Satterwhite v. State

Nov 2, 1988
No. 67220
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Duncan

OPINION ON REMAND FROM THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT

DUNCAN, Judge.

Appellant was convicted of capital ‍‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‍murder and the jury returned affirmative findings to the special issues submitted pursuant to Article 37.071(a), V.A.C.C.P., mandating that the trial court assess his punishment at death. ‍‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‍Originally, this Court affirmed his conviction in Satterwhite v. State, 726 S.W.2d 81 (Tex.Cr.App.1986). The United States Supreme Court granted appellant’s petition for certiorari in Cause No. 86-6284, Satterwhite v. Texas, 486 U.S.-, 108 ‍‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‍S.Ct. 1792, 100 L.Ed.2d 284, and subsequently reversed this Court’s judgment affirming appellant’s conviction and remanded it to this Court for further proceedings not inconsistent with its opinion.

Accordingly, ‍‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‍because no separate punishment hearing is authorized for error occurring at the punishment stage of a capital murder trial, under Article 44.29(c), V.A.C. C.P., appellant’s conviction is ‍‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‍reversed and remanded to the trial court for a new trial.

WHITE, J., not participating.