Roderick Jordan v. State
07-14-00440-CR
| Tex. App. | Dec 22, 2016Background
- Roderick Jordan was convicted after a bench trial of murdering James Gregory Lynn; sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.
- Police found Lynn’s body in the cab of Jordan’s 18-wheeler after a traffic stop; medical examiner testified Lynn had ~70 sharp-force injuries, including a fatal neck wound and chest wounds.
- Jordan admitted stabbing Lynn and cutting his throat but testified he acted in self-defense during a violent struggle in the truck cab while both were high on crack cocaine.
- Physical evidence included a knife in the cab with Lynn’s DNA, a bloody knife on the dashboard (positive for blood), and fingernail scrapings from Lynn showing only his DNA.
- Contradicting Jordan’s account: photos showed extensive wounds to Lynn and no injuries to Jordan; Jordan gave inconsistent statements to police (initially denied involvement); witnesses testified Jordan was angry over drug deals, money, and damaged/removed tires.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sufficiency of evidence to disprove self-defense | State: evidence allowed rational factfinder to reject self-defense and prove murder beyond a reasonable doubt | Jordan: his testimony and physical evidence supported a self-defense claim | Affirmed — court held evidence (credibility, physical facts, inconsistencies) permitted rejection of self-defense and supported murder conviction |
Key Cases Cited
- Zuliani v. State, 97 S.W.3d 589 (Tex. Crim. App. 2003) (defendant’s initial burden to produce evidence of self-defense and State’s burden to disprove it beyond a reasonable doubt)
- Saxton v. State, 804 S.W.2d 910 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991) (factfinder may reject defendant’s self-defense testimony; credibility is for the factfinder)
- Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307 (U.S. 1979) (standard for sufficiency review — whether any rational trier of fact could find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt)
- Brooks v. State, 323 S.W.3d 893 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010) (discussion of sufficiency standard and deference to factfinder’s credibility determinations)
- Villarreal v. State, 286 S.W.3d 321 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009) (use of a hypothetically correct jury charge in measuring sufficiency)
- Kuciemba v. State, 310 S.W.3d 460 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010) (same standard for direct and circumstantial evidence)
- Clayton v. State, 235 S.W.3d 772 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007) (trier of fact is sole judge of witness credibility and may draw reasonable inferences)
- Hooper v. State, 214 S.W.3d 9 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007) (circumstantial evidence can be sufficient to establish guilt)
- Morales v. State, 357 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. Crim. App. 2011) (self-defense justification elements and related penal code interpretation)
- King v. State, 29 S.W.3d 556 (Tex. Crim. App. 2000) (false statements as evidence of consciousness of guilt)