Ryser, Drew
Date Filed2014-12-30
DocketPD-1672-14
Cited0 times
StatusPublished
Full Opinion (html_with_citations)
PD-1672-14
PD-1672-14 COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS
AUSTIN, TEXAS
Transmitted 12/29/2014 3:08:55 PM
Accepted 12/30/2014 10:36:50 AM
ABEL ACOSTA
NO. ______________ CLERK
IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TEXAS
AUSTIN, TEXAS
NO. 01-13-00634-CR
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE
FIRST DISTRICT OF TEXAS
AT HOUSTON
TRIAL COURT NO. 1268025
IN THE 174TH DISTRICT COURT
OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS
DREW RYSER,
Appellant
VS.
THE STATE OF TEXAS,
Appellee
APPELLANTâS PETITION FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW
Nicole DeBorde
Bires Schaffer and DeBorde
SBOT 00787344
712 Main Street, Suite 2400
Houston, Texas 77002
(713) 228-8500 â telephone
December 30, 2014 (713) 228-0034 â facsimile
Nicole@BSDLawFirm.com
Attorney for Appellant,
Drew Ryser
STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT
Pursuant to TEX. R. APP. PROC. 68.4(c), appellant requests oral argument.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... ii
INDEX OF AUTHORITIES.....................................................................................iv
STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT ..............................................vi
STATEMENT OF THE CASE .................................................................................vi
STATEMENT OF PROCEDURAL HISTORY..................................................... vii
GROUND FOR REVIEW NUMBER ONE .............................................................. 6
Did the Court of Appeals err in finding that Appellant did not suffer
harm when the jury was aided by the definition of the word
âmistreatmentâ, an undefined element of the Stateâs case?
ARGUMENT ............................................................................................................. 6
GROUND FOR REVIEW NUMBER TWO ............................................................. 9
Did the Court of Appeals decide an important question of state law
that has not been settled by the Court of Criminal Appeals when it
created a distinction between the juryâs use of a standard dictionary
and specialized references such as legal dictionaries or law books
when determining whether the outside reference material consulted
by the jury prejudiced Appellant?
ARGUMENT ............................................................................................................. 9
GROUND FOR REVIEW NUMBER THREE ....................................................... 13
Did the Court of Appeals err by in finding that the trial court did not
apply an erroneous legal standard when it stated on the record that
1
denial of Appellantâs change of venue motion was predicated on the
lack of statements from potential veniremen?
ARGUMENT ........................................................................................................... 13
GROUND FOR REVIEW NUMBER FOUR ......................................................... 17
Did Bradford establish an absolute rule that self-defense is only
relevant from a defendantâs perspective?
ARGUMENT ........................................................................................................... 17
GROUND FOR REVIEW NUMBER FIVE ........................................................... 18
Did the Court of Appeals err in finding that a self-defense
justification instruction was necessary to properly instruct the jury on
the law of the case?
ARGUMENT ........................................................................................................... 19
PRAYER FOR RELIEF .......................................................................................... 21
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE ....................................................................... 22
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ................................................................................ 23
APPENDIX ........................................................................................................... A-1
2
INDEX OF AUTHORITIES
CASES PAGE
Bradford v. Fort Worth Transit Company, 450 S.W.2d 919, 922(Tex. App.âFort Worth 1970, writ ref'd n.r.e.) .............................................................................17, 18 DuBose v. State,915 S.W.2d 493
, 497â98 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996) ....................... 16 Graham v. Connor,490 U.S. 386, 397
,109 S.Ct. 1865
,104 L.Ed.2d 443
(1989) ....................................................................................................................... 19 Guzman v. State,955 S.W.2d 85, 90
(Tex. Crim. App. 1997) ................................ 16 In re American Homestar of Lancaster, Inc.,50 S.W.3d 480, 483
(Tex. 2001) ..... 16 Kniatt v. State,239 S.W.3d 910
, 912â13 (Tex. App.âWaco 2007, no pet.) ......... 16 Lintz v. Am. Gen. Fin., Inc.,76 F. Supp. 2d 1200, 1204
(D. Kan. 1999) ..........10, 11 Lopez v. Allee,493 S.W.2d 330, 334
(Tex. Civ. App. 1973) .................................. 17 Mayhue v. St. Francis Hosp. of Wichita, Inc.,969 F.2d 919
, 922 (10th Cir. 1992) ........................................................................................................ 11 McQuarrie v. State,380 S.W.3d 145
(Tex. Crim. App. 2012) ................................. 9 Phillips v. State,701 S.W.2d 875, 879
(Tex. Crim. App. 1985) ............................. 14 Renteria v. State,206 S.W.3d 689, 709
(Tex. Crim. App. 2006) ............................ 15 Ryser v. State, No. 01-13-00634-CR,2014 WL 6678923, at *20
(Tex. App.â Houston [1st Dist.] Nov. 25, 2014, no pet h.) (emphasis added)........................................................................... 6, 7, 10, 13, 17, 18 Sheppard v. Maxwell,384 U.S. 333
(1966) ............................................................. 14 State v. Melton,692 P.2d 45, 49
(N.M. Ct. App. 1984) .......................................... 10
3
State v. Tinius, 527 N.W.2d 414, 417(Iowa Ct. App. 1994)................................... 10 Tennessee v. Garner,471 U.S. 1, 11
,105 S. Ct. 1694, 1701
,85 L. Ed. 2d 1
writ refused n.r.e.) (1985) ........................................................................................ 19
STATUTES AND RULES
TEX. CONST. art. I, § 19 ............................................................................................ 20
TEX. JUR.2d § 26 at 669â72 (1961).......................................................................... 19
TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 39.03(a) ........................................................................... 8
U.S. CONST. amend. V ............................................................................................. 21
U.S. CONST. amend. XIV ......................................................................................... 21
4
TO THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS:
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
This incident is alleged to have taken place on March 23, 2010. (C.R. 11).
Appellant was employed by the Houston Police and was assigned to the Gang
Unit, which was assisting another unit, the TACT Unit, with its investigation of an
influx of burglaries in the Wellington Park area of Houston. (9 R.R. 83). The
TACT Unit radioed the Gang Unit that a group of burglary suspects was driving
toward its location. (9 R.R. 85-86). Two of the suspects, including the
complainant, jumped from their vehicle and began to run. (9 R.R. 99). All four of
the suspects were caught and arrested. (9 R.R. 128). The arrest was captured on
video by surveillance cameras mounted on a nearby business and sparked
controversy throughout the City of Houston. (6 R.R. 10). The video showed the
complainant lying face down while the officers used force to effectuate the arrest.
(6 R.R. 10).
STATEMENT OF PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On June 23, 2010, Officer D. Ryser (Appellant) was indicted for the offense
of Official Oppression alleged to have occurred on or about March 23, 2010. (C.R.
11). The case was assigned to the 180th District Court. (C.R. 11). This case was
later transferred to the 174th. On July 18, 2011, Appellant filed a Motion for
Change of Venue, based on pretrial publicity and a dangerous combination of
5
media coverage and commentary by influential persons, which was denied on
August 23, 2011, after hearing. (C.R. 41).
Appellant timely filed a motion for new trial on July 11, 2013, based on jury
misconduct, which was denied after arguments by counsel for the State and
Defense. (C.R. 301; 15 R.R. 15). Appellant gave timely notice of appeal.
On November 25, 2014, the First Court of Appeals affirmed the verdict from
the trial court. Ryser v. State, 01-13-00634-CR, op. issued November 25, 2014
(Tex. App.âHouston [1st Dist.] 2014, no pet h.). No motion for rehearing was
filed. Appellant now timely petitions this Honorable Court for discretionary
review. Appellant presents five (5) grounds for review before this Honorable
Court.
APPELLANTâS FIRST GROUND FOR REVIEW
Did the Court of Appeals err by in finding that Appellant did
not suffer harm when the jury was aided by the definition of the
word âmistreatmentâ, an undefined element of the Stateâs case?
ARGUMENT
Appellant was charged with official oppression, which was defined for the
jury as follows:
Our law provides that a public servant acting under color of his
office or employment commits the offense of official oppression if
he intentionally subjects another to mistreatment that he knows is
unlawful.
6
That language is consistent with the language in the statute criminalizing
official oppression. TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 39.03(a). Ryser v. State, No. 01-13-
00634-CR, 2014 WL 6678923, at *20 (Tex. App.âHouston [1st Dist.] Nov. 25,
2014, no pet h.) (emphasis added). The Court of Appeals went on to excuse the
juryâs use of the definition during its deliberation and explained the term
âmistreatmentâ defined as acting âroughlyâ or âwronglyâ was compatible with the
commonly understood meaning of the word and did not conflict with the trial
court's instructions. Id. at 21.
On the second day of deliberations the jury foreman shared a definition of
the term âmistreatmentâ with the rest of the jury after the trial court declined to
provide it with a definition. (Supp. C.R. 13; 33). The jury returned a guilty verdict
approximately 54 minutes after discussing the definition provided by the foreman.
(Supp. C.R. 33; C.R. 288). The foreman referenced a general-use dictionary and
found the term âmistreatmentâ defined as acting âroughlyâ or âwrongly.â The
Court of Appeals held that Appellant âfailed to show how reference to the
dictionary prejudiced him.â Id. at 21.
âThe [official oppression] statute does not define the term âmistreatment,â
and neither did the jury charge.â Id. at 20. This court and lower courts have been
presented with numerous opportunities to define âmistreatmentâ but have declined
to do so. However, the First Court of Appeals has, in a published opinion, now
7
created a definition for the term âmistreatmentâ as âroughlyâ or âwronglyâ. See id.
at 21.
The words âroughlyâ or âwronglyâ as used to define âmistreatmentâ is
unworkable because an arrest is often naturally rough. Arrests are often
necessarily rough because every police encounter is an armed encounter because
police officers are armed with weapons. If a suspect attempted to overpower an
officer is successful, the suspect then naturally has control over that officerâs
weapon. Police officers have a right and duty to protect themselves and their
weapons. The use of force is allowed under the law when a police officer
effectuates an arrest. It is even possible that an officer could be so rough as to
cause a suspectâs death, legally, under certain circumstances. What a police officer
is not allowed to do is use excessive force and the term âroughlyâ does not
adequately or accurately describe the phrase âexcessive forceâ. Thus, if âroughlyâ
is allowed to stand as the definition of âmistreatmentâ then Appellant was
convicted of potentially legal conduct and any police officer charged with official
oppression in the future also faces the possibility of being convicted of a crime for
legal conduct.
In addition, in this case, the juror looked up an actual element of the Stateâs
case and used it to obtain a conviction against Appellant. The jury specifically
asked the trial court for the definition and was correctly told to confine itself to the
8
courtâs charge. (Supp. C.R. 33). The jury did the exact opposite of what was
instructed and turned to a legally inadequate and inaccurate outside source for
guidance. The jury foreman essentially turned advocate against Appellant after the
trial court declined to provide him with a definition. The record reflects the jury
deliberated for a full day without success. (12 R.R. index-1; Supp. C.R. 13). The
next day, the foreman brought in the definition and the jury reached a verdict a
short time later. (C.R. 288; Supp. C.R. 33).
