TDCAA    TDCAA Community  Hop To Forum Categories  Criminal    Enhancing Evading Arrest
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
Enhancing Evading Arrest Login/Join 
Member
posted
Suspect evades in a vehicle, at one point speed is clocked at 107.

He has a prior evading conviction, so I can enhance to 3rd.

Question: Since he has two prior state jail convictions, can I enhance the offense in the alternative?

In other words, if the jury were to not find the prior evading was true could the state jail felony be enhanced by the two convictions?
 
Posts: 956 | Location: Cherokee County, Rusk, Tx | Registered: July 11, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
You could allege all three prior convictions and a finding on the validity of the prior evading or the two prior SJFs would allow the punishment to be enhanced to a third degree. Additionally, if there were other motorists on the road that he endangered, you could allege the vehicle to be a deadly weapon for another basis to make it a third degree felony.
 
Posts: 1029 | Location: Fort Worth, TX | Registered: June 25, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
I would indict as the third degree with the prior evading and put both state jail priors on the indictment as enhancement paragraphs to a 3rd degree just to be safe.

Great idea from Ken on the deadly weapon. It will enhance the state jail to a third degree and make the time agg.

Also, if the facts warrant an even higher punishment range, then consider using one of those state jail convictions (assuming you get a conviction on the 3rd degree evading) to enhance the 3rd degree to a 2nd degree using Cupit v. State, 122 sw3d 243 (TexApp-Houston 2003, pet. ref'd).

Hope this helps.
 
Posts: 100 | Location: Beaumont, Texas, USA | Registered: February 18, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
Thanks to both of you. It does help.
 
Posts: 956 | Location: Cherokee County, Rusk, Tx | Registered: July 11, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata  
 

TDCAA    TDCAA Community  Hop To Forum Categories  Criminal    Enhancing Evading Arrest

© TDCAA, 2001. All Rights Reserved.