Willis v. State

• Decision Date: 28 March 1979
• Docket Number: No. 56634,No. 1,56634,1
• Parties: Cecil Ray WILLIS, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee
• Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Page 500

626 S.W.2d 500

Cecil Ray WILLIS, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee.

No. 56634.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, Panel No. 1.

March 28, 1979.

Rehearing Denied Jan. 20, 1982.

H. Thomas Hirsch, Odessa, for appellant.

Vern F. Martin, Dist. Atty. & Timothy A. Sloan, Asst. Dist. Atty., Midland, Robert Huttash, State's Atty., Austin, for the State.

Before DOUGLAS, PHILLIPS and W. C. DAVIS, JJ.

OPINION

W. C. DAVIS, Judge.

Appeal follows a rape conviction under Article 1183, Vernon's Ann.P.C., where punishment was assessed by the jury at forty years confinement. Appellant raises nine grounds of error. We affirm.

Grounds of error one, two, and three are directed toward the action of the trial court in dismissing a witness subpoenaed on behalf of appellant. Appellant claims such action constitutes an abuse of discretion and argues further that the trial court erred in refusing to grant an attachment for the absent witness and erred in overruling appellant's motion for continuance based on absence of the witness.

Appellant's case had been docketed for four years. Several continuances had been granted appellant, and two attorneys represented appellant during this time. Eventually, appellant's case was given a special setting on October 18, 1976. Subpoenas on behalf of appellant were issued on October 6, 1976, and among those subpoenaed was Walter Weaver, an attorney. Weaver had been appellant's court-appointed counsel in a 1965 guilty plea in Hidalgo County. Weaver was served his subpoena on October 13, 1976. There followed a series of communications between Weaver, the court, and the parties with the end result being that Weaver was excused from his subpoena by the trial court on the day of the trial.

In a hearing on pre-trial motions, the trial court revealed to appellant that he had conversed with Weaver over the telephone and advised Weaver that his presence would not be required at appellant's trial. Appellant and his attorney both took the stand outside the presence of the jury in support of a motion for continuance based on the absence of Weaver. This testimony indicated that Weaver's presence was required to collaterally attack the 1965 guilty plea as invalid based on the allegation that Weaver's representation of appellant in 1965 was inadequate. ¹

The trial court overruled the motion for continuance and also refused to issue an attachment for Weaver.

The record reflects that the expected testimony of Weaver concerned only the validity of appellant's guilty plea in 1965, and the impeachment value of that conviction. Appellant argues that by dismissing Weaver, the trial court denied him the opportunity to attack the 1965 conviction. As a result, appellant contends, he was prevented from testifying in his own behalf fearing impeachment from the 1965 conviction.

Initially, we note some confusion and argument as to the proper procedure to follow to preserve this error. The State argues that the failure of appellant to include an affidavit of Weaver precludes our review of these alleged errors. Brito v. State, 459 S.W.2d 834 (Tex.Cr.App.1970).

Where a subpoenaed witness fails to appear after being called, an attachment for that witness should be sought. Article 24.22, Vernon's Ann.C.C.P. If an attachment is denied then a motion for continuance should be made supported by an affidavit or a showing under oath of the expected testimony of the absent witness. ² If this motion is overruled, a motion for new trial is required supported by the affidavit of the absent witness or a showing under oath of why no affidavit could be obtained, coupled with the expected testimony of the witness. Brito, supra; Lewis v. State, 481 S.W.2d 139 (Tex.Cr.App.1972); Rodriguez v. State, 513 S.W.2d 22 (Tex.Cr.App.1970).

Here appellant filed no motion for new trial with supporting affidavit from Weaver. Normally such failure would preclude our review of appellant's allegation. However, because of the involvement of the trial court in this matter, we proceed to review appellant's contentions in the interest of justice.

There is no question but that the excusing of a subpoenaed witness by the trial court under the facts of this case constitutes error. U.S.C.A.Const.Amend. 6 and 14; Vernon's Ann.Tex.Const., Art. I, Sec. 10; Washington v. Texas, 388 U.S. 14, 87 S.Ct. 1920, 18 L.Ed.2d 1019; Articles 1.05 and 29.13, Vernon's Ann.C.C.P.; Ross v. State, 504 S.W.2d 862 (Tex.Cr.App.1974). We must now determine if this error harmed appellant.