The Court of Appeals erred in holding Appellant did not suffer prejudice as
a result of the significantly harmful definition of âmistreatmentâ. Accordingly,
review is warranted pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 66.3(c) and this case should be
remanded to the Court of Appeals or reversed and rendered.
APPELLANT'S SECOND GROUND FOR REVIEW
Did the Court of Appeals decide an important question of state
law that has not been settled by the Court of Criminal Appeals
when it created a distinction between the juryâs use of a
standard dictionary and specialized references such as legal
dictionaries or law books when determining whether the
outside reference material consulted by the jury prejudiced
Appellant?
ARGUMENT
While the Court of Appeals correctly concluded the definition that the jury
foreman obtained from Websterâs Dictionary of the term âmistreatmentâ
constituted an âoutside influenceâ under McQuarrie v. State, 380 S.W.3d 145
9(Tex. Crim. App. 2012), the conclusion that the error did not require reversal of Appellantâs conviction compels the granting of this petition. Ryser v. State, No. 01-13-00634-CR,2014 WL 6678923, at *19
(Tex. App.âHouston [1st Dist.] Nov.
25, 2014, no pet h.).
The Court of Appeals looked outside this jurisdiction for guidance on
determining the proper manner in which to conduct the harm analysis. Relying on
Tinius and Melton, the Court of Appeals made a distinction between âa jury's use
of standard dictionaries and more specialized references such as legal dictionaries
or law books in determining whether a defendant is prejudiced by the use of
outside reference materials.â Id.The distinction turns on whether, in the Courtâs view, the definition encountered by the jury was âfairly innocuousâ in that it âneither conflicts with the legal concepts included in the jury instructions nor contradicts any other aspect of the jury charge.âId.
(citing State v. Tinius,527 N.W.2d 414, 417
(Iowa Ct. App. 1994) (stating that dictionary definition âwas fairly innocuousâ); State v. Melton,692 P.2d 45, 49
(N.M. Ct. App. 1984) (noting
that definitions of words âcontrol,â âkeep,â and âpossessâ that juror found in
dictionary âdid not vary from the usual ordinary meaning of those words, or from
the meaning contained in the trial court's instructions.â).
In Lintz v. Am. Gen. Fin., Inc., the Court explained:
10
It is well settled that a jury's exposure to extrinsic
information gives rise to a rebuttable presumption of
prejudice. See Mayhue v. St. Francis Hosp. of Wichita, Inc.,
969 F.2d 919, 922 (10th Cir. 1992). As the Tenth Circuit has
recognized, however, a trial court âwill rarely be able to
ascertain the actual prejudicial impact of a jury's exposure to
external influences because a jury cannot testify regarding
the subjective effect of such influences during a Rule 606(b)
hearing.â See id. at 923. Therefore, the court must confirm or
rebut the presumption of prejudice by objectively weighing
all of the facts and circumstances of the case. Id. at 923â24.
In that regard, the Circuit has cited a number of factors
relevant to determining whether the presumption of prejudice
has been rebutted when a jury consults a dictionary without
authorization. They are as follows:
(1) The importance of the word or phrase being defined to
the resolution of the case.
(2) The extent to which the dictionary definition differs from
the jury instructions or from the proper legal definition.
(3) The extent to which the jury discussed and emphasized
the definition.
(4) The strength of the evidence and whether the jury had
difficulty reaching a verdict prior to introduction of the
dictionary definition.
(5) Any other factors that relate to a determination of
prejudice.
Lintz v. Am. Gen. Fin., Inc., 76 F. Supp. 2d 1200, 1204(D. Kan. 1999) (citing Mayhue v. St. Francis Hosp. of Wichita, Inc.,969 F.2d 919
, 922 (10th Cir. 1992)).
The Court of Appeals opted to place a higher burden on Appellant by
creating a distinction between the type of extrinsic material improperly consulted
by the jury, subjecting Appellant to an unfair and unworkable standard. Instead the
Court of Appeals should have opted to utilize the approach taken in Lintz. In Lintz,
11
the Court explained that the inquiry should start with a presumption of prejudice.
76 F. Supp. 2d 1204. The courtâs analysis should then be focused on either confirming or rebutting the presumption of prejudice by objectively weighing all of the facts and circumstances of the case and applying the factors set forth.Id.
In addition, Appellant asserts in this court, as he did in the Court of Appeals,
that his Sixth Amendment right to a trial by jury and due process rights were
violated because the harmful outside influence did not come from the witness
stand, Appellant did not have the full protection of the right to confrontation, and
the right to cross-examination by counsel. The delivery of the definition of
âmistreatmentâ by the jury foreman to the rest of the jury denied Appellant the
right to a fair trial by an impartial jury. The harmful outside influence was
deliberately and improperly brought to bear on the rest of jury with the specific
intention of using it to attempt to convince an undecided juror to change her vote to
guilty and succeeded in doing so.
In opting to utilize the âfairly innocuousâ standard, the Court of Appeals
has, in a published opinion, decided an important question of law that has not yet
been, but should be decided by this Court such that discretionary review in this
matter is warranted pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 66.3(b). Accordingly, review is
warranted pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 66.3(b) and this case should be remanded to
the Court of Appeals in order for a proper harm analysis to be conducted.
12
APPELLANTâS THIRD GROUND FOR REVIEW
Did the Court of Appeals err by finding that the trial court did not
apply an erroneous legal standard when it stated on the record that
denial of Appellantâs change of venue motion was predicated on the
lack of statements from potential veniremen?
ARGUMENT
The Court of Appeals erred by finding that Appellant âhas not established
that the trial court employed an erroneous legal standard in analyzing his change of
venue motion. Ryser v. State, No. 01-13-00634-CR, 2014 WL 6678923, at *16(Tex. App.âHouston [1st Dist.] Nov. 25, 2014, no pet h.). In Henley v. State,576 S.W.2d 66, 70
(Tex. Crim. App. 1978), the Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the
judgment of the trial court when it âpredicated its denial of appellantâs motion
solely upon the successful qualification of a jury panelâ resulting in the court
âconfus[ing] the grounds for change of venue with the grounds for juror challenge
for cause.â (emphasis added). In this case, the trial court confused the grounds for
change of venue by predicating denial of Appellantâs motion to change venue on
the lack of any statements from potential veniremen. (3 Supp. C.R. 65). The trial
court should have instead used the test established by the U.S. Supreme Court and
adopted by the this Court to determine whether outside influences affecting the
community's climate of opinion as to Appellant were inherently suspect. Sheppard
13
v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333(1966); Phillips v. State,701 S.W.2d 875, 879
(Tex.
Crim. App. 1985).
At the conclusion of the change of venue hearing, the trial court summed up
its decision to deny the motion as follows:
COURT'S RULING
THE COURT: All right. Having heard yesterday and today motion of
the defense for a change of venue in this case and having heard the
numerous witnesses including the mayor, the chief of police, and the
other people who are involved in this case thus far including Mr. X, I
at this time have heard everything from the defense and from the
people, but I have not heard -- I'm looking for it right now -- any
statements from potential veniremen who would be seated in this
particular case except for the evidence which has come out of some of
those witnesses. At this time, having not heard or examined any of
such public knowing -- noting that in this county there are 30 states
who have more population than this county, so, at this time, I deny the
motion for change of venue.
(3 Supp. R.R. 65).
The Court of Appeals explained in reaching its decision that Appellant
âoverstates the significance of that statementâ and that â[i]n context, the trial court
explained that its conclusion to deny the venue motion was reached in light of all
of the evidence presented at the two-day venue hearing . . . . â Id.
The trial court did in fact state that it heard from numerous witnesses and
also explained that Harris County is diverse. However, the trial court specifically
stated that it had ânot heard -- I'm looking for it right now -- any statements from
14
potential veniremen who would be seated in this particular case except for the
evidence which has come out of some of those witnesses. At this time, having not
heard or examined any of such public knowing . . . I deny the motion for change of
venue.â (3 Supp. R.R. 65). The trial court did not state on the record that it has
analyzed whether outside influences affecting the communityâs climate of opinion
as to a defendant are inherently suspect, which is the proper legal standard.
Consequently, that statement is indisputable evidence that the trial court applied an
erroneous legal standard.
The Court of Appealsâ reliance on Renteria v. State, 206 S.W.3d 689, 709(Tex. Crim. App. 2006) is misplaced and entirely distinguishable. In Renteria, this Court explained that the trial court did not abuse its discretion when â[t]he introduction of the various witnesses' testimony at the hearing on the motion to change venue presented a factual dispute for the trial court to resolve-whether appellant could receive a fair trial in El Paso County.âId.
In that case, the trial court denied the change of venue motion and the record supported the finding.Id.
However, that case does not address what legal standard the trial court applied. In
this case, the trial court explicitly stated on the record what its analysis was and
how it came to its decision.
Finally, the fact that individual voir dire was granted by the trial court has no
bearing on this issue. The Court of Appeals explained Appellant had the
15
âopportunity to question any venire members who might state that they were aware
of the pre-trial publicity, to inquire about the publicity's effect on their suitability to
serve as jurors, and, if necessary, to raise the issue again if the venire members'
answers indicate that publicity tainted the jury pool.â Appellant filed the change of
venue motion, conducted a hearing, and obtained a ruling. Therefore, the error was
preserved and Appellant was not required to âre-preserveâ this issue.
Although trial courts have a wide range of discretion failure to apply the
correct legal standard is an abuse of discretion and warrants granting review.
Kniatt v. State, 239 S.W.3d 910, 912â13 (Tex. App.âWaco 2007, no pet.) (citing DuBose v. State,915 S.W.2d 493
, 497â98 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996), overruled on other grounds by Guzman v. State,955 S.W.2d 85, 90
(Tex. Crim. App. 1997); see also In re American Homestar of Lancaster, Inc.,50 S.W.3d 480, 483
(Tex. 2001)
(holding that the trial court's failure to analyze or apply the law correctly is an
abuse of discretion.). In finding the trial court did not apply an erroneous legal
standard, the Court of Appeals has, in a published opinion, decided an important
question of state or federal law in a way that conflicts with the applicable decisions
of the Court of Criminal Appeals or the Supreme Court of the United States such
that discretionary review in this matter is warranted pursuant to Tex. R. App. P.
66.3(c). Accordingly, review is warranted pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 66.3(c), and
this court should reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals.
16
APPELLANTâS FOURTH GROUND FOR REVIEW
Did Bradford establish an absolute rule that self-defense is only
relevant from a defendantâs perspective?
ARGUMENT
The Court of Appeals erred by holding that Bradford v. Fort Worth Transit
Company, 450 S.W.2d 919, 922(Tex. App.âFort Worth 1970, writ ref'd n.r.e.), does not establish an absolute rule that self-defense is relevant only from a defendantâs perspective. Ryser v. State, No. 01-13-00634-CR,2014 WL 6678923, at *9
(Tex. App.âHouston [1st Dist.] Nov. 25, 2014, no pet h.).
