Roberto Castillo v. State ( 2013 )

COURT OF APPEALS
EIGHTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS
EL PASO, TEXAS
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ROBERTO CASTILLO, No. 08-11-00142-CR
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Appellant, Appeal from
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v. County Court at Law No. 4
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THE STATE OF TEXAS, of El Paso County, Texas
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Appellee. (TC # 20100C03071)
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OPINION
Roberto Castillo appeals from his conviction for the misdemeanor offense of assault
causing bodily injury--family violence. On appeal, Appellant complains of the trial court’s
refusal to submit a jury instruction as to defense of property. See TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. §§
9.02, 9.41(a), (b)(West 2011)(providing that protection of one’s own property as a justification
defense to prosecution for assault). For the reasons that follow, we affirm.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
Appellant was charged by information with the misdemeanor offense of assault causing
bodily injury - family violence. Specifically, the information alleged that, on or about November
20, 2009, Appellant intentionally, knowingly, and recklessly caused bodily injury to Karla
Castillo (his spouse) by “squeezing Karla Castillo’s arm with [Appellant’s] hand.”
At the trial, Ms. Castillo testified regarding the incident giving rise to the charges. On
November 20, 2009, she met Appellant at Wal-Mart because he was to give her some money to
pay bills and purchase diapers for their son. Appellant brought her some diapers but when he
told her that he was unable to give her any money, Ms. Castillo became upset and their
conversation escalated into an argument. At some point during the argument, Ms. Castillo sat in
Appellant’s vehicle. Appellant asked her to get out, but she refused because Appellant had taken
the keys to her vehicle and attached them to his own key ring. Appellant then attempted to drive
off with Ms. Castillo still sitting in his vehicle while the passenger door was open.
Once Appellant stopped, Ms. Castillo reached over and removed the entire set of keys
from the ignition. Appellant became upset, got out of the vehicle, and walked around to the
passenger side to get the keys. Ms. Castillo was holding the keys in her right hand with a finger
through one of the rings. Appellant started pulling at the keys, trying to remove them from Ms.
Castillo’s finger. Despite the pain, Ms. Castillo resisted. Appellant then grabbed Ms. Castillo’s
arm “and he squeezed it with force.” She asked Appellant to let go because he was hurting her,
but Appellant refused. Ms. Castillo then relented and released the keys.
Ms. Castillo explained that if Appellant had asked her nicely and offered to drive her
back to her vehicle, she would have handed over his car keys. But he never asked nicely and
instead only yelled before grabbing her arm. Her hand was swollen and she had scratches as
well as a bruise on her arm. Photographs of Ms. Castillo’s injuries were admitted into evidence.
During the charge conference, defense counsel objected to the jury charge and requested
an instruction regarding defense of property which the trial court denied. The jury found
Appellant guilty as charged. The trial court subsequently sentenced Appellant to serve 365 days
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in the county jail and ordered him to pay a $4,000 fine. The jail sentence and $3,500 of his fine
were probated, and Appellant was placed on community supervision for twelve months.
CHARGE ERROR?
In his sole issue for review, Appellant contends he was entitled to an instruction on the
justification defense of the use of force to protect one’s own property because the defensive issue
was raised by the evidence. The State counters that because the instruction addressed a
justification defense, Appellant was required to admit to the charged offense before he could
assert the defense. Alternatively, the State contends the trial court did not err because there was
no evidence showing that Appellant reasonably believed that force was immediately necessary to
recover the property -- a required element of proof of the protection of one’s own property
defense.
Standard of Review
Appellate review of alleged jury charge error involves a two-step process. Abdnor v.
State, 871 S.W.2d 726, 731 (Tex.Crim.App. 1994); Almanza v. State, 686 S.W.2d 157, 174
(Tex.Crim.App. 1984)(op. on reh’g); See Sakil v. State, 287 S.W.3d 23, 25–26 (Tex.Crim.App.
2009). We must determine whether error occurred. Abdnor, 871 S.W.2d at 732. If so, we must
then analyze whether sufficient harm resulted from the error to require reversal. Ngo v. State,
175 S.W.3d 738, 743 (Tex.Crim.App. 2005). The degree of harm necessary for reversal depends
on whether the appellant properly preserved the error by objection. Id., citing Middleton v. State,
125 S.W.3d 450, 453 (Tex.Crim.App. 2003). Where, as here, error in the charge is preserved for
review, reversal is required if the error caused “some harm.” Almanza, 686 S.W.2d at 171.
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Entitlement to Instruction
We begin our analysis by determining whether Appellant was entitled to the instruction
on defense of property under Section 9.41(a). While Section 9.41 does address the use of force
to protect one’s own property, Appellant’s reliance on subsection (a) is misplaced. Subsection
(a) applies when an actor in lawful possession of property is using force to prevent another’s
“trespass on the land or unlawful interference with the property.” TEX.PENAL CODE ANN.
