Curry v. State
Curry v. State
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
delivered the opinion of the Court,
The State’s indictment of Steven Curry charged him with aggravated kidnapping “by using and threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm.” Over Curry’s objection, the trial court permitted the State to delete this phrase after trial began. We must decide whether the trial court erred in allowing this deletion, and whether a sufficiency analysis should include this allegation. We conclude that once the State made this allegation, it had to prove it. We also conclude that the sufficiency of the evidence must be analyzed by using this phrase. And in conducting this analysis, we find the evidence sufficient to support Curry’s conviction.
FACTS
Jetterson Williams testified that he was in the parking lot of the Spices Nightclub at about 8 p.m. when Curry and two other individuals “put” him into a car and drove off. He testified that he did not want to be in the car. While in the car, Curry beat him up with his hands. Curry twisted Williams’ knee and arm and punched Williams in the head. Williams did not recall the length of the beating, whether the car made any stops, whether Curry said anything to him, or whether Curry got a gun at any time. Williams admitted previously telling the police that Curry had dragged him to the car, that Curry and the other men had beaten him with a brick, that Curry had tied him up and put a plastic bag over his face, that Curry had gone by a friend’s house and obtained a .38 pistol, that Curry had exited the car at one point and Williams had heard three gunshots, and that Curry had forbidden Williams to tell to anyone what had happened.
Williams then testified that he never told the police that Curry had a gun, that Curry had gotten out of the car, or that Curry had threatened him. The State impeached Williams’ credibility with the statements that he had previously made to the police. On cross-examination, Williams testified that he had no recollection of anything he said to anyone from the time he was thrown in the ear until the time he awoke at the hospital. On redirect examination, Williams admitted that, after the incident, he was placed in a holdover cell with Curry and had been concerned for his safety. Later in the trial, Williams got back on the stand and testi
Williams was found by emergency medical technicians in a warehouse district. He was tied up with his pants around his ankles and was shaking uncontrollably. He was hospitalized for a dislocated knee and elbow, trauma to the head, and gross instability.
Tracy Jacobs testified that he saw Curry that night getting out of a similar-looking car and holding a gun. Curry shot and killed another individual, then returned to the car and the car drove off. Other testimony revealed that Curry’s home had been burglarized the day before. The burglars had broken into his home by breaking down the door. Curry suspected that Williams was responsible for the burglary. Williams was a petty thief who routinely sold stolen jewelry at the Spices Club. He had several theft convictions.
Curry presented an alibi defense. John McCalep testified that he was working on Curry’s front door from about 5 p.m. to about 11 p.m. that night. He testified that Curry was either in the apartment or nearby the entire time. Curry testified similarly.
The State refuted that testimony with the testimony of Cynthia Floyd, Curry’s girlfriend at the time. She testified that she was at the apartment the entire time while McCalep was working on the door, but Curry left the apartment around 7 or 8 p.m. and never returned. She also testified that Curry told her to say that she was with him that evening.
PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
The State indicted Curry for aggravated kidnapping. The indictment alleged that Curry “abduct[ed] Jetterson Williams ... without his consent, with intent to prevent his liberation by using and threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm, on [Williams] and with intent to inflict bodily injury on [Williams] and to terrorize [Williams] and to violate and abuse [Williams] sexually.”
After the State rested its case, it moved to delete the phrase “by using and threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm, on [Williams]” from the indictment. The trial court granted that motion over Curry’s objection.
On appeal, the court of appeals held that it was error under Art. 28.10(b) for the trial court to grant the State’s motion, and the error harmed Curry.
On remand, the court of appeals again found that the trial court’s ruling on the State’s motion to amend the indictment was error and the error harmed Curry.
Both the State and Curry filed petitions for discretionary review, from which we
MODIFICATION OF INDICTMENT
Initially, we note that this case does not really involve an “abandonment” of an allegation. The State was permitted to delete its specific allegation regarding the type of abduction it sought to prove. As a result, it was permitted at trial to prove either definition of abduction. Rather than “losing” the allegation it deleted, it essentially retained that allegation and added the alternative definition of abduction, giving it the opportunity to prove either one in order to obtain a conviction. By deleting the words it did, the State actually broadened the scope of the offense alleged so as to include both theories of abduction. This is not like a standard “abandonment,” which results in the State limiting its theories at trial. We will refer to the deletion of the phrase in this case as a modification of the indictment, rather than an abandonment.