Since 1970, the case law concerning self-defense has stated that self-defense
must always be viewed form the standpoint of the defendant. Bradford, 450
S.W.2d 922; accord Lopez v. Allee,493 S.W.2d 330, 334
(Tex. Civ. App. 1973
writ refused n.r.e.). However, with little to no analysis the court has overruled this
longstanding principle.
The court conducted no specific analysis other than to cite Bradford itself
and a secondary source, which suggests the exact opposite of the courtâs
conclusion. The court rationalized its decision by stating âthe rule is that self-
defense must be viewed from the relevant actorâs perspective, taking into account
his knowledge at the time he acted, and not the viewpoint of the jury that has the
benefit of hindsight in evaluating whether the actor actually was in danger.â Id.
17
(citing Bradford, 450 S.W.2d 922). The court went on to cite Texas Jurisprudence as added support and stated that in Bradford, âthe question whether the killing was justifiable is not to be viewed in the light of later events, but by what the defendant reasonably believed at the time.â Ryser,2014 WL 6678923, at *9
(quoting 28 Tex.
Jur.2d § 26 at 669â72 (1961)) (emphasis added). The secondary source cited by
the court suggests exactly what Bradford stands for: the perspective is what the
defendant reasonably believed at the time.
The Court of Appeals erred in finding that Bradford does not establish an
absolute rule that self-defense is relevant only from a defendantâs perspective
decided an important question of state or federal law in a way that conflicts with
the applicable decisions of the Court of Criminal Appeals or the Supreme Court of
the United States such that discretionary review in this matter is warranted
pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 66.3(c). Accordingly, review is warranted pursuant to
Tex. R. App. P. 66.3(c) and the decision of the Court of Appeals should be
reversed.
APPELLANTâS FIFTH GROUND FOR REVIEW
Did the Court of Appeals err in finding that a self-defense
justification instruction was necessary to properly instruct the jury on
the law of the case?
18
ARGUMENT
The Court of Appeals incorrectly concluded that a self-defense instruction
was necessary to present fully the law on law-enforcement justification. Ryser v.
State, No. 01-13-00634-CR, 2014 WL 6678923, at *7(Tex. App.âHouston [1st Dist.] Nov. 25, 2014, no pet h.). The State asked for the instruction in response to Appellantâs request for an instruction to the jury explaining the âlaw enforcementâ justification.Id.
A self-defense instruction is a justification instruction limiting criminal
responsibility. In this case, there was no criminal responsibility to limit because
the instruction was provided from the perspective of the complainant. To include
such an instruction constitutes an impermissible comment on the weight of the
evidence. Further, whether the complainant was defending himself made no
difference to the jurorâs evaluation of an objective officer in Appellantâs shoes, the
only appropriate evaluation. Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1, 11,105 S. Ct. 1694, 1701
,85 L. Ed. 2d 1
(1985); Graham v. Connor,490 U.S. 386, 397
,109 S.Ct. 1865
,104 L.Ed.2d 443
(1989). Inclusion of the instruction essentially shifted the
burden to Appellant to disprove self-defense. Moreover, including the self-defense
instruction functioned as a limit on Appellantâs âlaw enforcementâ justification
defense. Finally, not including an application paragraph caused harmful confusion
19
to the jury. The jury could not get away from what was wrong with the charge
once they read it because once they believed the complainant was acting in self-
defense the assumption is that Appellant must be guilty, or at a minimum, that such
a conclusion must be relevant to Appellantâs guilt. If the instruction was correctly
included, the jury should have been told what to do, to do nothing and disregard its
conclusion on this issue, if it believed the complainantâs self-defense theory. By
not including an application paragraph the trial court shifted due process
entitlements over to the complainant, in violation of the constitutions of the State
of Texas and of the United States when the only person entitled to due process in
the courtroom was Appellant. U.S. CONST. amend. V; U.S. CONST. amend. XIV;
TEX. CONST. art. I, § 19.
The Court of Appeals erred in finding that a self-defense instruction was
necessary to properly instruct the jury on the law of the case and has, in a
published opinion, decided an important question of state or federal law in a way
that conflicts with the applicable decisions of the Court of Criminal Appeals or the
Supreme Court of the United States such that discretionary review in this matter is
warranted pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 66.3(c). Accordingly, review is warranted
pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 66.3(c).
20
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, Appellant prays that this
Honorable Court grant this Petition for Discretionary Review. Following the grant
of review, Appellant prays that the judgment of the Court of Appeals be reversed
and rendered, or reversed and a new trial ordered, or the case remanded for further
review.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Nicole DeBorde
Nicole DeBorde
BIRES SCHAFFER AND DEBORDE
Texar Bar No. 00787344
712 Main Street, Suite 2400
Houston, Texas 77002
(713) 228-8500 â Telephone
(713) 228-0034 â Facsimile
Email: Nicole@BSDLawFirm.com
Attorney for Appellant,
Drew Ryser
21
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE
Pursuant to Rule 9 of the Texas Rules Appellate Procedure, the undersigned
counsel of record certifies that the Petition for Discretionary Review contains 4,353
words.
/s/ Nicole DeBorde
Nicole DeBorde
22
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that a true copy of Appellantâs petition for discretionary
review has been either personally served upon or mailed by U.S. Postal Service
certified mail, return receipt requested, on December 29, 2014, to the following
persons:
Devon Anderson
District Attorney
1201 Franklin, Suite 600
Houston, Texas 77002
State Prosecuting Attorney
P.O. Box 12405
Austin, Texas 78711
Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Nicole DeBorde
Nicole DeBorde
23
APPENDIX
A-1
Opinion issued November 25, 2014
In The
Court of Appeals
For The
First District of Texas
ââââââââââââ
NO. 01-13-00634-CR
âââââââââââ
DREW RYSER, Appellant
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the 174th District Court
Harris County, Texas
Trial Court Case No. 1268025
OPINION
Houston Police Department Officer Drew Ryserâs use of force while
arresting a burglary suspect, C. Holley, led to a police department internal
investigation, termination of Ryserâs employment, and criminal charges against
him. A jury convicted Ryser of the Class A misdemeanor offense of official
oppression.1 The trial court assessed punishment at six monthsâ confinement but
suspended the sentence and placed Ryser on community supervision for two years.
Ryser contends that there was insufficient evidence to support his
conviction. In four other issues, he also contends that the trial court erred by
(1) charging the jury on the law of parties and self-defense, (2) denying his venue
motion, (3) refusing to dismiss a juror he describes as sleeping during trial, and
(4) denying his motion for new trial based on jury misconduct during deliberations.
Finally, in his sixth issue, Ryser argues that the cumulative effect of multiple errors
requires reversal.
We affirm.
Background
Ryser was employed by the HPD and assigned to its divisional gang unit,
which was assisting another unit, the tactical unit, with its investigation of some
burglaries in the Wellington Park area of Houston. The tactical unit radioed the
gang unit that a group of burglary suspects was driving toward its location. Ryserâs
team encountered the burglary suspects on a nearby street. Two of the suspects,
1
See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 39.03(a)(1) (West Supp. 2014) (providing that a
public servant acting under color of his office or employment commits an offense
if he âintentionally subject another to mistreatment . . . that he knows is
unlawfulâ); Id. § 39.03(d) (West Supp. 2014) (stating that offense of official
oppression is a Class A misdemeanor, with one inapplicable exception);
Id. § 12.21 (West 2011) (specifying punishment for Class A misdemeanor to be
fine not to exceed $4,000, confinement in jail for term not to exceed one year, or
both).
2
including 15-year-old Holley, jumped from their vehicle and began to run. All four
of the suspects were caught and arrested.
The arrest report prepared by Sergeant H. Sanchez states that the burglary
suspects resisted arrest by kicking and using closed fists. The report does not state
that the police officers used force during the arrest or that they damaged any
property during the encounter. No supplemental report was filed by any of the
other officers involved in the arrest, including Ryser.
Sometime later, an employee at a local business noticed damage to a fence
along the edge of the property. She reviewed surveillance video to determine the
cause of the damage and saw that a police vehicle had struck the fence. The video
further showed that, just before the vehicle struck the fence, it collided with a
person running along the fence line and knocked him to the ground. On the
videotape, which was admitted into evidence and played at Ryserâs trial, the
suspect, Holley, is seen lying on the ground, not moving, with his hands near his
head. A group of officers then surround him and begin kicking and striking him.
Within minutes, the suspect is handcuffed and the officers disperse.
The business owner gave the videotape to the police department, and an
internal investigation was begun. A local community activist, Quanell X, obtained
a copy of the videotape and released it to a local television station. It aired multiple
times, which led to news articles, town meetings, and a news conference by then
3
District Attorney Pat Lykos, Houston Mayor Anise Parker, and Houston Chief of
Police C. McClelland. At the news conference, the city officials announced that
Ryser and several other officers who participated in Holleyâs arrest were being
terminated from employment with HPD and charged with a crime due to their use
of force against Holley. A number of other persons in Harris County also made
public remarks regarding the incident depicted in the videotape.
The officers jointly moved for a change of venue based on the negative
publicity from the airing of the videotape, the statements made at the news
conference, and other media coverage related to the arrest. The trial court heard
from 13 witnesses, including Quanell X, the mayor, and the police chief. While
Quanell X, the mayor, and the police chief all testified that the officers could
receive a fair trial in Houston, defense attorneys called as witnesses by the
defendant-officers testified that they could not. The trial court denied the motion,
and the officers were tried separately in Houston.
At trial, Ryser admitted that he struck Holley in the head and performed four
âknee strikesâ on Holleyâs shoulder. He gave two justifications for his use of force:
(1) to obtain Holleyâs compliance with another officerâs verbal commands and
(2) to gain control over Holleyâs hands because Ryser believed that Holley had a
gun in his waistband and might try to access it during the struggle.
4
A senior police officer, T. Jefferson, testified that the use of force displayed
on the video is not consistent with the methods taught by HPD. Police Chief
McClelland agreed that the officers violated department procedures. He described
the officersâ actions as âan egregious use of forceâ that âmade me sick to my
stomach.â
The jury found Ryser guilty of the offense of official oppression. The trial
court assessed punishment at six monthsâ confinement but suspended the sentence
and placed Ryser on two yearsâ community supervision. Ryser timely appealed.
Insufficient Evidence
In his fifth issue, Ryser asserts that there was insufficient evidence to
support his conviction for official oppression.
A. Standard of review
We review Ryserâs challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence under the
standard enunciated in Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 318â20,99 S. Ct. 2781
, 2788â89 (1979). Brooks v. State,323 S.W.3d 893
, 894â913 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010). Under the Jackson standard, evidence is insufficient to support a conviction if, considering all the record evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, no rational factfinder could have found that each essential element of the charged offense was proven beyond a reasonable doubt. See Jackson, 443 U.S. at 317â19, 99 S. Ct. at 2788â89; Laster v. State,275 S.W.3d 512, 517
(Tex. Crim. App.
