Vincent Henry Flowers, Appellant v. the State of Texas

Summary

The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the court of appeals' judgment upholding the trial judge's finding that appellant had a prior 1995 Dallas County DWI conviction for enhancement purposes. Rejecting the premise that a certified written judgment (or its article 42.01 functional equivalent) is required, the Court held that Texas law prescribes no specific document or mode of proof: the State need only prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a prior conviction exists and that the defendant is linked to it, and a clerk-certified computer printout combined with the defendant's driver's license record satisfied that burden. Justice Johnson, concurring in the judgment (joined by Justice Price), urged caution with non-traditional records, insisting on ample identifying information and genuine corroboration rather than one agency speaking through two mouths.