OPINION
Appellant was convicted of murder in our Cause No. 62,135. Punishment was assessed at forty-five years. A motion to revoke probation in our Cause No. 62,136, a theft case, was carried concurrently with the murder prosecution. While the jury was deliberating as to guilt or innocence in Cause No. 62,135, the trial judge entered an order revoking appellant’s probation in Cause No. 62,136 based upon the evidence heard in the murder case. Appellant’s probation was revoked and punishment on the theft conviction was assessed at six years. Neither the sufficiency of the evidence for the murder conviction nor the sufficiency of the evidence for the revocation of probation is challenged. To avoid confusion, the probation revocation and murder cases will be discussed separately.
THE MURDER CASE — Our Cause No. 62,135
In his first ground of error appellant complains of the failure of the trial court to charge the jury at the guilt-innocence phase of the trial on the lesser included offense of involuntary manslaughter. Appellant objected to the court’s charge for this omission. We note that the trial court did submit an instruction on the offense of criminally negligent homicide as a lesser included offense and the defense of accident.
In determining whether a charge on a lesser included offense is required, a two-step analysis is to be used. First, the lesser included offense must be included within the proof necessary to establish the offense charged. Secondly, there must be some evidence in the record that if the defendant is guilty he is not guilty of the alleged offense but is guilty only of the lesser offense.
Royster v. State,
Appellant testified that on the night of the offense he and Eddie Carogo went to an apartment in order to drop off some money. They were met at the door of the apartment by Bruce Stanfill. Stanfill invited them in and soon they were all
The distinction between involuntary manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide is simply of degree, the difference between recklessness and negligence.
Aliff v. State,
THE PROBATION REVOCATION — Our Cause No. 62,136
Appellant’s counsel has filed a brief in compliance with
Anders v. California,
The judgment in Cause No. 62,135 is reversed and the cause remanded for a new trial; the judgment in Cause No. 62,136 is affirmed.
Notes
. See V.T.C.A., Penal Code, Section 22.05(b).