5
2009). Evidence is insufficient under four circumstances: (1) the record contains
no evidence probative of an element of the offense; (2) the record contains a mere
âmodicumâ of evidence probative of an element of the offense; (3) the evidence
conclusively establishes a reasonable doubt; or (4) the acts alleged do not
constitute the criminal offense charged. See Jackson, 443 U.S. at 314, 318 & n.11, 320,99 S. Ct. at 2786
, 2788â89 & n.11; Laster,275 S.W.3d at 518
; Williams v. State,235 S.W.3d 742, 750
(Tex. Crim. App. 2007). We consider both direct and circumstantial evidence and all reasonable inferences that may be drawn from that evidence in making our determination. Clayton v. State,235 S.W.3d 772, 778
(Tex. Crim. App. 2007).
Jurors are the exclusive judges of the facts, the credibility of the witnesses,
and the weight to be given the witnessesâ testimony. Penagraph v. State, 623
S.W.2d 341, 343(Tex. Crim. App. 1981); Jaggers v. State,125 S.W.3d 661, 672
(Tex. App.âHouston [1st Dist.] 2003, pet. refâd). â[R]econciliation of conflicts in the evidence is within the exclusive province of the jury.â Wyatt v. State,23 S.W.3d 18, 30
(Tex. Crim. App. 2000) (quoting Losada v. State,721 S.W.2d 305, 309
(Tex. Crim. App. 1986)). It may choose to believe or disbelieve any part of any witnessâs testimony. See Davis v. State,177 S.W.3d 355, 358
(Tex. App.â
Houston [1st Dist.] 2005, no pet.).
6
Thus, the Jackson standard defers to the factfinder to resolve any conflicts in
the testimony, to weigh the evidence, and to draw reasonable inferences from
âbasic facts to ultimate facts.â Jackson, 443 U.S. at 318â19, 99 S. Ct. at 2788â89;
Clayton, 235 S.W.3d at 778. An appellate court presumes the factfinder resolved any conflicts in the evidence in favor of the verdict and defers to that resolution, provided that the resolution is rational. See Jackson,443 U.S. at 326
,99 S. Ct. at 2793
. If an appellate court finds the evidence insufficient under this standardâ meaning that no rational factfinder could have found that each essential element of the charged offense was proven beyond a reasonable doubtâit must reverse the judgment and enter an order of acquittal. See Tibbs v. Florida,457 U.S. 31, 41
,102 S. Ct. 2211, 2218
(1982); Jackson, 443 U.S. at 317â19, 99 S. Ct. at 2788â89.
B. There is legally sufficient evidence of all elements of offense
Ryser contends that his conviction must be reversed because there was
legally insufficient evidence that he intended to assault Holley when he used force
against him.
A person commits the offense of official oppression if he is a âpublic servant
acting under the color of his office or employmentâ and âintentionally subjects
another to mistreatment . . . that he knows is unlawful.â TEX. PENAL CODE ANN.
§ 39.03(a)(1) (West Supp. 2014).
7
Mistreatment is not defined by statute. However, the indictment and jury
charge listed specific acts that the State asserted were acts of mistreatment by
Ryser against Holley, including that Ryser kneed him, kicked him, struck him with
his hand, or pushed his head with his hand. Based on those descriptions, for this
Court to affirm the judgment, there must be legally sufficient evidence that Ryser
intentionally mistreated Holleyâby kneeing him, kicking him, striking him with
his hand, or pushing his head with his handâwith knowledge that doing so was
unlawful. See id. § 39.03(a)(1); State v. Edmond, 933 S.W.2d 120, 127 (Tex. Crim.
App. 1996) (requiring that defendant know that his conduct is unlawful).
âUnlawfulâ means âcriminal or tortious or both and includes what would be
criminal or tortious but for a defense not amounting to justification or privilege.â
TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 1.07(a)(48) (West 2011). Therefore, there must be
legally sufficient evidence that Ryser knew his mistreatment was criminal or
tortious or that it would be criminal or tortious because his defense was inadequate
to establish a justification. See Norris v. Branham, 557 S.W.2d 816, 818 (Tex.
App.âEl Paso 1977, writ refâd n.r.e.) (noting that definition of unlawful
recognizes defense of justification).
8
It is undisputed that Ryser intended to knee and strike Holley during the
arrest:
Ryser: Iâthe first thing I did was I reacted and I popped
him in the nose. . . .
Attorney: Why did you try that? I mean . . . .
Ryser: It work[ed] when my brother popped me on the
nose as a kid and itâs worked on suspects before.
. . . .
Attorney: When that wasnât effective, what did you do?
Ryser: I attempted to perform knee strikes on his
shoulder.
Attorney: What are knee strikes?
Ryser: Striking with my knee in the shoulder intending to
cause pain.
Ryser conceded that this method of force was not something that he was taught to
do at the police academy. When asked whether he made contact with Holley
during the âknee strikes,â he responded:
Not like I hoped . . . I was slipping in the grass. I couldnât keep
my balance. And I ended up just kind of landing on his shoulder
as opposed to actually striking his shoulder. So I reached over
to grab the fence to try to get my balance, too, so I could deliver
a good one. And I wasnât able to do so.
While Ryser readily admits he intended to strike and knee Holley, he denies that he
intended to mistreat him in doing so. According to Ryser, his use of force was
necessary to complete the arrest and was justified.
9
The law provides a justification defense to police officers, permitting the use
of force to complete an arrest, but there are limits. Cf. Daugherty v. State, 176
S.W.2d 571, 575 (Tex. Crim. App. 1943) (âWe disclaim any intention to say . . .
that an officer has a right to approach a party whom he wishes to arrest and beat
him into submission . . . .â). Section 9.51(a) of the Penal Code provides that a
peace officer âis justified in using force against another when and to the degree the
actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to make or assist in
making an arrest . . . .â TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 9.51(a) (West 2011). If an officer
uses more force than is reasonably necessary, he exceeds his statutory authority
and may be subject to criminal liability.
For a conviction on the charge of official oppression, the Penal Code
requires that Ryser knew his mistreatment was unlawful. Id. §§ 1.07(a)(48),
39.03(a)(1). Thus, the jury must find that Ryser knew that he was kneeing or
striking Holley with more force than was immediately necessary to make or assist
in making the arrest. See Edmond, 933 S.W.2d at 127. Direct evidence of Ryserâs mental state was not required. Hooper v. State,214 S.W.3d 9
, 14â15 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007). The jury could draw reasonable inferences from the evidence to find the requisite knowledge. Id.; Rabb v. State,434 S.W.3d 613, 617
(Tex. Crim. App.
2014).
10
The videotape of the arrest showed Holley being struck by a police car,
falling immediately to the ground, then lying there with his hands motionless next
to his head. Ryser and several other officers are then seen encircling Holley. Ryser
kneed him four times as at least five other officers held, kicked, and stomped on
him. At trial, Ryser provided an explanation for the amount of force observed on
the video, but other witnesses, including the chief of police, testified that his use of
force violated department procedures and was âegregious.â The jury, as the
factfinder, was charged with evaluating the credibility of the witnesses and
weighing the evidence. Jaggers, 125 S.W.3d at 672. When viewing the evidence in
the light most favorable to the verdictâincluding the arrest videotapeâwe
conclude that there was legally sufficient evidence from which the jury could have
concluded that Ryser intended to knee and strike Holley and that he knew he was
using more force than was immediately necessary to effectuate the arrest, i.e., that
he knew his mistreatment of Holley was unlawful.
Ryserâs fifth issue is overruled.
Jury Charge
In his first issue, Ryser argues that the trial court erred by instructing the
jury, over his objections, on the law of the parties and self-defense.
11
A. Standard of review
In analyzing a jury-charge issue, our first duty is to decide if there was error.
See Almanza v. State, 686 S.W.2d 157, 174(Tex. Crim. App. 1984); Tottenham v. State,285 S.W.3d 19, 30
(Tex. App.âHouston [1st Dist.] 2009, pet. refâd). Only if we find error do we consider whether an objection to the charge was made and analyze for harm. Tottenham,285 S.W.3d at 30
; see Warner v. State,245 S.W.3d 458, 461
(Tex. Crim. App. 2008) (âThe failure to preserve jury charge error is not a bar to appellate review, but rather it establishes the degree of harm necessary for reversal.â). If the error was properly preserved, reversal is required if there is âsome harmâ to the defendant. Almanza,686 S.W.2d at 171
. However, if the error was not properly preserved, the error must be âfundamental,â meaning that it was âso egregious and created such harm that the defendant âhas not had a fair and impartial trial.ââ Barrios v. State,283 S.W.3d 348, 350
(Tex. Crim. App. 2009) (quoting Almanza,686 S.W.2d at 171
).
B. Law-of-parties instruction
âA person is criminally responsible as a party to an offense if the offense is
committed by his own conduct, by the conduct of another for which he is
criminally responsible, or by both.â TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 7.01(a) (West 2011).
A person is criminally responsible for the conduct of another if, while âacting with
intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, he solicits, encourages,
12
directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offense . . . .â Id.
§ 7.02(a)(2). âEach party to an offense may be charged with commission of the
offense.â Id. § 7.01(b). Therefore, under the law of parties, the State is able to
enlarge a defendantâs criminal responsibility to include acts in which he may not
have been the principal actor. Goff v. State, 931 S.W.2d 537, 544 (Tex. Crim. App.
1996).
âIn general, an instruction on the law of parties may be given to the jury
whenever there is sufficient evidence to support a jury verdict that the defendant is
criminally responsible under the law of parties.â Ladd v. State, 3 S.W.3d 547, 564(Tex. Crim. App. 1999). The law-of-parties instruction may be included in the chargeâeven if the indictment alleges only that the defendant acted as a principal actorâif evidence has been presented at trial to support the theory. Marable v. State,85 S.W.3d 287, 288
(Tex. Crim. App. 2002) (â[I]t is well-settled that the law of parties need not be pled in the indictment.â); Hayes v. State,265 S.W.3d 673
, 678â79 (Tex. App.âHouston [1st Dist.] 2008, pet. refâd). To determine whether the evidence supports submission of the instruction, the trial court may consider evidence of events that occurred before, during, and after the commission of the crime. Goff,931 S.W.2d at 545
.
Ryser contends that a law-of-parties instruction is erroneous if there is
sufficient evidence to allow a jury to convict the defendant as a principal actor. But
13
submission of one theory does not prohibit the submission of the other. See Goff,
931 S.W.2d at 545. Even if there is âstrongâ evidence to support a conviction of a defendant under the theory that he was the principal actor, so long as there also is evidence that would support the alternate theory that he acted as a party to the offense, the prosecution may submit both theories and the trial court may include a jury instruction on the law of parties. Id.; Perry v. State,977 S.W.2d 847, 850
(Tex. App.âHouston [14th Dist.] 1998, no pet.).
The videotape evidence played for the jury shows a group of officers
approach Holley, encircle him, and kick and stomp on him. As the video played for
the jury, Ryser identified himself as one of the officers in the group and detailed
his use of force during the arrest, which included four knee strikes and a âpopâ to
Holleyâs head with his knuckles.
Ryser testified that he did not give Holley any verbal commands during the
arrest. Instead, he used force to assist the other officers to gain Holleyâs
compliance with their verbal commands. He explained, âI was trying to cause pain
so he would comply with the commands the other officers were giving him.â Ryser
testified that, at the time of the arrest, the other officers were just âblue blurs.
