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Garza v State

May 29, 2002
No. 1993-01


IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS

OF TEXAS

NOS. 1993-01 & 1994-01

JOSEPH GARZA, JR., Appellant

v.

THE STATE OF TEXAS

ON STATE’S PETITION FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW

FROM THE FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS

KERR COUNTY

The opinion of the Court was delivered per curiam.

O P I N I O N

The trial court convicted Appellant of aggravated robbery and escape. The court sentenced him in the aggravated robbery case to confinement for sixteen years and a $1,000 fine, and in the escape case to ten years and a $1,000 fine. The Court of Appeals found that the record did not contain a written jury waiver or a statement in open court by Appellant waiving his right to a jury trial. Garza v. State, 61 S.W.3d 585 (Tex. App. – San Antonio 2001). The court noted that the record contains findings of facts and conclusions of law from the trial court concerning a motion for new trial. The trial court found that based on an affidavit from trial counsel, Appellant was informed of his right to a jury trial and voluntarily and knowingly waived that right. Id. at 588. However, the Court of Appeals reversed the conviction, holding that the lack of a written jury waiver or a statement in open court by Appellant was harmful since it affected Appellant’s substantial rights. Id. at 589.

In Johnson v. State, ___S.W.3d___ (Tex. Crim. App. No. 389-99, delivered April 10, 2002), this Court held that the lack of a written jury waiver is not harmful when the record reflects that the defendant was aware of his right to a jury trial and waived that right. When the Court of Appeals decided this case, it did not have the benefit of this Court’s opinion in Johnson. Accordingly, we grant grounds one and two of the State’s petition for discretionary review, vacate the judgment of the Court of Appeals, and remand to that court for reconsideration in light of our opinion in Johnson.

Date delivered: May 29, 2002
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This information is made available as a free public service for your personal, non-commercial use. While every effort has been made to provide accurate material at this site, it is provided "as is" and no representations are made that it is free of mistakes or inaccuracies. This file was derived from the text posted on the web site of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, by the automatic operation of conversion software, and may contain errors.

Baker's Legal Pages are a public service of Freelance Enterprises, Inc.
Casenotes Listing Table of Recent Opinions
Send your comments or suggestions to fei@bakers-legal-pages.com
© 2002 Lang Baker