midpage

Almanza v. StateAlmanza v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas
May 4, 1983
2-81-340-CR
Reporters:
Before:
Fender

OPINION ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

FENDER, Chief Justice.

Our prior opinion is withdrawn.

We ‍​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‍reverse and remand.

Although many recent opinions have offhandedly dismissed the changing of “and” in the indictment to “or” in the ‍​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‍court’s charge, such approach is dangerous and usually fatal in matters where aggravation or jurisdiction is involved. In the instant cause of aggravated rape the indictment joined the ‍​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‍allegation of threats of death to the standard form allegation of rape by the word and. In the court’s charge the aggravation ‍​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‍feature was disjoined from rape by the word or. Such constitutes fundamental error. Messenger v. State, 638 S.W.2d 883 (Tex.Cr.App.1982).

The cause is reversed and remanded ‍​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‍to the trial court for further proceedings under this indictment.

Case Details

Case Name: Almanza v. State
Court Name: Court of Appeals of Texas
Date Published: May 4, 1983
Citations: 645 S.W.2d 885; 2-81-340-CR
Docket Number: 2-81-340-CR
Court Abbreviation: Tex. App.
Log In