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Ex parte Cranford

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
Jul 11, 1979
Nos. 61940, 61941
Reporters:
,
Before:
Douglas

OPINION

DOUGLAS, Judge.

In two causes, the applicant seeks habeas corpus relief under Article 11.07, V.A.C.C.P.

He contends that both indictments ‍‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‍are void for failing to allege a culpable mental state. Under past decisions of this Court, he is correct.

One indictment in part alleges that Cran-ford “. . did then and there enter a building which was ‍‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‍not open to the public, without the consent of Mrs. Agnes Shelton, *635the owner, and therein attempted to commit and committed theft.”

The other indictment alleges the same thing except that it alleges a different owner.

Ex parte ‍‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‍Winton, 549 S.W.2d 751 (Tex.Cr.App.1977), is controlling. In that case the indictment alleged that Winton “did then and there enter a building without the effective consent of Gary Minshew, the owner, and therein attempted to commit and ‍‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‍committed theft.” The Court held that the indictment, which is the same as the two in the present causes, did not allege a culpable mental state and was fundamentally defective.

The indictments in the present causes are ‍‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‍fundamentally defective under the Winton case.

Accordingly, the relief requested is granted and the prosecutions in both causes are ordered dismissed.

Case Details

Case Name: Ex parte Cranford
Court Name: Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
Date Published: Jul 11, 1979
Citations: 583 S.W.2d 634; 1979 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1558; Nos. 61940, 61941
Docket Number: Nos. 61940, 61941
Court Abbreviation: Tex. Crim. App.
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