The record is clear that appellant expected to collaterally attack his 1965 conviction with Weaver's testimony. If that conviction was held invalid, appellant expected to testify in his own behalf without fear of being impeached by his criminal history. It is at this point that appellant's argument breaks down. The record contains several other state convictions and one federal conviction. While these convictions may have been inadmissible individually under the doctrine of remoteness, they were without question admissible collectively to show a lack of reformation. ³ Watkins v. State, 572 S.W.2d 339 (Tex.Cr.App.1978); Milligan v. State, 554 S.W.2d 192 (Tex.Cr.App.1977). Therefore, had Weaver testified and the 1965 conviction been held invalid, appellant was still subject to impeachment by his past criminal convictions.

Appellant argues that the right to compel witnesses to appear in his behalf is basic and fundamental. With this proposition, we have no quarrel. We simply note that had appellant received one hundred per cent of his expectations from Weaver's testimony, the result would have remained unchanged. Appellant would still face impeachment by prior criminal convictions even if the 1965 guilty plea was held invalid. ⁴

By this opinion we do not recommend the practice of excusing witnesses subpoenaed on behalf of either party. We hold only that based on these facts, the appellant suffered no harm. Grounds of error one, two, and three are overruled.

In ground of error four, appellant complains of the admission, during the punishment phase, of a Harris County conviction for the reason that the record is silent as to whether or not appellant waived his right to confront and cross-examine witnesses or his right of appeal.

When the Harris County conviction was introduced, the objection was as to "identity." The ground of error on appeal does not comport with the trial objection. This ground of error presents nothing for review. Watkins, supra. See also Richards v. State, 562 S.W.2d 456 (Tex.Cr.App.1977); Buckner v. State, 538 S.W.2d 132 (Tex.Cr.App.1976).

Ground of error five complains of the sufficiency of the evidence to support appellant's conviction for robbery in Harris County. Collateral attacks of judgments directed toward sufficiency of the evidence will not be heard. Ex parte Ash, 514 S.W.2d 762 (Tex.Cr.App.1974).

In ground of error six, appellant complains of error in the refusal of the trial court to permit appellant to offer testimony of the prosecutrix that every time she had sexual intercourse, her private parts became irritated and that she had difficulty and pain when participating in the act of intercourse. This ground is wholly without merit.

The record reflects the following dialogue during the cross-examination of the prosecutrix:

"Q. Everytime you had sex, it bothered you, didn't it, irritated your private parts?

"A. Yes.

"Q. All right."

The very evidence toward which the ground of error is directed is in the record and was available for argument. Ground of error six is overruled.

In ground of error seven, appellant complains that the trial court erred in failing to grant his motion in limine regarding prior convictions which deprived appellant of his right to take the stand in his own behalf. As we have previously noted, appellant's convictions were admissible to show lack of reformation. Watkins, supra. Ground of error seven is overruled.

In grounds of error eight and nine, appellant claims error in the overruling of his amended motion for a new trial because he did not have adequate notice of the hearing on the motion nor ample opportunity to subpoena the jurors concerning the allegations of jury misconduct. Appellant further argues that the only competent evidence before the court was the affidavit of appellant's attorney which alone was sufficient to support a finding of jury misconduct. We disagree.

The record shows that the notice of the hearing was mailed by certified mail the day before Thanksgiving. The notice was received at the office of appellant's attorney the day after Thanksgiving; however, the attorney was out of town. When appellant's attorney returned to his office on November 29, 1976, the day of the hearing, he discovered the notice. Immediately, the attorney attempted to subpoena all the members of the jury.

While these facts may show a short time in which to prepare for the hearing, the record reflects the following exchange:

"The Court: What are you trying to tell the Court? Do you want a continuance?

"Attorney: Judge, I'm trying to tell the Court I would like to get these witnesses on the stand...."

At no point did appellant's attorney request a continuance based on lack of notice or absence of witnesses. Articles 29.03 and 29.13, Vernon's Ann.C.C.P. Failure to request a continuance precludes our review of any absent witness allegations.

Concerning the overruling of appellant's motion for new trial, the trial court had several affidavits addressing the issue of jury misconduct. Appellant's attorney, in one of the affidavits, swore that he had overheard the jurors discussing parole and the length of time appellant would serve. ⁵ The remaining affidavits refute the allegation of misconduct on the part of the jury and were sufficient to support the trial court's action. Juror Tate's affidavit, contained in the record, contains the following:

"We did not consider as part of our deliberations at the penalty...