Theyâre not a threat to me, so Iâm not paying attention to what theyâre doing.â As
he watched the arrest video from the witness stand, Ryser stated that there were âa
lot of good examples of kicking on this video to look at,â but he maintained that he
14
had not kicked Holley and was not aware that the other officers were doing so at
the time.
Police Chief McClelland characterized the officersâ actions as more
coordinated, saying that âit just appears to me itâs a group mentality and no one is
doing what theyâre trained to do.â
We also consider evidence of events that occurred after the arrest in
determining whether the law-of-parties instruction was improper. See Goff, 931
S.W.2d at 545 (holding that reviewing court should consider evidence of events
before, during, and after commission of crime to determine whether evidence
supports submission of law-of-parties instruction). Houston Police Department
Sergeant H. Sanchez, who prepared the arrest report, did not actually witness
Holley or the other suspects being taken into custody; he was focused on
recovering jewelry and other stolen items around the arrest scene. He testified that
he asked the arresting officers at the scene whether it would be correct to include in
the offense report that all of the burglary suspects were resisting arrest with âclosed
fists or kicking.â According to Sergeant Sanchez, the arresting officers nodded and
told him, âYeah, you can say that.â Sergeant Sanchez conceded at trial that it was
âpretty obviousâ from the videotape that Holley had not swung at the officers with
his fists, contrary to the submitted report.
15
Sergeant Sanchez also testified about the police departmentâs use-of-force
guidelines, which require officers to supplement their offense reports any time they
use force on a suspect or suspect is injured. Ryser testified that he was aware of
that policy and likewise aware that his use force on Holley was sufficient to require
him to submit a supplemental use-of-force report. Yet he testified that neither he
nor any of the other officers involved in the arrest submitted supplemental reports
to disclose that they had used force while arresting Holley. He stated that every
officer in the group âforgot.â
The evidence regarding the events during and after Holleyâs arrest, including
the videotape, supports the submission of a law-of-parties instruction based on the
Stateâs alternative theory that Ryser intended to assist the other officers and
encouraged or aided them in their unlawful mistreatment of Holley. Accordingly,
the trial court did not err by including the law-of-parties instruction.
C. Self-defense instruction
Ryser next asserts that the trial court erred by including a self-defense
instruction in the jury charge. The State counters that the self-defense instruction
was included as a general instruction on the law applicable to the case and was
necessary to present fully the law on law-enforcement justification.
16
1. How the defenses raised at trial relate
Ryser was charged with official oppression based on an allegation that he
used excessive force against Holley while arresting him. See TEX. PENAL CODE
ANN. § 39.03(a)(1). Ryser raised, as a defense to his prosecution, the âlaw
enforcementâ justification defense and requested an instruction to the jury
explaining that police officers are justified to use force to the degree the officer
reasonably believes is immediately necessary to make an arrest. Id. § 9.51(a). The
instruction was included in the charge.
In response, the State requested an instruction explaining to the jury that law
enforcementâs justification in use of force is not without limits. The State requested
an instruction that criminal suspects are justified in their âuse [of] force to resist an
arrestâ if, before offering any resistance, the police officer uses or attempts to use
âgreater force than necessary to make the arrestâ and the suspect uses only the
degree of force he âreasonably believesâ to be âimmediately necessary to protect
himselfâ from that excessive force. Id. § 9.31(c); see Daugherty, 176 S.W.2d at
575 (stating that, âwhen aggression of the officer in making the arrest exceeds
what is reasonably necessary to effect the arrest, the right of self-defense inures to
the party assaulted.â). The self-defense instructionâmeaning Holleyâs use of self-
defense against the arresting officersâalso was included in the charge.
17
In this context, the law-enforcement justification defense was raised as a
defense to prosecution, but the self-defense instruction was not. According to the
State, the self-defense instruction was requested, not as a true defense but, instead,
to instruct the jury correctly and fully on the law applicable to the case.
2. The burden of proof when justification defenses are raised
Section 2.03 of the Penal Code sets forth the burden of proof for justification
defenses raised as a âdefense to prosecution.â TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 2.03 (West
2011). It provides that, when evidence of a justification defense is admitted and
that issue is submitted to the jury, the trial court is required to charge the jury that a
reasonable doubt on the defensive issue will require that the defendant be
acquitted. See id. This provision fixes the burden of proof on the State to prove
every element of the offense, including disproving the justification defense. See
Assiter v. State, 58 S.W.3d 743, 746 n.3 (Tex. App.âAmarillo 2000, no pet.) (explaining that burden of proof remains on State to prove every element of offense and to disprove any Chapter 9 justification defenses with proof beyond reasonable doubt (citing TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. §§ 2.03(d), 9.02 (West 2011))). A jury verdict of guilt is an implicit finding rejecting the defendantâs justification defense. Saxton v. State,804 S.W.2d 910, 914
(Tex. Crim. App. 1991).
Here, the justification defense raised by the defendant, Ryser, was the law-
enforcement justification defense. TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 9.51(a). The State had
18
the burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Ryserâs actions did not qualify
as a justification defense. Assiter, 58 S.W.3d at 746n.3. The State sought to meet its burden by admitting the arrest videotape and arguing that Ryserâs justification defense did not authorize the high degree of force observed because, to the extent Holley may have been resisting Ryserâs actions, it would have been in self-defense and in direct response to the officersâ excessive force. TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 9.31(c) (setting forth self-defense justification in context of resisting arrest). That was the Stateâs burden to prove, and the juryâs verdict of guilt carries with it an implied finding rejecting Ryserâs defensive theory. See Saxton,804 S.W.2d at 914
.
3. Self-defense instruction necessary to properly instruct on law of
the case
The trial court included in the charge the law-enforcement justification
defense; therefore, it was required to charge the jury correctly on that issue. TEX.
CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 36.14 (requiring trial court to deliver to jury written
charge distinctly setting forth âlaw applicable to the case.â); Delgado v. State, 235
S.W.3d 244, 249 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007) (holding that trial court is âultimately
responsible for the accuracy of the jury charge and accompanying instructions.â).
Because excessive force by the police can, in turn, justify a limited use of force by
a criminal suspect in self-defense, an instruction was necessary to accurately set
forth the law of the case regarding the law-enforcement justification defense. The
19
instruction also aided the jury in its evaluation of Ryserâs testimony that a suspect
cannot lawfully resist excessive force.2
4. Ryserâs other arguments challenging the self-defense instruction
Beyond Ryserâs general argument that the self-defense instruction should
not have been included, he makes three specific arguments that the trial court erred
in its instruction because (1) the self-defense instruction should have been
submitted from the perspective of the defendant; (2) Holley did not testify at trial
and there was no other âtestimonyâ suggesting that Holley was acting in self-
defense; and (3) the charge failed to include an application paragraph telling the
jury to acquit Ryser if the burden of proof was not met on the issue of self-defense.
We consider each of these arguments in turn.
a. Submission of self-defense from anotherâs perspective
Ryser argues that the law of self-defense must always be viewed from the
standpoint of the defendant. Ryser relies on Bradford v. Fort Worth Transit
Company, 450 S.W.2d 919, 922(Tex. App.âFort Worth 1970, writ refâd n.r.e.), which states that, â[u]nder the law of self-defense it is basic that the attack be viewed from the standpoint of the defendant. This rule has long been followed in the criminal jurisprudence of the State of Texas.âId.
But the appellate court goes
on to explain that it would be incorrect to consider a claim of self-defense from the
2
Sergeant Sanchez also testified that he believes suspects never have a legal right to
resist arrest. Neither witnessâs testimony correctly states the law.
20
âviewpoint of the jury as they see it subsequent to the homicide. Defendant has a
right to have his side submitted as he viewed it at the time of the transaction.â Id. at
922â23.
Bradford does not establish an absolute rule that self-defense is relevant only
from a defendantâs perspective. Instead, the rule is that self-defense must be
viewed from the relevant actorâs perspective, taking into account his knowledge at
the time he acted, and not the viewpoint of the jury that has the benefit of hindsight
in evaluating whether the actor actually was in danger. See id. (âThe question
whether the killing was justifiable is not to be viewed in the light of later events,
but by what the defendant reasonably believed at the time.â (quoting 28 Tex. Jur.
2d § 26 at 669â672 (1961))). The actor whose law-enforcement justification was at
issue in Bradford was the defendant, but here it was Holley. We conclude that
Bradford does not support Ryserâs argument.
b. Meeting burden without testimonial evidence
Next, Ryser argues that the âState cannot use the claim of self-defense when
it has not been raised by the complainant himselfâ and testimonial evidence from
Holley or another witness was required to meet the Stateâs burden. In support of
these arguments, Ryser relies on VanBrackle v. State, 179 S.W.3d 708 (Tex.
App.âAustin 2005, no pet.).
21
In VanBrackle, the defendantâwho did not testifyârequested a jury
instruction on self-defense, which was denied. See id.at 712â13. The Stateâs position was that a self-defense instruction is not warranted when a defendant offers no evidence of his state of mind. Seeid. at 713
. The appellate court held that any evidence that the actor was acting in self-defenseâeven weak evidenceâ warrants the submission of a self-defense instruction.Id. at 712
. The court noted that there was evidence that the defendant responded to the aggression against him by âgrabbing the pistol, pushing it away, and calling for help. This was an âobservable manifestationâ of appellantâs belief that it was necessary to defend himself . . . .âId.
at 713â14.
Here, the jury reasonably could have concluded that the videotape
demonstrated an âobservable manifestationâ of Holleyâs belief that he needed to
use self-defense against the policeâs excessive use of force. Thus, testimony from
Holley regarding his state of mind was not required to meet the threshold for
submitting the instruction.
c. Application paragraph on self-defense issue
Ryserâs last argument concerning the self-defense instruction is that the trial
court was required to instruct the jurors that they âmust acquit [Ryser] if they had a
reasonable doubt on the issue of self-defense as required by [section] 2.03(d) of the
Penal Code.â He contends that âthere should have been an application paragraph
22
instructing jurors on what to do if they believed [Holley] acted in self-defense.
Without a proper application paragraph the inclusion of the jury instruction on self-
defense was error.â
Section 2.03(d) requires an instruction to the jury that it must acquit if it has
a reasonable doubt of a justification defense asserted as a âdefense to prosecution.â
See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. §§ 2.03(a), (c) (establishing burden of proof if defense
is submitted to jury); 9.02 (âIt is a defense to prosecution that the conduct in
question is justified under this chapter.â); 9.51 (âA peace officer . . . is justified in
using force against another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes
the force is immediately necessary to make or assist in making an arrest . . . .â); see
also Assiter, 58 S.W.3d at 746 n.3 (explaining burden of proof on justification
defenses). Therefore, the trial court was required to include in the charge an
instruction that the jury must acquit Ryser if it has a reasonable doubt concerning
his justification defense, i.e., the law-enforcement defense. The charge included the
following instruction:
Therefore, if you find and believe from the evidence beyond a
reasonable doubt that . . . [Ryser] intentionally subject[ed] [Holley] to
mistreatment that the defendant knew was unlawful . . . but you
further find from the evidence, or you have a reasonable doubt
thereof, that [Ryser] reasonably believed that force was immediately
necessary to make or assist in making an arrest . . . then you will
acquit the defendant . . . .
