Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991). · Go Syfert
Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
“because there were no objections made to appellant's undisputed observations , we hold that observations constitute valid proof in support of appellant's prima facie case.”
56 citation events (25 in the last 25 years) across 4 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: Kevin Edison Smith v. State (texapp, 2014-06-26)
Treatment trajectory · 1992 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
1992 2009 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 25 distinct citers.
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) Kevin Edison Smith v. State
Tex. App. · 2014 · signal: see also · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
because there were no objections made to appellant's undisputed observations , we hold that observations constitute valid proof in support of appellant's prima facie case.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Carson, Gary
Tex. Crim. App. · 2018 · confidence medium
App. 1996); Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex. Crim.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) John Joseph Priest v. State
Tex. · 2015 · confidence medium
See Yarborough, 947 S.W.2d at 895 ; Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex. Crim.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Ronjee Middleton v. State
Tex. App. · 2015 · confidence medium
The undersigned counsel believes that the appropriate remedy is analogous to the remedy announced in Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804-05 (Tex. Crim.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Evan Stuart Fairbanks v. State
Tex. App. · 2015 · confidence medium
App. 1992); Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 805 (Tex. Crim.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Christopher Emerson v. Rick Thaler
5th Cir. · 2013 · confidence medium
However, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned the second conviction based on Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79 , 106 S.Ct. 1712 , 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986), see Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 803-05 (Tex.Crim.App.1991), and later held that Emerson was entitled to a new trial due to Batson violations, see Emerson v. State, 851 S.W.2d 269, 274-75 (Tex.Crim.App.1993).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Adbihakim Hassan v. State
Tex. App. · 2011 · confidence medium
App. 1997); Emerson v. State , 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex. Crim.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Hassan v. State
Tex. App. · 2011 · confidence medium
See Yarborough v. State, 947 S.W.2d 892, 895 (Tex.Crim.App. 1997); Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex.Crim.App.1991); Greer v. State, 310 S.W.3d 11, 14 (Tex.App.-Dallas 2009, no pet.).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Murphy v. Dretke
5th Cir. · 2005 · confidence medium
Murphy cites Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex.Crim.App.1991), for the proposition that a neutral explanation for a peremptory strike against a member of a protected group is suspect when the State did not use an unexhausted peremptory against a similar juror who was not a member of that group.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Shuffield, Chris Wayne
Tex. Crim. App. · 2005 · confidence medium
Emerson v. State , 820 S.W.2d 802, 804-05 (Tex. Crim.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Depena v. State
Tex. App. · 2004 · confidence medium
Yarborough v. State, 947 S.W.2d 892, 895 (Tex. *465 Crim.App.1997) (“A counsel’s statement about an occurrence in the courtroom, which was made for the purposes of the record, recorded by the court reporter, undisputed by the opposing counsel, and unquestioned and unqualified by the judge in whose presence the statement was made, establishes the occurrence for purposes of the appellate record.”) (citing Hicks v. State, 525 S.W.2d 177 (Tex.Crim.App.1975)); Pitts v. State, 916 S.W.2d 507, 510 (Tex.Crim.App.1996) (“This Court accepts as true factual assertions made by counsel which are no…
examined Cited as authority (rule) Hutchinson v. State (3×)
Tex. Crim. App. · 2002 · confidence medium
In Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804-05 (Tex.Crim.App.1991), the state struck four of six black venire members.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) In re Z.L.B.
Tex. App. · 2001 · confidence medium
First, I believe this situation falls within the often-cited rule that an appellate court “accepts as true factual assertions made by counsel which are not disputed by opposing counsel.” See Sanford v. State, 21 S.W.3d 337 , 341 n. 3 (Tex.App.—El Paso 2000, no pet.); see also Pitts v. State, 916 S.W.2d 507, 510 (Tex.Crim.App.1996); Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex.Crim.App.1991); Canada v. State, 660 S.W.2d 528, 530 (Tex.Crim.App.1983).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Contreras v. State
Tex. App. · 2001 · confidence medium
Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex.Crim.App.1991).
examined Cited as authority (rule) Yarborough v. State (6×)
Tex. Crim. App. · 1997 · confidence medium
Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex. Cr.App.1991).
examined Cited as authority (rule) Malone v. State (4×) also: Cited "see"
Tex. Crim. App. · 1996 · confidence medium
In Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex. Crim.App.1991), we held the defendant had made a prima facie case by showing the State struck four out of six eligible black venirepersons (67%) from the panel, the State asked no questions of one of the struck black venirepersons, asked only perfunctory questions of another, and the State did not strike white venirepersons with characteristics similar to those of the two other black venirepersons who were struck.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Resanovich v. State
Tex. Crim. App. · 1995 · confidence medium
Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex.Cr.App.1991); Hicks v. State, 525 S.W.2d 177 (Tex.Cr.App.1975); and Canada v. State, 660 S.W.2d 528, at 530 (Tex.Cr.App.1983). 7 To appellant’s contention that the trial court failed to take judicial notice of appellant’s murder sentence, we recognize the general rule of this Court that an appellate com!; cannot go to the record of another case for the purpose of considering testimony found there but not shown in the record of the case before it. 8 However, to require judicial notice of time presently being served for a prior conviction would be u…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Salinas v. State
Tex. App. · 1994 · confidence medium
Undisputed statements by the attorneys in support of their positions in a Batson hearing constitute “valid proof.” Moss v. State, 877 S.W.2d 895, 899 (Tex.App.—Waco 1994, no pet.) (citing Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex.Crim.App.1991)).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Moss v. State (2×) also: Cited "see"
Tex. App. · 1994 · confidence medium
Undisputed statements by the attorneys in support of their positions in a Batson hearing constitute “valid proof.” See Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex.Crim.App.1991).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Mata v. State
Tex. App. · 1993 · confidence medium
The Court could assume he is Hispanic. [Emphasis supplied] The state of the record in the instant case differs dramatically from the record found in Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex. Crim.App.1991).
cited Cited "see" Cynthia Larue White v. State
Tex. App. · 2019 · signal: see · confidence high
See id. 3 White does not challenge the sufficiency of the evidence supporting her guilty plea in regard to committing a DWI on January 26. 4 See TEX.
cited Cited "see" Myron Bishop Head v. State
Tex. App. · 2013 · signal: see · confidence high
See Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex. Crim.
cited Cited "see" Rousseau v. State
Tex. Crim. App. · 1992 · signal: see · confidence high
See, Dewberry v. State, 776 S.W.2d 589 (Tex.Cr.App.1989) 8 ; see, generally, Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802 (Tex.Cr.App.1991).
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Greer v. State
Tex. App. · 2009 · signal: see also · confidence medium
White v. State, 982 S.W.2d 642, 645 (Tex.App.-Texarkana 1998, pet. ref'd); see also Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex.Crim.App.1991) (“Because there were no objections made to appellant’s undisputed observations [during the Batson hearing], we hold that these observations constitute valid proof in support of appellant’s prima facie case.”); Jones v. State, 795 S.W.2d 32, 34 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1990, no pet.) (same).
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Young v. State
Tex. Crim. App. · 1992 · signal: compare · confidence low
Compare Emerson v. State, 820 S.W.2d 802 (Tex.Crim.App.1991), where the defendant employed a comparative analysis in the trial court to make a prima facie case of racial discrimination in the State’s use of its peremptory challenges.
Christopher Jethro EMERSON, Appellant,
v.
the STATE of Texas, Appellee
1139-90.
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.
Dec 11, 1991.
820 S.W.2d 802
Catherine Greene Burnett, court appointed on appeal, Houston, for appellant., John B. Holmes, Jr., Dist. Atty. and Lester Blizzard, Asst. Dist. Atty., Houston, Robert Huttash, State’s Atty., Austin, for the State.
White.
Cited by 44 opinions  |  Published

