concluding evidence......
  • State v. Bowers
    • United States
    • South Carolina Court of Appeals
    • August 7, 2019
    ...of there being evidence of an antecedent agreement to fight before there can be an issue of mutual combat); Lujan v. State , 430 S.W.2d 513, 514 (Tex. Crim. App. 1968) ; Green v. State , 302 Ga. 816, 809 S.E.2d 738, 741 (2018) ; State v. Johnson , 53 Conn.App. 476, 733 A.2d 852, 855 (1999).......
  • State v. Taylor, 25637.
    • United States
    • South Carolina Supreme Court
    • June 12, 2002
    ...mutual combat. Eckhardt v. People, 126 Colo. 18, 247 P.2d 673 (1952); People v. Cuevas, 740 P.2d 25 (Colo.App.1987); Lujan v. State, 430 S.W.2d 513, 514 (Tex.Crim.App.1968); Carson v. State, 89 Tex.Crim. 342, 230 S.W. 997 Georgia has limited the application of mutual combat in another way b......
  • Milburn v. State
    • United States
    • Texas Court of Appeals
    • April 6, 2022
    ...antecedent agreement to fight. Davis v. State, 533 S.W.3d 498, 513-14 (Tex. App.- Corpus Christi-Edinburg 2017, pet. ref'd) (citing Lujan, 430 S.W.2d at 514, and Miller State, 312 S.W.3d 209, 212 (Tex. App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2010, pet. ref'd)). Melissa's Testimony Melissa testified that ......
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