Legal Background
Both the U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution guarantee an accused the right “to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation” against him.
An indictment is generally sufficient to provide notice if it follows the statutory language.
Not every list of alternatives in a statute will constitute a “manner or means” of committing the offense. For example, in Thomas v. State, we held the State need not allege which statutory definition of “owner” it seeks to prove in a theft case.
More recently, in Saathoff v. State,
Sometimes the State alleges evi-dentiary matters in its indictment which are not “necessary to be proved” under Art. 21.03. These allegations are considered “surplusage.” In Burrell v. State,
It is important to distinguish two concepts. Whether an indictment fails to charge an offense at all is an entirely different issue from whether the indictment fails to provide adequate notice and is therefore subject to a motion to quash.
Application
To determine whether the phrase in this case was surplusage, we review our cases on surplusage. The vast majority of our surplusage cases involve language that is not derived from any statute. In those cases, the language at issue is either unnecessary language that need not be proved
But in the case at hand, the language at issue comes directly from a statute, specifically, Penal Code § 20.01(2)(B). We only have a handful of surplusage cases concerning statutory language. Some of those cases hold that statutory language
We have already held contrary to the State’s position with regard to this precise statute. In Gibbons, we held in an aggravated kidnapping case that the State must allege, in the face of a motion to quash, which type of abduction it seeks to prove.
In Porter, we held that the State need not allege which definition of “forgery” it seeks to prove. The State contends that “abduct” is no different than “forge.” But Porter concerns the allegations the State must make in order for an indictment to allege an offense. It does not concern which allegations the State needs to make in order to provide notice. We did state that the particular definition of forgery was merely an evidentiary matter.
The State also argues that Berg
The term “abduct” is different from “appropriate.” First, unlike “appropriate,” “abduct” is defined in the Penal Code. The Penal Code does not merely describe circumstances in which an abduction is unlawful; it defines an abduction as a restraint accompanied by an intent to prevent liberation.
In Ward, the issue was whether infor-mations charging false imprisonment were fundamentally defective for failing to allege that the restraint was “without consent.”
More importantly, there are no statutory alternative manner or means for the “without consent” element of restraint. Restraint is defined as restricting a person’s movement without consent while preventing his liberation in either of two ways.
Although the State does not rely on Jackson or Marrs v. State,
Finally, there is no conflict between Marrs and Gibbons. We held in Marrs that “enter” need not be further defined in a burglary indictment. “Enter” is defined in the Penal Code as intruding any part of the body or intruding any physical object
Abduction is different. It adds to “restraint” the intent to prevent liberation in one of two ways: either by secreting or by the use or threat of deadly force.
We have never before held that a statutory alternative “manner or means” of engaging in an act, omission, or conduct constitutes surplusage. Indeed, we held the opposite in Gibbons, Reynolds,
Within its argument on this issue, the State urges us to overrule the exception to the surplusage rule which provides that if a phrase is descriptive of an essential element of the offense, it must be proved and cannot be surplusage. But the phrase in this case was not merely descriptive of an element of the offense; it was a manner or means of committing an element of the offense. Since the phrase here does not fall within the exception to the surplusage rule, we need not (and should not) decide whether to abandon the exception to the surplusage rule.
SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE
We next address Curry’s contention that the court of appeals erred in its sufficiency analysis. In its original opinion, the court of appeals stated without elaborating that it agreed with Curry “that the record contains no ... evidence” that Curry abducted Williams “by using and threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm.”
On remand, the court of appeals stated as follows:
As we have found in our discussion of Curry’s first point of error, Curry’s remedy for error in amending the indictment after trial began is a new trial. The error is adequately addressed with this remedy and we need not fashion an additional remedy of acquittal based on failure of the evidence as measured under the original indictment.69
We disagree. If the evidence is insufficient to support Curry’s conviction, the remedy is acquittal. That remedy is greater than simply granting Curry a new trial. Curry’s sufficiency point of error must be addressed, regardless of the fact that he has prevailed on his point of error concerning an erroneous amendment of the indictment.
The court of appeals then briefly addressed Curry’s sufficiency point. It held that it was “bound by the theory alleged in the indictment as amended.”