[*803] OPINION ON APPELLANT’S PETITION FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW

WHITE, Justice.

A jury convicted appellant of aggravated sexual assault. TEX.PENAL CODE ANN. § 22.021(a)(l)(A)(i), & (a)(2)(A)(iv). The jury assessed his punishment at ten years confinement in the Texas Department of Corrections. [1]

On direct appeal, appellant claimed the trial court erred when it denied his Bat-son 2 challenge to the State’s use of its peremptory strikes. The Court of Appeals found that appellant failed to introduce sufficient proof to raise an inference that “the State used its peremptory challenges to exclude members of appellant’s race.” The Court of Appeals held that appellant failed to make a prima facie showing of purposeful discrimination. The Court of Appeals concluded that the burden never shifted to the State to offer race-neutral explanations for the use of its peremptory strikes. Emerson v. State, No. A14-88-00778-CR, 1990 WL 144054 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] October 4, 1990).

We granted appellant’s petition for discretionary review on the ground for review that “The Court of Appeals erred in finding no sufficient preliminary defense showing under Batson to justify a hearing on the D.A.’s use of peremptory challenges.” We will sustain appellant’s ground for review.

When the jury panel was initially brought in, defense counsel stated that only six veniremen were black, specifying which six and there were only four in the first thirty-two veniremen. His objection that this wasn’t an adequate cross-section was overruled by the court. Appellant then made his Batson challenge after the twelve jurors were chosen and before the rest of the venire panel was dismissed by the trial court. Appellant complained that the State’s use of its peremptory strikes denied him equal protection, a jury of his peers, and a cross-section of the community, thereby depriving him of a fair and impartial trial. He pointed out that he was black and that the State exercised four of its peremptory challenges to keep prospective black jurors off the jury. The attorney for the State responded that two black venirepersons were selected for the jury. Both appellant and the State stipulated that appellant was black and that the six venirepersons in question were also black.

The trial court heard arguments from appellant and the State for, and against, his Batson motion to strike the jury panel or to disallow the State’s discriminatory use of four of its peremptory challenges. Appellant urged the trial court to engage in a “meaningful comparison analysis” as called for in Tompkins v. State. 3 He pointed out to the trial court that the State asked no questions of Juror # 33 who was black and who was struck by peremptory challenge. He also explained that juror #35 was black and that the State only asked her whether she had any children (she stated she had two, ages 12 and 16) before striking her by peremptory challenge. Appellant argued the State asked “no real questions” of these two black veni-repersons before striking them. The State did not object to any of the above statements and arguments from appellant. Appellant suggested he made a prima facie case of purposeful discrimination and the State needed to come “forth with some type of proof.”

