Sellers, Stephen Kenneth Lane

PD-0762-15 PD-0762-15 COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS Transmitted 6/23/2015 1:39:45 PM Accepted 6/24/2015 11:43:00 AM ABEL ACOSTA CLERK NO. PI). NTHE COURT OF CRIMNAL APPEALS OF TEXAS STEPHEN SELLERS Appellant v. STATE OF TEXAS Annellee APPELLANT'S PETITION FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW Petition from the 19th Judicial District Court of Mclennan County, Texas Trial Court Cause Number 20I3-2242-CI and cause Number L0-r4-00226-cR in the Tenth court of Appeals of Texas Chelsea Tijerina State Bar No. 24076733 E-mail : attorneychelsea@gmail. com Law Orrrcn oF SrMER &Tnrnxs 3706 Bellmead Drive Waco, Texas 76705 June 24, 2015 (2s4) 412_2300 (888) 3 17 -7 61 0-Facsimile ORAL ARGUMENT REQUESTED IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL Appellant, pursuant to Rule of Appellate procedure 3g.1(a), provides the following list of all parties to the trial court's judgment and the names and addresses of all trial and appellate counsel. Appellant: Stephen Sellers TDCJ # 0194890s Joe F. Gurney Transfer Facility 1385 F.M. 3328 Palestine, Texas 75803 Trial Court Judge: Hon. Ralph Strother l9th Judicial District Court Judge Mclennan County Courthouse 501 Washington Avenue - Suite 303 Waco, Texas 7670I Telephone: 254-7 57 -5091 Trial Counsel for Apoellant: Josh Tetens Chelsea Tijerina Simer & Tetens 3706 Bellmead Drive Waco, Texas 76705 Telephone: 254-412-2300 Appellate Counsel for Appellant: Chelsea Tijerina Simer & Tetens 3706 Bellmead Drive Waco, Texas 76705 Telephone: 254-412-2300 Trial Counsel for State: Robbie Moody Evan OtDonnell Mclennan County District Attorney's Office 219 North 6th Street, Suite 200 'Waco, Texas 7670I Appellate Counsel for State: Sterling Harmon Gabriel Price Mclennan County District Attorney,s Office 219 Norrh 6th Street" Suite 200 Waco, Texas 7670I Sellers v. State-Appellant's Petition ior Discretionarv Review Pege 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COLNSEL .......... I INDEX OF AUTHORITIES.. ............ 4 STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT..... ............ 6 STATEMENT OF THE CASE/ STATEMENT OF PROCEDURAL HISTORY .......... 6 GROUND FOR REVIEW.. ........... 8 The Waco Court of Appeals disregarded established case law from this Court and from sister courts of appeal to find the evidence legally sufficient. ARGUMENT..... ......8 I. Reason for Granting Review. ......9 il. Factual Basis. .........9 ru. Case Law The distance between the defendant and the complaining witness proves the seminal factor in determining whether a knife is a deadly weapon. l3 IV. Conclusion 20 PRAYER FOR RELIEF.... 21 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE. 2l CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE 22 Sellers v. State-Appellanfs Petition for Dissetionary Review Page 2 APPENDD(: sellers v. state,No. 10-14-00226-CR 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 4702 (Tex. App.-Waco May 7,20I5,no pet. h.). Sellers v. State-Appsllant's Petition for Discretionary Revisr Page 3 INDEX OF AUTHORITIES Texas Cases: Page No. Alexander v. state,No. 10-10-00279-cR, 2012Tex.App. LEXIS 3125 (Tex. App.-waco Apr. 18,2012, pet. ref d) (mem. op., not designated for publication)... ....... 9 Alvarez v. state,566 s.w.2d 612 (Tex. crim. App. l97g) g, 9, 13, 15, 16, 17, lg, lg Broolcs v. state,323 s.w.3d 893 (Tex. crim. App. 2010) (plurality op.).. .... 19 citizens Nat'l Bank in waxahachie v. scott,195 s.w.3d 94 (Tex. 2006). ..... 19 Davidsonv. State,602 S.W.2d 272 (Tex. Crim. App. l9g0) ........ g. 13 Fregiav. State,185 S.W. 11 (Tex. Crim. App. 1916) .g,9, 13,!4,15, 19 Grover v. State,No. 14-04-00672-cR, 2005 wL 3435313 (Tex. App.-Houston [14th Dist.] Dec. 15, 2005, pet. ref d) (mem. op., not designated for publication).. g, 9, 15 Herbert v. state,63l s.w.2d 585 (Tex. App.-El paso 19g2, no pet.).. ..... g, 9, 16 Lucero v. state,915 s.w.2d612 (Tex. App.-El paso 1996,pet.refd). ........ g. 9" 16 Luna v. State, No. 0 I -98-0 I 079-cR, 2000 wL 7 30661) (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] June 8, 2000, no pet.) (mem. op., not designated for publication)... ....... g, 9, 16 McCain v. State,22 S.W.3d 497 (Tex. Crim. App. 2000) (en banc) 17. lg Petrie v. state, No. 10-13-00004-cR, 20t4 Tex. App. LEXIS 2g2g (Tex. App.- WacoMar.13,20|4,pet.refd)(mem.op.,notdesignatedforpublication).. Rogers v. state,877 s.w.2d 498 (Tex. App.-Fort worth 1994,pet.refd). g, 9, 16 Wade v. State,951 S.W.2d 886 (Tex. App.-Waco 1997,petrefd)... . g. 9. 16 Federal Case: Page No. Jaclcson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307 (1979) t9 Sellers v. State-Appellant's Petition for Discrelionary Review Page 4 State Statutes: PageNo. Trx. R. App. P. 47.4 19 TBx. R. App. P. 66.3 Miscellaneous: Page No. 43B George E. Dix et al., Texas Practice series: criminal practice and Procedure g 57:32 (3d ed. 2013)... 20 Sellers v. State--Appeltant's Petition for Discretionary Reviow Page 5 STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT TO TF{E HONORABLE JUDGES OF TI{E COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS: Mr. Stephen Sellers requests that oral arguments be granted. Appellant believes that this Court would benefit from arguments. STATEMENT OF' PROCEDURAL HISTORY This is a criminal case in which Stephen Sellers was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in the amount of one gram or more but less than four grams with intent to deliver.t In Cause Number 2013-2242-Cl. Mr. Sellers was indicted as follows: "Stephen Kenneth Lane Sellers, hereinafter called Defendant, on or about the 25th day of September, A.D., 2013 in said county and state did then and there knowingly possess, with intent to deliver, a controlled substance, namely, methamphetamine, in an amount of one gram or more but less than four grams."2 The State also submitted a special plea the jury alleging that "fAppellant] used or exhibited a deadly weapon, to wit, a knife, during the commission of said offense or during immediate flight therefrom.',3 ' 1 (I C.R. at 42). 1