23
Thus, the paragraph setting forth the burden of proof on a justification defense, as
required by section 2.03(d), was included.
Section 2.03(d) does not require a similar paragraph with regard to self-
defense here because it is not a âjustification defenseâ that was raised as a âdefense
to prosecution.â What is required is that the additional instruction on self-defense
not improperly relieve the State of its burden of proof. We conclude that it did not.
The charge instructed the jury:
[I]f you have a reasonable doubt as to whether or not the defendant
was justified in using force on said occasion and under the
circumstances, then you should give the defendant the benefit of that
doubt and say by your verdict not guilty.
This language maintains the burden of proof on the State, consistent with the
application paragraph quoted above, by instructing the jury that it should acquit if
it has a reasonable doubt whether Ryserâs use of force was justified.
Having overruled Ryserâs contention of charge error with regard to the law-
of-parties instruction and the self-defense instruction, we overrule his first issue.
Change of Venue
In his second issue, Ryser contends that that the trial court abused its
discretion in denying his motion to change venue because (1) there was strong
evidence that he could not receive a fair trial in the venue and (2) the court used an
erroneous legal standard by confusing the grounds for change of venue.
24
A. Required showing for change of venue
Every defendant in a criminal case is guaranteed the due process of a fair
trial by an impartial jury under the United States and Texas constitutions. U.S.
CONST. amend. VI; TEX. CONST. art. I, § 10. A change in venue may be granted on
a criminal defendantâs motion if supported by the defendantâs affidavit and the
affidavits of two other credible residents of the county if, within the county, there
is either (1) âso great a prejudice against [the defendant] that he cannot obtain a
fair and impartial trialâ or (2) âa dangerous combination against [the defendant]
instigated by influential persons, by reason of which he cannot expect a fair trial.â
TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 31.03(a) (West 2006). The movant has the
burden to establish either of these bases for a change of venue. See DeBlanc v.
State, 799 S.W.2d 701, 704 (Tex. Crim. App. 1990).
Change of venue is a remedy designed to ensure the defendant a fair trial
when extensive news coverage has raised substantial doubts about the
effectiveness of voir dire for obtaining an impartial jury. Beets v. State, 767
S.W.2d 711, 742â43 (Tex. Crim. App. 1987). To justify a change of venue based on public attention sparked by media, a defendant must show that the âpublicity was pervasive, prejudicial, and inflammatory.â Gonzalez v. State,222 S.W.3d 446, 449
(Tex. Crim. App. 2007); Salazar v. State,38 S.W.3d 141, 150
(Tex. Crim.
App. 2001). âThe mere existence of media attention or publicity is not enough, by
25
itself, to merit a change of venue.â Gonzalez, 222 S.W.3d at 449; accord Renteria v. State,206 S.W.3d 689, 709
(Tex. Crim. App. 2006). Even extensive knowledge of the case in the community is not sufficient if there is not a showing of prejudicial or inflammatory coverage. Gonzalez,222 S.W.3d at 449
. The defendant âbears a heavy burden to prove the existence of such prejudice in the community that the likelihood of obtaining a fair and impartial jury is doubtful.â DeBlanc,799 S.W.2d at 704
(quoting Nethery v. State,692 S.W.2d 686, 694
(Tex. Crim. App.
1985)).
To determine whether the publicity was inflammatory and prejudicial, the
court can consider evidence presented at the change of venue hearing and
statements made by venire members during voir dire if the trial court rules after the
voir dire process. Gonzalez, 222 S.W.3d at 451. Factors a reviewing court may consider when a defendant appeals the denial of his venue motion include: (1) the nature of the pretrial publicity; (2) the connection of government officials with the publicity; (3) the length of time between the publicity and the trial; (4) the severity and notoriety of the offense; (5) the area from which the jury panel was to be drawn; and (6) any factors likely to affect the candor and veracity of the prospective jurors during voir dire. See Gonzalez,222 S.W.3d at 448
; Henley, 576
S.W.2d at 71â72.
26
B. Standard of review
Denial of a change of venue request is reviewed under the abuse of
discretion standard. Gonzalez, 222 S.W.3d at 449. We give great deference to the trial court, which is in the best position to resolve issues involving conflicts in testimony and to evaluate the credibility of the witnesses.Id. at 452
; Brooks,323 S.W.3d at 899
. If the trial court does not make explicit findings of fact, a reviewing court will assume that the trial court made implicit findings of fact that support its ruling as long as those findings are supported by the record. Montanez v. State,195 S.W.3d 101, 106
(Tex. Crim. App. 2006); State v. Ross,32 S.W.3d 853, 855
(Tex. Crim. App. 2000). As long as the trial courtâs ruling is within the zone of reasonable disagreement, the trial court does not abuse its discretion in denying the venue motion. See Gonzalez,222 S.W.3d at 449
.
C. The trial courtâs decision is within the zone of reasonable disagreement
There were 13 witnesses who testified at the officersâ joint venue hearing.
The witnesses included defense attorneys with high profile case experience,
assistant district attorneys, jury consultants, and media experts, as well as
prominent members of the community, including Houston Mayor Parker, Police
Chief McClelland, and Quanell X.
Many witnesses testified that they did not believe that Ryser could receive a
fair trial in Harris County. For example, defense attorney George Parnham spoke
27
of the mayorâs and district attorneyâs initial efforts to prevent the videotape from
being disseminated exactly because it might affect the officersâ ability to obtain a
fair trial. Parnham then opined that the subsequent release of the videotape to the
news outlets removed any possibility of a fair trial in Harris County. Others
concurred. Richard Haynes, another defense attorney, testified that the widespread
display of the videotape âpoison[ed] the atmosphereâ so that Ryser could not get a
fair and impartial jury.
Ryser also offered evidence that an online search produced 203 print stories
about the incident, most of which contained the words âbeatingâ or âbrutality.â He
further claimed that there were 700,000 households that watch the local news
stations, which were continually playing the arrest video.
On the other hand, Chief McClelland, Mayor Parker, Quanell X, and two
Harris County assistant district attorneys all testified that Ryser could receive a fair
trial in Harris County. Mayor Parker testified that the community reaction
following the incident was much more focused on the general issue of police
brutality and the cityâs efforts to ensure proper conduct than on the facts of this
particular case or on these officersâ pending charges. Further, it was noted that the
hearing occurred two years after the video was released.
28
1. Publicity that is pervasive, prejudicial, and inflammatory
Ryser first argues that the inflammatory and prejudicial nature of the
coverage required a change in venue.
Because the videotape would be admitted as evidence and viewed by the
jurors at trial, we cannot conclude that the earlier publication of the video was, by
itself, so prejudicial and inflammatory that a change in venue would be required.
See Gonzalez, 222 S.W.3d at 452. Jurors need not be âtotally ignorantâ of the facts of a particular case in order to hold a fair trial. Renteria,206 S.W.3d at 709
.
Furthermore, Mayor Parker, Chief McLelland, Quanell X, and two Harris
County assistant district attorneys all unequivocally testified that Ryser could
receive a fair trial in Harris County. Specifically, Mayor Parker testified, âItâs
actually been months since anybody has raised the issue of the tape or this
particular incident.â She said she had âbeen, frankly, surprised that it so quickly
disappeared off the radar.â Mayor Parker also testified that, within six months of
the video airing, the issue had gone âstaleâ and was no longer a matter of public
discourse in her opinion. The trial court was within its discretion to believe these
witnessesâ testimony. See Renteria, 206 S.W.3d at 709.
Regarding the reach of the publicity, there was testimony that the Houston
Chronicle has a readership of 2.2 million and that the nightly news has a
viewership of over 700,000 households in a 19-county viewing area. But, there was
29
a significant lapse of time between when the video aired on the news stations and
when the members of the community were contacted to serve as potential jurors in
this caseâtwo years. See Skilling v. U.S., 561 U.S. 358, 383,130 S. Ct. 2896
, 2916 (2010) (considering that four years had elapsed between media storm and trial in denying defendantâs motion to change venue); Stanley v. State,664 S.W.2d 746, 754
(Tex. App.âSan Antonio 1983, writ refâd) (finding significance in fact that
publicity occurred over 30 months before trial). There was no expert testimony
regarding media attention closer to the time of the venue hearing or more recent
online traffic accessing the older news stories.
Finally, the trial was set to occur in Harris Countyâby any measure a large
region with a diverse jury pool. See Skilling, 561 U.S. at 382, 130 S. Ct. at 2915. In
Skilling, a high profile case with widespread media attention, the Supreme Court
commented on this particular venue, stating that, âHouston . . . is the fourth most
populous city in the Nation . . . . [M]ore than 4.5 million individuals eligible for
jury duty reside[] in the Houston area. Given this large, diverse pool of potential
jurors, the suggestion that 12 impartial individuals could not be empaneled is hard
to sustain.â Id. In denying Ryserâs venue motion, the trial judge likewise
commented that Harris County is larger than the populations of over 25 states in
our country.
30
This court affords great deference to the trial court to determine venue
motions. See Gonzalez, 222 S.W.3d at 452. âWhen pretrial publicity is at issue, âprimary reliance on the judgment of the trial court makes [especially] good senseâ because the judge âsits in the locale where the publicity is said to have had its effectâ . . . .â Skilling, 561 U.S. at 386, 130 S. Ct. at 2918 (quoting MuâMin v. Virginia,500 U.S. 415, 427
,111 S. Ct. 1899, 1906
(1991)).
Based on the testimony of numerous witnesses that Ryser could receive a
fair trial in Harris County, the length of time that had elapsed between the video
airing and the trial, and the size of the county from which the jury would be
empaneled, we conclude that the trial courtâs decision to deny the venue motion
was within the zone of reasonable disagreement and, therefore, the trial court did
not abuse its discretion in denying the motion based on Ryserâs publicity argument.
See TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 31.03(a) (setting standard for change of
venue); Gonzalez, 222 S.W.3d at 449 (noting high standard for change of venue
and deference given to trial courtâs ruling on matter).3
2. Dangerous combination
Ryser next complains that the trial court abused its discretion in denying his
motion to change venue because there existed a âdangerous combinationâ of
âmedia coverage and commentary by influential persons.â The basis for sustaining
3
The trial court granted the defendantsâ motion for individual voir dire. The
individual jurors were found to be acceptable to the defense to serve on the jury.
31
a change of venue challenge based on a dangerous combination âcomes not from a
widely held prejudice but from the actions of a small but influential or powerful
group who are likely to influence in some manner the way in which the trial
proceeds.â 42 Tex. Prac., Criminal Practice And Procedure § 30:11 (3d ed.); see
also Hussey v. State, 590 S.W.2d 505, 506 (Tex. Crim. App. [Panel Op.] 1979).
