© 2003 Lang Baker
Shannon v StateJune 18, 2003No. 74,317 IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TEXAS NO. 74,317 WILLIE MARCEL SHANNON, Appellant v. THE STATE OF TEXAS ON DIRECT APPEAL FROM HARRIS COUNTY
OPINION Appellant, Willie Marcel Shannon, appeals from a district court order denying post-conviction DNA1 testing with respect to an unadjudicated, extraneous offense. Finding no reversible error, we affirm. The Relevant Facts In late 1993, in Harris County, appellant was tried and convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death.2 At the punishment stage of the trial, the State offered, and the district court admitted, testimonial evidence that, on the day of the capital murder, appellant also committed an extraneous aggravated sexual assault. The State offered the evidence in an attempt to show that appellant would be a danger in the future. In late 2001, appellant filed a motion in the convicting district court, pursuant to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure article 64.01, requesting that all physical evidence pertaining to the extraneous aggravated sexual assault be subjected to forensic DNA testing and the results compared to his DNA to establish that he was not the assailant in that offense.3 Evidently, appellant believed that if he could show that he was not the assailant in the extraneous aggravated sexual assault, he would be entitled to a new punishment hearing, at which he might avoid the death penalty. In his motion for DNA testing, appellant did not explain precisely what physical evidence he wanted tested. In early 2002, the State filed a response to appellants motion. In its response, the State argued that, among other things, it no longer possessed any physical evidence pertaining to the extraneous aggravated sexual assault.4 Accompanying the States response was the affidavit5 of K. L. McGinnis, the evidence records custodian of the Houston Police Department (H.P.D.), to the effect that the physical evidence pertaining to the aggravated sexual assault had been destroyed by H.P.D. personnel in 1997. Also accompanying the States response were photocopies of H.P.D. records establishing that the evidence in question had been a condom wrapper, a plastic bag, another bag containing the victims clothing, and a sexual assault kit. On February 5, 2002, the district court denied appellants motion for DNA testing. In its written findings of fact, the district court found in the negative on the question of whether any physical evidence pertaining to the extraneous aggravated sexual assault still existed. The Points of Error After reviewing the record and the briefs, we conclude that we need address only appellants third and fourth points of error. Given our disposition of appellants third and fourth points of error, his first, second, fifth, and sixth points of error are rendered moot.6 In his third point of error, appellant argues that [t]he trial court erred ... in refusing to make inquiry [of the State] and make necessary findings of fact that all DNA evidence relating to [appellants] request has been produced and/or properly accounted for. Appellant argues further under this point that it appears that [Texas Code of Criminal Procedure article] 64.02 ... anticipates and directs the trial court hearing the motion [for DNA testing] to make inquiry of the State relating to the existence of such materials for testing, as well as an accounting of such in the possession of or within the knowledge of the State.7 From the record before us, however, it appears that appellant did not ask the district court to make such an inquiry of the State. Consequently, appellant has forfeited the right to complain on appeal that the district court erred in failing to make such an inquiry. See Tex. R. App. Proc. 33.1(a). We overrule appellants third point of error. In his fourth point of error, appellant complains of the district courts negative finding on the question of whether any physical evidence pertaining to the extraneous aggravated sexual assault still exists. Appellant argues that the record evidence supporting that negative finding is so weak as to make the district courts negative finding clearly wrong and manifestly unjust. We disagree. The State offered substantial evidence, discussed previously, to the effect that the physical evidence in its possession pertaining to the extraneous aggravated sexual assault was destroyed in 1997. Appellant offered no evidence to the contrary. On this record, the district court could have reasonably concluded that no physical evidence pertaining to the extraneous aggravated sexual assault presently exists. We overrule appellants fourth point of error. We affirm the order of the district court. DELIVERED JUNE 18, 2003 1 DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a type of organic molecule, in the shape of a double helix, found in the nuclei of all living cells. See E. D. Hirsch, et al., The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy 530 (3rd ed. 2002). 2 We upheld appellants conviction and sentence on direct appeal. Shannon v. State, 942 S.W.2d 591, 601 (Tex.Crim.App. 1996). 3 Article 64.01 provides, in relevant part, that [a] convicted person may submit to the convicting court a motion for forensic DNA testing of evidence containing biological material. 4 Texas Code of Criminal Procedure article 64.03(a)(1)(A)(i) provides that [a] convicting court may order forensic DNA testing ... only if the court finds that the evidence still exists and is in a condition making DNA testing possible. 5 Affidavit evidence is perfectly acceptable in this context. Rivera v. State, 89 S.W.3d 55, 59 (Tex.Crim.App. 2002). 6 Appellants first, second, fifth, and sixth points of error are: 7 Article 64.02 provides: On receipt of the motion [for DNA testing], the convicting court shall: 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.
© 2003 Lang Baker |