Stone, Alfred Lee
WR-22,735-47
| Tex. App. | Apr 17, 2015Background
- Appellant Alfred Lee Stone was convicted by a jury of burglary of a building; two prior felony convictions were alleged for enhancement and the trial court assessed a 70‑year sentence.
- Facts: a police officer on patrol responded to a ‘‘suspicious person’’ call at ~4:00 a.m.; officer observed a man pushing an air compressor and carrying a TV in a high‑crime area and identified appellant as the man.
- Officers found a garage with a broken lock and white dust inside; appellant had white dust on his clothing and gave inconsistent stories about possession of the property. An ID card in the name Alfred Stone was found on him; the officer initially released him but later appellant was arrested.
- On appeal Stone raised six points: unlawful restraint/wrongful imprisonment (mistaken identity), defects in the indictment, ineffective assistance of trial and appellate counsel, insufficiency of enhancement allegations, and related briefing complaints.
- The Court of Appeals (Fifth District, Dallas) reviewed waiver/briefing deficiencies but addressed the merits and affirmed the trial court judgment.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument (Stone) | Defendant's Argument (State) | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlawful restraint / wrongful imprisonment (mistaken identity) | Arrest/confine was based on mistaken identity; ID card showed a different name (Albert), so arrest unlawful | Record shows ID read "Alfred Stone," same as appellant; no discrepancy | Overruled — no evidence of name discrepancy; points 1 and 3 denied |
| Indictment sufficiency | Indictment inconsistent with suspect's name and thus failed to prove required allegations | Indictment named Alfred Stone; evidence showed ID matched indictment | Overruled — record does not support appellant's allegation |
| Ineffective assistance of counsel | Trial counsel failed to highlight name discrepancy, failed to object to use of prior convictions, prior counsel failed to appeal priors as requested | Strickland standard not met; record contains no support for claimed failures or name discrepancy | Overruled — record does not support ineffective‑assistance claims (Strickland not satisfied) |
| Enhancement paragraphs / collateral attack on priors | Prior convictions used for enhancement were invalid because previous counsel did not appeal, making enhancement insufficient | Appellate record lacks post‑trial records; appellate brief cannot collaterally attack priors; no record support for appellant's premise | Overruled — claim amounts to impermissible collateral attack; enhancement allegation upheld |
Key Cases Cited
- Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984) (two‑part test for ineffective assistance of counsel: deficient performance and prejudice)
- Willis v. State, 785 S.W.2d 378 (Tex. Crim. App. 1989) (appellate points must correspond to trial objections to preserve error)
- Sterling v. State, 800 S.W.2d 513 (Tex. Crim. App. 1990) (appellate complaints different from trial objections preserve nothing)
- Smith v. State, 683 S.W.2d 393 (Tex. Crim. App. 1984) (failure to cite authority in brief preserves nothing for review)
- Pierce v. State, 777 S.W.2d 399 (Tex. Crim. App. 1989) (briefing must set out legal theory to preserve appellate review)
- Ex parte Cruz, 739 S.W.2d 53 (Tex. Crim. App. 1987) (review totality of counsel's representation at punishment stage for effectiveness)
- Johnson v. State, 691 S.W.2d 619 (Tex. Crim. App. 1984) (record must support ineffective‑assistance claims)
- Legg v. State, 594 S.W.2d 429 (Tex. Crim. App. 1980) (collateral attack on prior conviction improper in enhancement context)
- Alexander v. State, 757 S.W.2d 95 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1988, pet. ref'd) (same principle on impermissible collateral attack)
Disposition: Affirmed (trial court judgment affirmed).
