Taylor v. State, 53910
Decision Date | 06 April 1977 |
Docket Number | No. 53910,53910 |
Citation | 549 S.W.2d 722 |
Parties | Joseph Henry TAYLOR, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee. |
Court | Texas Court of Criminal Appeals |
Appellant was convicted by a jury for driving a motor vehicle on a public highway while intoxicated. The jury assessed punishment at confinement in jail for one (1) year and at a fine of $500.00. The jury found appellant eligible for probation under the terms of Article 42.13, Vernon's Ann. C.C.P., and recommended that the fine only be probated. The court ordered the fine be probated for a period of eighteen months. Judgment was then entered and sentence pronounced reflecting the jury's verdict and the court's action thereon.
The record is before us without a transcription of the court reporter's notes. No brief was filed in the trial court in appellant's behalf as is required by Article 40.09, § 9, Vernon's Ann.C.C.P. No question of indigency is raised. Nevertheless, in light of the punishment assessed, we shall review whether that penalty and the probation granted were properly handled under Article 42.13, supra, "in the interest of justice." Article 40.09, § 13, Vernon's Ann.C.C.P.
At the penalty stage of the trial the court instructed the jury on the penalty applicable to driving while intoxicated and on the law of misdemeanor probation. Two verdict forms were submitted along with these instructions as follows:
During deliberations at the penalty stage of the trial the jury sent the following note to the court:
The court answered:
"The length of the period of probation is not for consideration by the Jury."
The jury then utilized the second verdict form set out above by assessing punishment at one year in the county jail and at a fine of $500.00. The jury further recommended the "fine" be probated.
Article 42.13, § 3(b), Vernon's Ann.C.C.P., provides:
§ 4 of the statute provides:
§ 6 of the Act deals with revocation of misdemeanor probation and provides in part:
§ 7 of the statute provides as follows:
§ 4 clearly provides that when misdemeanor probation is granted the finding of guilt does not become final and the court is prohibited from rendering judgment thereon except in the subsequent event of revocation. This court has repeatedly held that no judgment should be entered where probation is granted in a misdemeanor case. See Ex parte Smith, 493 S.W.2d 958 (Tex.Cr.App.1973); Lee v. State, 516 S.W.2d 151 (Tex.Cr.App.1974); Coby v. State, 518 S.W.2d 829 (Tex.Cr.App.1975); McIntosh v. State, 534 S.W.2d 143 (Tex.Cr.App.1976); Savant v. State, 535 S.W.2d 190 (Tex.Cr.App.1976) (footnote # 1).
All of this is reinforced by the provisions of § 6 of Article 42.13, supra, that judgment is not to be entered until the revocation of probation.
In Lee v. State, supra, it was written:
See also Coby v. State, supra.
In Lee the jury found the defendant guilty of selling an obscene magazine (Article 527, Vernon's Ann.P.C., 1925), and subsequently the court assessed punishment at a fine of $1,000.00 and confinement in jail for six months, the last four months of which were to be probated. There this court held that where probation is granted in a misdemeanor conviction authority of the court insofar as confinement in jail is concerned is limited to suspension of the entire term and not merely part of it. The "order of trial court assessing the penalty" was reformed to show the entire six months in jail was to be probated and requiring the payment of the $1,000.00 fine. The payment of the fine was upheld under Article 42.13, § 5(b)(8), Vernon's Ann.C.C.P., which authorizes the court where it assesses punishment to direct payment of all or any portion of a fine as a condition of probation. Lee v. State, supra (footnote # 1). 1
In Coby v. State, supra, the defendant was convicted of aggravated assault. His punishment, assessed by the jury, was a $1,000.00 fine, probated, and twenty-four (24) months in jail, thirty days to be served and the balance probated. Lee was cited with approval as to the limitation on the authority of the court to suspend the entire jail term and not merely part of it. In Lee the punishment was assessed by the court and could be reformed by this court, but in Coby the punishment was assessed by the jury and the...
To continue reading
Request your trial-
DeVary v. State
...the term "interest of justice" is not limited to questions of constitutional dimension or of fundamental error. See Taylor v. State, 549 S.W.2d 722 (Tex.Cr.App.1977); Williams v. State, 522 S.W.2d 488, 493 (Tex.Cr.App.1975) (Dissenting Opinion), and cases there I must express my concern and......
-
Franklin v. State, 53310
...we were confronted with the same question here and the same type of verdict form as used in the instant case in Taylor v. State, 549 S.W.2d 722 (Tex.Cr.App.1977). After reviewing Article 42.13, V.A.C.C.P., and prior decisions, the court "In authorizing the jury to probate either the fine or......
-
Ex parte McIver
...the jury to assess confinement (without a recommendation of probation) and a fine with a recommendation of probation. Taylor v. State, 549 S.W.2d 722 (Tex.Cr.App.1977). That is exactly what the jury did to this applicant. We also have held that the statute does not authorize the jury to imp......
-
Bogany v. State
...The error in the jury's verdict actually occurred because the trial court's charge was fundamentally erroneous. See Taylor v. State, 549 S.W.2d 722 (Tex.Cr.App.1977). Fundamental error in the court's charge may be raised for the first time on appeal. It can never be harmless error. Ex parte......