The State responded that there were three requirements under TEX.GODE CRIM.PROC.ANN. art. 35.261(a)., and that appellant had not satisfied the third requirement by failing to offer relevant facts to show the State’s strikes were made for reasons of race. The State also mentioned that it had used only nine of its ten permitted strikes. If the State wished to use its strikes in a racially discriminatory manner, the State argued, it “surely could have used its tenth to strike an additional black person.” The State concluded that appel[*804] lant had not raised a prima facie case showing the State used its challenges for reasons of race. Therefore, the State explained, the burden of proof had not shifted to the State to “give a racially neutral explanation” for the challenges. See art. 35.261(a), supra.

The trial court permitted appellant to rebut the State’s argument. Appellant relied upon a comparative analysis to demonstrate that the State used its challenges in a racially discriminatory manner. Appellant stated that juror # 24, who was black, stated that he had a brother who had been convicted of robbery. The State used a peremptory challenge on juror # 24. Appellant compared this to juror #25 who was white and stated that he had a brother who had been convicted of theft. Juror # 25 sat on the jury. The State did not object to any of appellant’s statements setting out these facts.

Appellant also stated that juror # 19, who was black, stated that he had a friend who had been convicted of robbery. The State employed a peremptory challenge to keep juror # 19 off of the jury. Appellant compared this to juror # 5 who had a friend who had been convicted of a felony and been sentenced to prison. Juror # 5 sat on the jury. The State did not object to any of appellant’s statements setting out these facts.

The trial court turned to the State for a rebuttal of appellant’s comparative analysis. The State repeated that it had only struck four out of six blacks, and that it had one unused peremptory challenge at the conclusion of voir dire. Therefore, the State urged, appellant had not shown a prima facie case.

The trial court agreed with the State. The trial court failed to convene a hearing to require the State to come forward with race neutral explanations for its use of peremptory challenges on the four black jurors mentioned above. The trial court denied appellant’s Batson motion, and ordered the jury to be impanelled as properly constituted. The trial court refused to comply with appellant’s request to make findings of fact and conclusions of law.

We hold the trial court erred when it agreed with the State that appellant had not made a prima facie case that the State based its peremptory challenges on reasons of race. Appellant explained in his arguments to the trial court that the State used four of its peremptory challenges on black venirepersons. Appellant stated to the trial court that one of the four was asked no questions by the State. Appellant employed a comparative analysis to show the trial court that two other of the four black venirepersons were challenged solely for reasons of race. Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986); and Tompkins v. State, 774 S.W.2d at 202, n. 6A. We find appellant did make a prima facie case that the State based its peremptory challenges on reasons of race. Art. 35.261(a), supra; and Salazar v. State, 795 S.W.2d 187, at 193 (Tex.Cr.App.1990).

The Court of Appeals, in its unpublished opinion, dismissed appellant’s statements in the record because, “observations of counsel offered in support of his motion to dismiss the array do not constitute evidence.” Emerson v. State, No. A14-88-00778-CR., slip op., at 7. The Court of Appeals’ conclusion here is erroneous. In the instant case, the State did not dispute or object to any of the observations made by appellant before the trial court in support of his Batson motion. Because there were no objections made to appellant’s undisputed observations, we hold that those observations constitute valid proof in support of appellant’s prima facie case. Hicks v. State, 525 S.W.2d 177 (Tex.Cr.App.1975); and Canada v. State, 660 S.W.2d 528, at 530 (Tex.Cr.App.1983). [4]

Because appellant made a prima fa-cie case that the State employed its peremptory challenges on the basis of racial reasons, the burden shifted to the State to[*805] give race neutral explanations for those challenges. Art. 35.261(a). The trial court erred when it did not convene a hearing for the purpose of compelling the State to give those explanations, if any possible explanations were forthcoming. The Court of Appeals erred when it did not remand the instant case to the trial court to convene a Batson hearing to hear the State’s explanations. Dewberry v. State, 776 S.W.2d 589, at 591 (Tex.Cr.App.1989); and Salazar v. State, 795 S.W.2d, at 193-194.

The decision of the Court of Appeals is reversed. We remand this cause to the trial court for a proper Batson hearing. The trial court is to enter findings of fact and conclusions of law.

1

. Now, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division.

2

. Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986).

3

.Tompkins v. State, 774 S.W.2d 195, 202, n. 6A (Tex.Cr.App.1987).

4

. See, also Lewis v. State, 686 S.W.2d 243, at 244 (Tex.App.—Houston [l4th Dist.] 1985); Moore v. State, 708 S.W.2d 484, at 489 (Tex.App.—Dallas, 1986); Hughes v. State, 729 S.W.2d 352 (Tex.App.—Dallas, 1987); and Tanksley v. State, 689 S.W.2d 224, Judge Teague, dissenting, at 226, joined by Judges McCormick, Clinton and White (Tex.Cr.App.1985).