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Ex Parte Gonzales

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
Nov 16, 1977
557 S.W.2d 790 (Tex. Crim. App. 1977)

Opinion

No. 56712.

November 16, 1977.

Appeal from 25th Judicial District Court, Guadalupe County, E. W. Patteson, J.

Jim D. Vollers, State's Atty., Austin, for the State.


OPINION


A post conviction application for writ of habeas corpus has been filed pursuant to the provisions of Art. 11.07, V.A.C.C.P. The petitioner was convicted for the offense of burglary of a habitation; punishment is imprisonment for 99 years.

The petitioner alleges that the indictment is fatally defective in that it fails to allege a culpable mental state. The indictment alleges that the appellant: " . . . did then and there enter a habitation without the effective consent of John Nelson, the owner, and therein attempted to commit and committed theft; . . . "

The indictment in this case is substantially the same as that quoted in Ex parte Winton, 549 S.W.2d 751 (Tex.Cr.App. 1977), and relief must be granted as it was in Ex parte Winton, supra, because the indictment which fails to allege a culpable mental state is fundamentally defective.

The indictment in Ex parte Winton, supra, alleged that Winton: " . . . did then and there enter a building without the effective consent of Gary Minshew, the owner, and therein attempted to commit and committed theft . . . "

The relief prayed for is granted; the conviction is set aside and the indictment is ordered dismissed.


Summaries of

Ex Parte Gonzales

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
Nov 16, 1977
557 S.W.2d 790 (Tex. Crim. App. 1977)
Case details for

Ex Parte Gonzales

Case Details

Full title:Ex parte Arturo M. GONZALES

Court:Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas

Date published: Nov 16, 1977

Citations

557 S.W.2d 790 (Tex. Crim. App. 1977)

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