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Gonzales v. State

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, En Banc
Apr 17, 1985
689 S.W.2d 231 (Tex. Crim. App. 1985)

Summary

refusing discretionary review

Summary of this case from Green v. State

Opinion

No. 952-84.

April 17, 1985.

Appeal from the County Criminal Court at Law No. 6, Harris County, J. R. Musslewhite, J.

Clyde F. DeWitt, III, Houston, for appellant.

John B. Holmes, Jr., Dist. Atty., Timothy G. Taft Tim Horan, Asst. Dist. Attys., Houston, Robert Huttash, State's Atty. Alfred Walker, First Asst. State's Atty., Austin, for the State.

Before the court en banc.


OPINION ON STATE'S PETITION FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW


Appeal is taken from a conviction for obscenity. After the jury found appellant guilty, the court assessed punishment at 5 days and a $1,000.00 fine. The Court of Appeals reversed appellant's conviction. Gonzales v. State, 676 S.W.2d 437 (Tex.App. — Houston [1st] 1984). The reversal by the Court of Appeals was based on the holding that the trial court reversibly erred in submitting a charge to the jury on the presumption provided by V.T.C.A., Penal Code, Section 43.23(e). See Shealy v. State, 675 S.W.2d 215 (Tex.Cr.App. 1984); Davis v. State, 658 S.W.2d 572 (Tex.Cr.App. 1983).

In its petition for discretionary review, the State maintains that the Court of Appeals erroneously found that the evidence was insufficient to prove that appellant had knowledge of the content and character of the alleged obscene material. Such finding by the Court of Appeals was based on language within this Court's opinion in Shealy v. State, supra. The State appropriately notes that the question of sufficiency of the evidence was not before this Court in Shealy v. State, supra.

We agree with the Court of Appeals that appellant's conviction must be reversed due to submission of a charge on Section 43.23(e), supra. As is true in every case, refusal of discretionary review by this Court does not constitute an endorsement or adoption of the reasoning employed by the Court of Appeals. This is true where the petition is refused without opinion, as is the usual practice, as well as where the petition is refused with a brief opinion disavowing the reasoning employed by the Court of Appeals, as in the instant case. See Sheffield v. State, 650 S.W.2d 813 (Tex.Cr.App. 1983).

The State's petition for discretionary review is refused.


Summaries of

Gonzales v. State

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, En Banc
Apr 17, 1985
689 S.W.2d 231 (Tex. Crim. App. 1985)

refusing discretionary review

Summary of this case from Green v. State

In Gonzales v. State, 689 S.W.2d 231 (Tex.Cr.App. 1985), when this Court refused the State's petition for discretionary review, it pointed out that it disapproved the reasoning that the court of appeals had used in reaching its conclusion that the evidence was insufficient.

Summary of this case from Carroll v. State
Case details for

Gonzales v. State

Case Details

Full title:Ismael GONZALES, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee

Court:Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, En Banc

Date published: Apr 17, 1985

Citations

689 S.W.2d 231 (Tex. Crim. App. 1985)

Citing Cases

Green v. State

Burks, 437 U.S. at 18, 98 S.Ct. at 2150; Messer, 729 S.W.2d at 697. The State relies on several cases where…

Carroll v. State

Refusal of discretionary review by this Court does not constitute an endorsement or adoption of the reasoning…