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Ex parte Bozeman

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
May 21, 1958
No. 29865
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Woodley
WOODLEY, Judge.

Appellant sought discharge from custody of police officers of the City of Tulia ‍‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‍who, it appears, held him on a capias pro fine issued out of the corporation court. He appeals from an order of the county court entered after hearing ‍‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‍remanding him to custody.

The complaint upon which he was tried and convicted was offered in evidence by appellant at the hearing but was excluded. It appears as a ‍‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‍part of the bill of exception which certifies that it was the complaint upon which the case against appellant in the corporation court was based.

The complaint is ‍‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‍signed but does not appear to have been sworn to.

An unsworn complaint cannot be the basis of criminal prosecution in the corporation court and the judgment rendered thereon ‍‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‍is void.

The judgment remanding appellant to custody is reversed and he is ordered discharged.

Case Details

Case Name: Ex parte Bozeman
Court Name: Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
Date Published: May 21, 1958
Citations: 313 S.W.2d 300; 166 Tex. Crim. 270; 1958 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 4581; No. 29865
Docket Number: No. 29865
Court Abbreviation: Tex. Crim. App.
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