Opinion

Saunders v. State

  • 172 Tex. Crim. 17
  • 353 S.W.2d 419
  • 1961 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 3541
Court
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
Filed
Nov 15, 1961
Status
Published
Author
Morrison
On the bench
Morrison, McDonald, Woodley
Cited by
9 cases
Authority
More cited than 94.5%

The opinion

MORRISON, Judge.

The offense is driving while intoxicated as a second offender; the punishment, two years in jail.

In view of our disposition of this case, a recitation of the facts will not be necessary.

Bill of Exception No. 1 reflects that while highway patrolman Stone was testifying he was asked by the prosecutor, “Did you offer to give (the appellant) any kind of a blood test?” to which the witness replied, “Yes, sir.” No evidence of the results of a blood test was introduced. We are called upon to decide whether or not this got before the jury the inadmissible evidence that appellant had been offered a blood test and refused to take it.

We have been furnished able briefs by both the state and appellant in which all of the cases on the subject have been discussed. We have concluded that the two principal cases which require distinction are Sublett v. State, 158 Texas Cr. Rep. 627 , 258 S.W. 2d 336 (relied upon by the state), and Jordan v. State, 163 Texas Cr. Rep. 287 , 290 S.W. 2d 666 (relied upon by appellant). In Sublett, the officer was asked if at the time he had accused under arrest he had in his possession an intoximeter test. The question does not appear to have been answered. The fact that the officer may or may not have had such a test in his possession in nowise informed the jury that such a test was offered to appellant and that he refused to take it.

In Jordan, on the other hand, the officer volunteered the information that he had offered the blood test to the accused and that he had not answered when such offer was made.

We have concluded that the rule in Jordan is here controlling and that reversible error is reflected by that which has been set out above. See also Brown v. State, 309 S.W. 2d 452 .

The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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