Lorie Jeane Patterson v. The State of Texas--Appeal from County Court at Law of Austin County (Majority)

State: Texas

Court: Texas Northern District Court

Docket No: 01-11-00149-CR

Case Date: 12/01/2011

Plaintiff: Lorie Jeane Patterson

Defendant: The State of Texas--Appeal from County Court at Law of Austin County (Majority)

Preview:Opinion issued December 1, 2011.

In The

Court of Appeals
For The

First District of Texas
------------------------

NO. 01-11-00149-CR ---------------------- LORIE JEANE PATTERSON, Appellant V. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

On Appeal from the County Court at Law Austin County, Texas Trial Court Case No. 09-CR-28571 MEMORANDUM OPINION A jury convicted Lorie Patterson of misdemeanor assault. The trial court sentenced Patterson to ninety days' confinement in the county jail, probated for eighteen months. Patterson appeals, contending that the trial court abused its discretion in denying her unsworn oral motion for continuance. We affirm.

Background After a scuffle at a housewarming party, the State charged Patterson with misdemeanor assault. The trial court initially set her trial for July 2010. The State filed a sworn motion for continuance. The trial court reset the date for August 2010, but did not reach the case on its docket. The case was then set for September 2010. In September 2010, Patterson filed a sworn motion for continuance. The trial court again reset Patterson's trial, setting the new trial date in November 2010. In November, on the day of trial, Patterson orally moved for a continuance, contending that the Sheriff's Department had made no attempt to serve subpoenas for two defense witnesses. The trial court denied Patterson's motion, commenting that the court previously had granted continuances for both sides and venirepersons were waiting in the courtroom for trial to begin. Discussion The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure provides that "[a] criminal action may be continued on the written motion of the State or of the defendant, upon sufficient cause shown; which cause shall be fully set forth in the motion." TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 29.03 (West 2006). Article 29.08 further provides that "[a]ll motions for continuance must be sworn to by a person having personal knowledge of the facts relied on for the continuance." TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 29.08. To preserve error from a ruling denying a motion for continuance,
2

a defendant must comply with these statutory requirements. Anderson v. State, 301 S.W.3d 276, 278

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