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Thomas v. State

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, Panel No. 1
Jun 11, 1980
599 S.W.2d 823 (Tex. Crim. App. 1980)

Summary

following acceptance of possession of controlled substance plea, defendant's testimony that she did not buy drug or know she had it did not require trial court to sua sponte withdraw guilty plea

Summary of this case from In re J.B.

Opinion

No. 64030.

June 11, 1980.

Appeal from the Criminal District Court Number 5, Dallas County, James K. Allen, J.

Russell W. Henrichs, Dallas, for appellant.

Henry M. Wade, Dist. Atty., Maridell Templeton and Todd C. Meier, Asst. Dist. Attys., Dallas, Robert Huttash, State's Atty., Austin, for the State.

Before ONION, P. J., and ROBERTS and DALLY, JJ.


OPINION


Appellant waived trial by jury and entered a plea of guilty before the court to the offense of possession of a controlled substance, namely, heroin. Art. 4476-15, Sec. 4.04, V.A.C.S. The court assessed punishment at imprisonment for five years in the Texas Department of Corrections.

In a single ground of error, appellant contends that the trial court erred by failing to sua sponte withdraw appellant's plea of guilty when evidence was introduced which reasonably raised the question as to the appellant's guilt.

The record contains a written judicial confession wherein the appellant stated: "I did knowingly and intentionally possess a controlled substance, to-wit: heroin, as charged in the indictment."

The appellant contends that her own testimony after her plea of guilty raised a question of her guilt. The appellant had testified that she did not purchase the heroin and that she had no idea the heroin had been left in her purse.

In Moon v. State, 572 S.W.2d 681 (Tex.Cr.App. 1978), this Court held that a trial court is no longer required to sua sponte withdraw a plea of guilty and enter a plea of not guilty for a defendant when the defendant enters the plea of guilty before the court after waiving a jury, even if evidence is adduced that might reasonably and fairly raise an issue of fact as to the guilt of the defendant. The trial judge as the trier of the facts may without withdrawing the plea decide the issue either finding the defendant not guilty or guilty as he believes the facts require. See Sullivan v. State, 573 S.W.2d 1, 4 (Tex.Cr.App. 1978) and Knight v. State, 581 S.W.2d 692 (Tex.Cr.App. 1979). After having already received appellant's written judicial confession, the trial court did not err in failing to sua sponte withdraw appellant's plea of guilty and enter a plea of not guilty for her. Appellant's contention is overruled.

The judgment is affirmed.


This is a classic example of why the rule in Moon v. State, 572 S.W.2d 681 (Tex.Cr.App. 1978), overruling long time precedent is wrong. Here before the finding of guilt by the trial court the appellant testified under oath that she did not purchase the heroin and had no idea that the heroin was in her purse which had been loaned to a friend. When this testimony was received, the court sua sponte should have halted the proceedings and offered the appellant an opportunity to withdraw such testimony or enter a plea of not guilty. If the appellant had refused such action, the court should then have entered a not guilty plea for her before proceeding.

It offends my sense of justice that a guilty plea proceeding is allowed to continue despite a defendant's protestations of innocence.

I dissent.


Summaries of

Thomas v. State

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, Panel No. 1
Jun 11, 1980
599 S.W.2d 823 (Tex. Crim. App. 1980)

following acceptance of possession of controlled substance plea, defendant's testimony that she did not buy drug or know she had it did not require trial court to sua sponte withdraw guilty plea

Summary of this case from In re J.B.

stating that trial court has no duty to withdraw defendant's "guilty" plea sua sponte after defendant has waived jury trial, even if evidence fairly raises issue as to defendant's innocence

Summary of this case from Menefee v. State

In Thomas v. State, 599 S.W.2d 823, 824 (Tex.Crim.App. 1980), the Court of Criminal Appeals held that a trial court is not required to sua sponte withdraw a plea of guilty and enter a plea of not guilty for a defendant when the defendant enters the plea of guilty before the court after waiving a jury, even if evidence is adduced that might reasonably and fairly raise an issue of fact as to the guilt of the defendant.

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

Thomas v. State

Case Details

Full title:Betty Lynn THOMAS, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee

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

Date published: Jun 11, 1980

Citations

599 S.W.2d 823 (Tex. Crim. App. 1980)

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