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Ex Parte Wong

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
Feb 18, 1981
67084
Reporters:
,
Before:
Clinton

OPINION

CLINTON, Judge.

This is an application for a post-conviction writ of habeas corpus which was submitted to this Court by ‍‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍the trial court pursuant to the provisions of Art. 11.07, V.A.C. C.P.

Petitioner was convicted of the offense of possession of cocaine, a controlled substance, in Cause No. 50,717 in the 147th Judicial District Court of Travis County. ‍‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍Punishment was assessed at imprisonment for 4 years probated.

Petitioner contends that the indictment in this case is fundamentally defective because it fails to allege an offense. A fundamentally defective indictment is subject to collateral attack. Ex parte Charles, 582 ‍‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍S.W.2d 836 (Tex.Cr.App.1979).

On the date alleged and proved, cocaine was not specifically named in a penalty group of the Controlled Substances Act. Art. 4476-15, V.A.C.S. Therefore, the indictment failed to state an offense. Crowl v. State, 611 S.W.2d 59 (1980); Taylor ‍‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍v. State, 610 S.W.2d 471 (1981). Petitioner is thus entitled to relief.

Accordingly, the judgment of conviction in Cause No. 50,717 is set aside and the *549 indictment is ordered dismissed. Petitioner is ordered discharged from all further confinement under this conviction. ‍‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍A copy of this opinion will be sent to the Texas Department of Corrections.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

McCORMICK, J., dissents.

Case Details

Case Name: Ex Parte Wong
Court Name: Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
Date Published: Feb 18, 1981
Citations: 612 S.W.2d 548; 1981 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 907; 67084
Docket Number: 67084
Court Abbreviation: Tex. Crim. App.
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