§9.41(a). Subsection (b) provides:
(b) A person unlawfully dispossessed of land or tangible, movable property by
another is justified in using force against the other when and to the degree the
actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to reenter the land or
recover the property if the actor uses the force immediately or in fresh pursuit
after the dispossession and:
(1) the actor reasonably believes the other had no claim of right when he
dispossessed the actor; or
(2) the other accomplished the dispossession by using force, threat, or
fraud against the actor.
TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. § 9.41(b). Here, Appellant had already been dispossessed of the car keys
and was attempting to regain possession at the time force was used. Accordingly, subsection (b)
applies. See TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. § 9.41(a), (b); see e.g. Ordonez v. State, No. 14-10-00132-
CR, 2010 WL 5395808, at *3 (Tex.App.--Houston [14th Dist.] December 21, 2010, no pet.)(not
designated for publication)(noting that because “the alleged owner of property already had been
dispossessed of property and was attempting to regain possession at the time force was used, it is
not section 9.41(a) but section 9.41(b) of the Penal Code that applies). In any event, Appellant
was not entitled to the instruction because he did not admit to having committed any of the
physically abusive conduct for which he was charged.
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A defendant is entitled, upon a timely request, to an instruction on any defensive issue
raised by the evidence, provided that (1) the defendant timely requests an instruction on that
specific theory and (2) the evidence raises that issue. Rogers v. State, 105 S.W.3d 630, 639
(Tex.Crim.App. 2003); see also Shaw v. State, 243 S.W.3d 647, 662 (Tex.Crim.App.
2007)(recognizing the rule that when a defensive theory is raised by the evidence from any
source and a charge is properly requested, it must be submitted to the jury). A defendant is
entitled to such an instruction regardless of whether the evidence supporting the defensive issue
is strong, feeble, unimpeached, or contradicted. Walters v. State, 247 S.W.3d 204, 209
(Tex.Crim.App. 2007). This is true even when the trial court thinks that the testimony is not
worthy of belief. Id.; see also Granger v. State, 3 S.W.3d 36, 38 (Tex.Crim.App. 1999)
(reiterating the well-settled rule that a defendant is entitled to an instruction on any defensive
issue raised by the evidence without regard to the strength or credibility of the evidence raising
it). This rule is designed to insure that the jury, not the judge, will decide the relative credibility
of the evidence. Miller v. State, 815 S.W.2d 582, 585 (Tex.Crim.App. 1991).
However, defense of property is a justification defense. See TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. §
9.02 (providing a defense to criminal responsibility in circumstances where the criminal conduct
is “justified”); § 9.41 (defense of property). “This justification, by definition, does not negate
any element of the offense, including culpable intent; it only excuses what would otherwise
constitute criminal conduct.” Shaw, 243 S.W.3d at 659. Therefore, a defendant is not entitled to
an instruction on a justification defense when he denies committing the conduct with which he is
charged. See Ex parte Nailor, 149 S.W.3d 125, 132-33 (Tex.Crim.App. 2004)(defendant alleged
that he did not strike victim with hand and that her injury was accidental); McGarity v. State, 5
S.W.3d 223, 226-27 (Tex.App.--San Antonio 1999, no pet.)(defendant charged with assault by
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hitting victim in face, but claimed he threw victim on bed but did not hit her). For the defendant
to be entitled to an instruction, there must be some defensive testimony to the effect that the
defensive issue applies. See VanBrackle v. State, 179 S.W.3d 708, 715 (Tex.App.--Austin 2005,
no pet.); see also Maldonado v. State, 902 S.W.2d 708, 712 (Tex.App.--El Paso 1995, no pet.)
(noting that “[o]ne cannot establish that an act is justified without first identifying, or admitting
to the commission of, the predicate act.”).
Appellant was charged with intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing bodily injury
to Ms. Castillo by squeezing her arm. Ms. Castillo testified that Appellant did in fact grab her
arm and squeeze it, causing her arm to bruise. Appellant did not testify. His failure to do so, or
to otherwise admit to the conduct upon which he was charged, prevents him from benefiting
from the defense of property. See Maldonado, 902 S.W.2d at 712 (finding that where Appellant
did not testify or otherwise admit his crimes prevented him from benefitting from the defense of
necessity, a justification defense). Finding no error, we overrule Appellant’s sole point and
affirm the trial court’s judgment.
July 24, 2013
ANN CRAWFORD McCLURE, Chief Justice
Before McClure, C.J., Rivera, and Antcliff, JJ.
Antcliff, J., not participating
(Do Not Publish)
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