In particular, Ryser references a press conference jointly held by the district
attorney, mayor, and police chief. During this press conference, it was announced
that Ryser and other officers were being charged with a crime arising from
Holleyâs arrest and simultaneously were being terminated from employment with
the HPD. Ryser contends that those conducting the press conference, as well as a
number of other influential people, made inflammatory statements, including, for
example, State Representative Garnet Coleman, who is quoted as saying:
Iâm appalled and deeply disturbed by the actions of the officers shown
in the video. The kicking and stomping of a 15-year-old boy by these
officers was brutal, unwarranted, and shameful. It is especially
disturbing when those charged with keeping us safe so blatantly abuse
their power and violate their trust. These individuals are not above the
law and must be appropriately dealt with.
Ryser suggests that these individuals qualify as a âsmall but influential or
powerful groupâ who had the ability to âinfluence in some manner the way in
which the trial proceeds.â At the hearing, defense witness Christopher Tritico, a
criminal defense attorney, explained:
32
Well, look, itâs one thing to have public officials come out and call for
justice. All right? Thatâs not piling on to that specific defendant. What
we have here was instead of a call for justice, a call for calm, which
we would expect from our leaders, we didnât have a call for calm, we
didnât have a call for justice. We had a call for vengeance, in my
view, from our public leaders. And thatâs why this case has been
tainted in Harris County.
Tritico specifically referenced the mayorâs statements, describing them as
âcausticâ and reflective of her belief âthat the defendants should be tried and
convicted.â
Although we recognize that there was a combination of influential people
who attended the initial press conference (the mayor, police chief, and district
attorney), Ryser did not show that they acted in a way that amounted to a
âdangerous combinationâ so that he could not âexpect a fair trial.â The mayorâs
statements that the community was no longer talking about the case and that it had
been âoff the radarâ for many months before the trial began counsels against a
view that influential people were acting to impede the fair-trial process. Cf. Myers
v. State, 177 S.W. 1167, 1169 (Tex. Crim. App. 1915) (involving allegation that
fast speed with which case moved from arrest to trial indicated dangerous
combination but concluding that speed indicated only that leaders âacted promptly
in what they considered the performance of their dutyâ).
Further, while statements made at a news conference by community leaders
may have influenced the views of some individual community members, there is
33
no indication that, in a venue the size of Harris County, the personal views
expressed by these city officials created a coercive governmental force that could
influence the trial proceedings to obtain a conviction without regard to Ryserâs
constitutional right to a fair and impartial jury. Cf. Cortez v. State, 69 S.W. 536,
538 (Tex. Crim. App. 1902) (concluding that a dangerous combination of
influential persons existed where influential people contributed financially to hunt
for and arrest defendant, no local attorney would agree to defend him but many
volunteered to prosecute, and defendant had to be given additional physical
protections due to fears of mob violence).
Finally, the primary evidence in this case was the videotape, which provided
direct evidence of the amount of force used to arrest Holley as he lay prone on the
ground. The jurors were able to assess that evidence themselves, untethered to the
views others may have had when they first viewed the tape or sought indictments.
Thus, we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in
concluding that Ryser failed to demonstrate that there was a dangerous
combination against him led by influential persons from which he could not expect
a fair trial. To the extent the evidence could have supported a contrary conclusion,
we hold that the matter was within the zone of reasonable disagreement and, thus,
within the trial courtâs discretion.
34
D. The trial court did not apply an erroneous legal standard
Ryser next contends that the trial court applied an erroneous legal standard
in denying his venue motion â[b]y predicating denial of [his] motion to change
venue on the lack of any statements from potential veniremenâ that they were
influenced by the publicity.
A trial courtâs failure to analyze or properly apply the law is an abuse of
discretion and would support a reversal. See Kniatt v. State, 239 S.W.3d 910, 912â 13 (Tex. App.âWaco 2007, no pet.). The proper method for a trial court to analyze whether publicity is pervasive is through a hearing on the motion to change venue and, if voir dire is held before the trial court rules, consideration of the venire membersâ voir dire statements. Gonzalez,222 S.W.3d at 449
. Here, the
trial court held a venue hearing and ruled at the conclusion of that hearing. The
voir dire occurred at a later date.
Ryser quotes a statement made by the trial judge when his venue motion was
denied, in which the court notes that it did not hear from any potential venire
members at the venue hearing. But Ryser overstates the significance of that
statement. In context, the trial court explained that its conclusion to deny the venue
motion was reached in light of all of the evidence presented at the two-day venue
hearing, including the 13 witnesses who did testify (many of whom stating that
Ryser could receive a fair trial) and the fact that Harris County is large and diverse.
35
The record does not support Ryserâs conclusion that the trial court denied his
motion under an erroneous legal standard that would have required venire
membersâ input.
We conclude that Ryser has not established that the trial court employed an
erroneous legal standard in analyzing his venue motion. See Renteria, 206 S.W.3d
at 709 (concluding that various witnessesâ testimony at hearing stating that
appellant could receive fair trial supported courtâs denial of motion to change
venue). Further, after denying the venue motion, the trial court granted Ryserâs
motion for individual voir dire. Thus, even without proving that the media
coverage was pervasive, prejudicial, and inflammatory, Ryser was provided an
opportunity to question any venire members who might state that they were aware
of the pre-trial publicity, to inquire about the publicityâs effect on their suitability
to serve as jurors, and, if necessary, to raise the issue again if the venire membersâ
answers indicate that publicity tainted the jury pool.
We overrule Ryserâs second issue.
Sleeping Juror
In his third issue, Ryser argues that he was denied due process when the trial
court refused to dismiss a âsleeping jurorâ or grant his motion for mistrial on that
basis.
36
On the second day of trial, Ryser informed the trial court that one of the
jurors appeared to be asleep âmost, if not all, of the day.â The trial court
interviewed the juror on the record, outside the presence of the other jurors. She
stated that she was not sleeping, that she âthought [she] was paying good
attention,â and that she has a âtendencyâ to look down but that she is listening and
will try to âlook more up, I guess.â She explained that she often looks down in
church as well, but she is listening. The juror confirmed that she did âunderstand
this is importantâ and that those involved in the trial âdonât want to have to redo it
all over again . . . .â Defense counsel was allowed to call the bailiff to testify about
his conversation with other jurors on the issue. He testified that three jurors told
him that the juror was sleeping.
Ryser later moved to have the juror dismissed. That motion was denied.
Ryser moved for a mistrial, which also was denied. Ryser did not move for a
mistrial again over the course of the week-long trial.
A. Standard of review
We review a trial courtâs denial of a motion for mistrial for an abuse of
discretion. Ladd, 3 S.W.3d at 567. A mistrial is an appropriate remedy in âextreme circumstancesâ for a narrow class of highly prejudicial and incurable errors. Ocon v. State,284 S.W.3d 880, 884
(Tex. Crim. App. 2009). Whether an error requires a mistrial must be determined by the particular facts of the case. Ladd,3 S.W.3d at 37
567. The movant has the burden of proving the allegation of juror misconduct. See Hughes v. State,24 S.W.3d 833, 842
(Tex. Crim. App. 2000). âThe trial court should consider whether âthe sleeping juror missed large portions of the trial or [whether] the portions missed were particularly critical.â Menard v. State,193 S.W.3d 55, 60
(Tex. App.âHouston [1st Dist.] 2006, pet. refâd) (quoting United States v. Freitag,230 F.3d 1019, 1023
(7th Cir. 2000)). âHowever, a court is not invariably required to remove sleeping jurors, and a court has considerable discretion in deciding how to handle a sleeping juror.âId.
(quoting Freitag,230 F.3d at 1023
).
An appellate court views the evidence in the light most favorable to the trial
courtâs ruling. Webb v. State, 232 S.W.3d 109, 112(Tex. Crim. App. 2007). The ruling must be upheld if it was within the zone of reasonable disagreement.Id.
When reviewing the denial of a motion for mistrial, determinations of historical fact and assessments of witness credibility are left almost entirely to the discretion of the trial judge; when there is conflicting evidence, there is no abuse of discretion if the motion is overruled. Hughes,24 S.W.3d at 842
.
B. The trial court did not abuse its discretion
The juror expressly denied, on the record, that she had been sleeping.
She explained that she lowers her head often but that she is continuing to listen and
pay attention. She confirmed that she understood the importance of the proceeding
38
and that she would, if needed, raise her head more often. The trial judge found the
jurorâs testimony credible, explaining:
I talked to the juror and the juror has assured me sheâs paying
attention. Thatâs the way she pays attention in church as well. She said
although she does tend to put her head down, but it doesnât mean
sheâs sleeping. Sheâs paying attention. She gave her assurance to me.
The trial judge was in the courtroom; he could observe the jurorâs behavior
and determine her credibility. We hold that the trial court was within its discretion
to believe the jurorâs testimony and, therefore, did not abuse its discretion by
denying the motion for mistrial on this basis. See Hughes, 24 S.W.3d at 842.
We overrule Ryserâs third issue.
Denial of Motion for New Trial
In his fourth issue, Ryser contends that the trial court erred by denying his
motion for new trial. He moved for a new trial based on the allegation that one of
the jurors engaged in misconduct by allowing an outside influence to alter jury
deliberations. Specifically he contended that a juror looked up the term
âmistreatmentâ in the dictionary before the second day of jury deliberations began
and shared that definition with other jurors as they deliberated. He also contended
that the same juror reassured the other jurors that Ryser had a new job, had moved
on with his life, and would, in effect, âbounce back.â
The affidavits of four of the jurors, including the one who looked up the
term âmistreatment,â were submitted to the trial court. One of the jurors averred
39
that the definition of âmistreatmentâ that was brought into the jury room included
the terms âroughlyâ and âwrongly.â The juror who looked up the term admitted in
his affidavit that he wrote down some definitions of âmistreatmentâ from a
Websterâs Dictionary and shared them with the other jurors. The two other juror
affidavits confirm that this occurred. Following a hearing on the motion, the trial
court denied Ryserâs motion for new trial. Ryser asserts on appeal that the trial
court erred in denying his new-trial motion based on his contention that a juror
presented a definition of misconduct to the jurors during jury deliberation. 4
A. Standard of review
To warrant a new trial based on jury misconduct, the movant must establish
not only that jury misconduct occurred, but also that it was material and probably
caused injury. Bogue v. State, 204 S.W.3d 828, 829 (Tex. App.âTexarkana 2006,
pet. refâd).
The trial courtâs denial of a motion for new trial is reviewed under an abuse
of discretion standard. McQuarrie v. State, 380 S.W.3d 145, 150 (Tex. Crim. App.
4
All other allegations of misconduct were contested, including that one of the jurors
said Ryser had moved on with his life. The trial court does not abuse its discretion
in denying a motion for new trial based on allegations that are disputed where the
resolution of the new-trial motion requires consideration of witness credibility.
Thomas v. State, 699 S.W.2d 845, 854 (Tex. Crim. App. 1985) (âWhere there is
conflicting evidence on an issue of fact as to jury misconduct the trial judge
determines the issue and there is no abuse of discretion in overruling the motion
for new trial.â).
40
2012); Salazar, 38 S.W.3d at 148. We do not substitute our judgment for that of the trial court, but simply determine whether the trial courtâs decision was arbitrary or unreasonable. See Salazar,38 S.W.3d at 148
; Holden v. State,201 S.W.3d 761, 763
(Tex. Crim. App. 2006). The trial court is the sole judge of the credibility of witnesses. Salazar,38 S.W.3d at 148
. âWhere there is conflicting evidence on an issue of fact as to jury misconduct, the trial judge determines the issue and there is no abuse of discretion in overruling the motion for new trial.âId.
