Opinion

Jackson v. State

  • 403 S.W.2d 145
  • 1966 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1156
Court
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
Filed
Feb 16, 1966
Status
Published
Author
McDONALD
On the bench
Belcher, McDonald
Cited by
8 cases
Authority
More cited than 10.8%

The opinion

AMENDED OPINION ON APPELLANT’S MOTION FOR REHEARING

McDONALD, Presiding Judge.

Appellant re-urges the contention that Sheriff Humphreys’ association with the jury constituted a denial of due process of law and requires a reversal of the conviction, under the decision in Turner v. State of Louisiana, supra.

In his motion, he insists that any communication with the jury by the sheriff was in violation of Art. 671, Vernon’s Ann. C.C.P., and that under the decisions of this court there was a presumption of injury which was not rebutted by the state.

He also insists that the sheriff’s association with the jury presents reversible error under the decision of this court in Stecher v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 373 S.W.2d 255 .

We have again reviewed the record in the light of such contentions, and remain convinced that no reversible error is shown.

*150 The sheriff was not an unauthorized person under the provisions of Art. 671, supra. No presumption of injury would arise from his association with the jury. Gandy v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 140 S.W.2d 182 ; Holder v. State, 140 Tex.Cr.R. 55 , 143 S.W.2d 613 .

Stecher v. State, supra, involved a communication between the official court bailiff and the jury in which the bailiff answered a question propounded by the jurors. The communication in that case was an unauthorized instruction to the jury and constituted error. No such facts are presented in the case at bar.

We remain convinced that, under the authorities cited in our original opinion, the court did not err in permitting the witness Albert Bowie to testify, over appellant’s objection, that he was an incompetent.

The motion for rehearing is overruled.

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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