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Labberrius Qudon Evans v. The State of Texas
Date: 03-11-2020
Case Number: 06-19-00260-CR
Judge: Josh R. Morriss, III
Court: Court of Appeals Sixth Appellate District of Texas at Texarkana
Plaintiff's Attorney: William W. Ramsay
Matthew H. Harris
Defendant's Attorney:
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Evans was charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child. Pursuant to a plea agreement
with the State, Evans’s charge was reduced in exchange for his plea of guilty to aggravated sexual
assault of a child. Honoring the plea agreement, the trial court placed Evans on ten years’ deferred
adjudication community supervision and ordered him to pay a $500.00 fine, $350.00 in attorney
fees, and $649.00 in court costs. When the State later filed a motion to adjudicate Evans’s guilt
based on several violations of the terms and conditions of his community supervision, including
delivery of methamphetamine, Evans signed a judicial confession swearing that all allegations in
the State’s motion were true. As a result, the trial court adjudicated Evans’s guilt and sentenced
him to seventy-five years’ imprisonment.
Evans’s complaint about the trial court’s sentence is raised for the first time on appeal.
However, no objection is required to preserve an issue that the trial court arbitrarily refused to
consider the full range of punishment in an adjudication hearing. See Grado v. State, 445 S.W.3d 736, 741 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014) (finding that the issue invokes a Marin,1 category-two right). “A
court’s arbitrary refusal to consider the entire range of punishment constitutes a denial of due
process.” Id. at 739. Even so, “[a]bsent a clear showing of bias, a trial court’s actions will be
1Marin v. State, 851 S.W.2d 275 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993), overruled on other ground by Cain v. State, 947 S.W.2d 262 (Tex. Crim. App. 1997).
3
presumed to have been correct.” Brumit v. State, 206 S.W.3d 639, 645 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006);
see Roman v. State, 145 S.W.3d 316, 319 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2004, pet. ref’d)
(unless there is “a clear showing to the contrary, this [C]ourt will presume that the trial court was
neutral and detached”).
Here, nothing demonstrates that the trial court failed to consider the full range of
punishment. The record shows that the trial court heard witness testimony and argument from
both parties as to the appropriate punishment and took a break during the proceedings before ruling
to read Evans’s presentence investigation report. The trial court fully explained the reasons for its
punishment, which included the acts Evans committed during his continued sexual abuse of a
young child, his lengthy criminal history, his failure to abide by the terms and conditions of
community supervision, and neglect of “all of the opportunities” he had “to treat [his] drug
problem.” The trial court’s comments did not indicate that it had predetermined the sentence or
failed to consider the full range of punishment.
Because the record does not support Evans’s contention that the trial court failed to
consider the full range of punishment, we overrule his sole point of error on appeal. See Brumit,
206 S.W.3d at 645.
About This Case
What was the outcome of Labberrius Qudon Evans v. The State of Texas?
The outcome was: We affirm the trial court’s judgment.
Which court heard Labberrius Qudon Evans v. The State of Texas?
This case was heard in Court of Appeals Sixth Appellate District of Texas at Texarkana, TX. The presiding judge was Josh R. Morriss, III.
Who were the attorneys in Labberrius Qudon Evans v. The State of Texas?
Plaintiff's attorney: William W. Ramsay Matthew H. Harris. Defendant's attorney: Need help finding a lawyer for representation arguing that the trial court failed “to meaningfully consider the full legal range of punishment and the alternatives to the sentence finally imposed” in Texas? Call 918-582-6422. It's Free..
When was Labberrius Qudon Evans v. The State of Texas decided?
This case was decided on March 11, 2020.