A trial court abuses its discretion in denying a motion for new trial only if no reasonable view of the record could support the trial courtâs ruling. McQuarrie,380 S.W.3d at 150
; Holden,201 S.W.3d at 763
.
B. Outside influence
With regard to an allegation of juror misconduct, Rule 606(b) allows a juror
to testify on whether âany outside influence was improperly brought to bear upon
any juror.â TEX. R. EVID. 606(b). However, a juror may not testify as to any matter
or statement occurring during the juryâs deliberations, the effect the matter had on
any jurorâs mind or mental process, or how the matter influenced the jurorâs
decision-making.5 See McQuarrie, 380 S.W.3d at 153â54. Thus, when testifying
5
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals explained this prohibition against âdelving
into deliberationsâ as an effort to keep jury deliberations âprivate to encourage
jurors to candidly discuss the law and the facts.â McQuarrie, 380 S.W.3d at 154.
Further, the effect of Rule 606 is to âlimit âthe role jurors may play in attacking
41
about outside influences, a jurorâs testimony will be limited to âthat which occurs
outside of the jury room and outside of the jurorâs personal knowledge and
experience,â meaning information that âoriginates from sources other than the
jurors themselves.â See id. at 151, 153 (quoting Golden Eagle Archery, Inc. v. Jackson,24 S.W.3d 362, 370
(Tex. 2000)).
Until 2012, the prevailing view in Texas was that the phrase âoutside
influenceâ did not include âanything that is communicated to the jury by one of the
jurors, regardless of the origin of that information.â See McQuarrie, 380 S.W.3d at
151. Under this view, Rule 606 would prevent a juror from testifying that another juror injected outside information if that information was communicated to the jurors by one of their own. Seeid.
But the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals altered this view with its holding in McQuarrie,380 S.W.3d at 154
.
In McQuarrie, a defendant who had been convicted of sexual assault moved
for a new trial based on juror misconduct. See id.at 148â49. The defendant alleged that one of the jurors had done independent research on the effects of date rape drugs. Seeid. at 148
. After the trial court denied the defendantâs motion for new
trial, the court of appeals affirmed, holding that the information was not an outside
influence because it was introduced to the jurors by another juror. McQuarrie v.
the validity of a verdict.ââ Colyer v. State, 428 S.W.3d 117, 123â24 (Tex. Crim.
App. 2014).
42
State, No. 13-09-00233-CR, 2011 WL 1442335, at *6 (Tex. App.âCorpus Christi 2011) (mem. op., no designated for publication), revâd,380 S.W.3d 145
(Tex.
Crim. App. 2012).
The Court of Criminal Appeals held that the definition of an âoutside
influenceâ used by the court of appeals was overly narrow, undermined Rule
606(b)âs stated exception allowing jurors to testify about outside influences that are
improperly brought to bear, and could lead to absurd results. McQuarrie, 380
S.W.3d at 151â52. The Court emphasized that juries are only to âuse the law, the
evidence, and the trial courtâs mandates as [its] ultimate guides in arriving at
decisions as to guilt or innocence and as to punishment.â Id.at 153 (quoting Granados v. State,85 S.W.3d 217, 235
(Tex. Crim. App. 2002)).
Using the âplain-meaning interpretationâ of the term âoutside influence,â the
Court held that research on the effects of date rape drugs in a sexual assault trial
was an outside influence:
The internet research occurred outside of the jury room and outside of
deliberationsâthe juror conducted a private investigation at her home
during an overnight break. In addition, the information obtained
originated from a source on the internet, a source other than the jurors
themselves. The internet research constituted an âoutside influence.â
Id. at 154.
Here, the juror admitted that he consulted âWebsterâs Dictionary,â obtained
definitions of a term contained in the jury charge from that dictionary, and shared
43
that information with the jury during deliberations. We conclude that the
definitions were an âoutside influence,â as that term is now understood in light of
McQuarrie.
C. Harm analysis
Outside influences do not result in automatic reversals. âAn âoutside
influenceâ is problematic only if it has the effect of improperly affecting a jurorâs
verdict in a particular mannerâfor or against a particular party.â Colyer, 428
S.W.3d at 129. Consistent with the mandate that we not âdelve into [jury]
deliberations,â we review the possible harm caused by the outside influence using
an objective, âhypothetical average jurorâ standard, without consideration of the
actual effect that the influence had on these particular jurors. McQuarrie, 380
S.W.3d at 153â54.
Thus, the question before us is whetherâgiven that the juror consulted a
dictionary to obtain definitions of the term âmistreatmentâ and then shared those
definitions with the deliberating jury the next dayâthere is a âreasonable
possibility that it had a prejudicial effectâ by impacting the verdict, which we
answer using the objective standard of a hypothetical average juror. Id. at 154.
Until recently, Texas courts have not reached the point of analyzing harm in
connection with a jurorâs reference to a dictionary because, until McQuarrie, doing
so was not considered an âoutside influence.â Many other jurisdictions, though,
44
have long held that referring to a reference book is an outside influence and, thus,
have analyzed when doing so can be considered prejudicial. See, generally, Jean E.
Maess, Annotation, Prejudicial Effect of Juryâs Procurement or Use of Book
During Deliberation in Criminal Cases, 35 A.L.R.4TH 626 (1985) (accumulating
cases from many jurisdictions on issue). Courts distinguish between a juryâs use of
standard dictionaries and more specialized references such as legal dictionaries or
law books in determining whether a defendant is prejudiced by the use of outside
reference materials. See id.This is because the danger in a jurorâs use of a reference book is that the jury will use it âto construct their own definitions of legal terms which do not accurately or fairly reflect applicable law.â United States v. Birges,723 F.2d 666, 671
(9th Cir. 1984) (emphasis added). But that danger is greatly reduced when the word is one taken as a matter of common knowledge which the jury is supposed to possess. State v. Cummings,576 P.2d 36
, 37â38 (Or.
Ct. App. 1978).
Thus, when a juror refers to a dictionary and encounters a âfairly innocuousâ
definition that neither conflicts with the legal concepts included in the jury
instructions nor contradicts any other aspect of the jury charge, courts have
generally found the jury misconduct to be harmless. See, e.g., State v. Tinius, 527
N.W.2d 414, 417(Iowa Ct. App. 1994) (stating that dictionary definition âwas fairly innocuousâ); State v. Melton,692 P.2d 45, 49
(N.M. Ct. App. 1984) (noting
45
that definitions of words âcontrol,â âkeep,â and âpossessâ that juror found in
dictionary âdid not vary from the usual ordinary meaning of those words, or from
the meaning contained in the trial courtâs instructions.â).
In cases in which a juror looked up a legal term and the dictionary definition
did conflict with the jury charge, prejudice has more readily been found. See, e.g.,
Alvarez v. People, 653 P.2d 1127, 1130â31 (Colo. 1982) (where juror looked up terms âreasonable,â âimaginary,â and âvague,â to evaluate whether State met burden of âbeyond reasonable doubt,â court found jury misconduct was prejudicial); Marino v. Vasquez,812 F.2d 499, 502, 505
(9th Cir. 1987) (definition
of âmaliceâ found in dictionary, defined as âactive or vindictive ill-will,â differed
greatly from definition of malice included in courtâs charge, could have resulted in
guilty verdict based on âill-will alone,â and was prejudicial).
Ryser was charged with official oppression, which was defined for the jury
as follows:
Our law provides that a public servant acting under color of his
office or employment commits the offense of official
oppression if he intentionally subjects another to mistreatment
that he knows is unlawful.
That language is consistent with the language in the statute criminalizing official
misconduct. TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 39.03(a). The statute does not define the
term âmistreatment,â and neither did the jury charge. Thus, the jury was to use the
46
ordinary meaning of the termânot a special legal definitionâand that definition
was found in the dictionary used by the juror.
âWhen words are not specially defined by the Legislature, they are to be
understood as ordinary usage allows, and jurors may freely read the statutory
language to have any meaning which is acceptable in common speech.â Teer v.
State, 923 S.W.2d 11, 19 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996); see TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC.
ANN. art. 3.01 (West 2005) (âAll words, phrases and terms used in this Code are to
be taken and understood in their usual acceptation in common language, except
where specially defined.â); TEX. GOVâT CODE ANN. § 311.011(a) (West 2013)
(âWords and phrases shall be read in context and construed according to the rules
of grammar and common usage.â).
Instead of a definition, the jury charge provided four variations of
mistreatment for the jury to consider. The charge asked whether the jury found
from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Ryser subjected Holley to
âmistreatment that the defendant knew was unlawfulâ by (1) âkneeing Holley,â
(2) âstriking Holley with his hands,â (3) âpushing Holleyâs head with his hands,â
or (4) âkicking Holley with his foot.â
The juror referenced a general-use dictionary and found the term
âmistreatmentâ defined as acting âroughlyâ or âwrongly.â That definition was
compatible with the commonly understood meaning of the word and did not
47
conflict with the trial courtâs instructions. Even if a hypothetical average juror
would have applied the dictionary definitions to read âmistreatmentâ as âwrongly
[or] roughly,â the jury charge still required that the juror find that the State proved,
beyond a reasonable doubt, that Ryser kneed, struck, pushed, or kicked Holley, that
that action was unlawful, and that Ryser intentionally engaged in such conduct. By
requiring that Ryser acted intentionally and that he knew his conduct was unlawful,
the jury charge placed additional requirements for conviction beyond a mere
conclusion that Ryser acted âwrongly [or] roughly.â Given these other required
elements of the offense, Ryser has not demonstrated how application of these
dictionary definitions was harmful.
Regarding the trial courtâs denial of Ryserâs new-trial motion, we will
conclude that the trial court abused its discretion in denying a new trial only if no
reasonable view of the record could support the trial courtâs ruling. McQuarrie,
380 S.W.3d at 150; Holden,201 S.W.3d at 763
. Ryser has not met that burden here. He has failed to show how reference to the dictionary prejudiced him. To the extent it did at all, it was within the zone of reasonable disagreement and, therefore, within the trial courtâs discretion to deny the new trial. See McQuarrie,380 S.W.3d at 150
.
Accordingly, we overrule Ryserâs fourth issue.
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Cumulative Error
In his sixth and final issue, Ryser contends that the combination of errors
that occurred in his trial resulted in cumulative error that denied him due process.
Because we have concluded that there was no error, there can be no cumulative
error or harm. See Chamberlain v. State, 998 S.W.2d 230, 238 (Tex. Crim. App.
1999) (âIt is conceivable that a number of errors may be found harmful in their
cumulative effect. But, we are aware of no authority holding that non-errors may in
their cumulative effect cause error.â).
We overrule issue six.
Conclusion
Having overruled all six of Ryserâs issues, we affirm the judgment of the
trial court.
Harvey Brown
Justice
Panel consists of Justices Massengale, Brown, and Huddle.
Publish. TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).
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