Hypothetically Correct Jury Charge
In considering the court of appeals’ analysis, we look to Malik. Under Malik, sufficiency of the evidence is to be measured against the hypothetically correct jury charge. A hypothetically correct jury charge is one which “accurately sets out the law, is authorized by the indictment, does not unnecessarily increase the State’s burden of proof or unnecessarily restrict the State’s theories of liability, and adequately describes the particular offense for which the defendant was tried.”
Determining the “law” as “authorized by the indictment” first requires that we determine which indictment: the State’s original indictment or the amended indictment. Since we have concluded the indictment was erroneously amended, the hypothetically correct jury charge must be one which is authorized by the original indictment, not the amended indictment.
We believe the “law” as “authorized by the indictment” must be the statutory elements of the offense of aggravated kidnapping as modified by the charging instrument. That is to say, Curry’s hypothetically correct jury charge could not simply quote the language of the statute, instructing the jury to find Curry guilty if it found that he abducted “another person,” because the indictment specifically charges that Curry abducted Williams, and the State was required to prove that element of the offense.
Similarly, the hypothetically correct jury charge could not simply track the statute, alleging the Curry abducted Williams “with the intent to [either] (1) hold him for ransom or reward; (2) use him as a shield or hostage; (3) facilitate the commission of a felony or the flight after the attempt or commission of a felony; (4) inflict bodily injury on him or violate or abuse him sexually; (5) terrorize him or a third per
In that same vein, the “law” defines two different methods of “abduction,” but the indictment alleges only one of those methods. So the hypothetically correct jury charge would have to include the phrase “by using and threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm.” Curry’s indictment would not “authorize” a conviction on less than proof of this element, because this phrase is not surplusage; once alleged, it had to be proved.
We next consider whether including that phrase operates to “unnecessarily increase the State’s burden of proof.” The indictment charged that Curry abducted Williams with intent to prevent his liberation by using and threatening to use deadly force. Including the phrase “by using and threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm” in the hypothetically correct jury charge does not increase the State’s burden of proof. Rather, it keeps the State’s burden of proof exactly the same. The State is simply required to prove what it alleged. In contrast, to delete that phrase from the charge would result in a decrease in the State’s burden of proof.
Finally, we consider whether inclusion in the jury charge of the phrase “using and threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm” would “adequately describe the particular offense for which [Curry] was tried.” The offense for which Curry was tried was aggravated kidnapping. An “adequate” description of that offense, again, must mean an incorporation of the elements of the charging instrument. Without incorporating those elements, the offense is not “adequately described.” Here, the indictment specifically alleged that Curry acted “by using and threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm.” So in this case, an “adequate description of the offense” for which Curry was tried would include this manner and means of abduction.
Our conclusion comports with the rationale we expressed in Malik. There, the trial court charged the jury concerning the legality of the defendant’s detention.
Here, the language at issue is a manner or means of an element of the offense. If the State failed to prove that manner or means, then there was an “actual failure in the State’s proof of the crime.” So under Malik, it follows that this phrase must factor into a sufficiency analysis. We conclude that Curry’s hypothetically correct jury charge would have instructed the jury to convict Curry if it found that he intentionally or knowingly abducted Williams with the intent to prevent his liberation by using or threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm, on Williams and with intent to inflict bodily injury on Williams or to terrorize Williams or to violate and abuse Williams sexually.
Application
We next consider whether the evidence was sufficient to convict Curry under this hypothetically correct charge.
Williams testified that around 8 p.m. Curry put him in a car against his will. He testified that Curry beat him up and broke his knee and arm. Though he later testified that it was not Curry who took him and beat him up, the jury was free to find his initial testimony more credible. The State impeached Williams’ credibility with statements he had previously made to the police. The jury could have found that Williams was not an entirely credible witness, but that some portions of his testimony were true while others were not.
Jacobs testified that he saw Curry that same night, getting out of a similar-looking car, and holding a gun. He saw Curry shoot and kill someone, then return to the car. Floyd testified that Curry left their apartment around 7 or 8 p.m. and did not return the entire evening. She also testified that Curry asked her to say that he was with her that evening. The evidence also revealed that Curry suspected that Williams was involved in the burglary of his home. Although Curry and McCalep testified that Curry was at the apartment the entire evening, the jury was free to believe Floyd and disbelieve Curry and McCalep.
Based on this testimony, the jury could reasonably have believed that Curry restricted Williams’s movement without his consent and that Curry intended to inflict bodily injury on Williams or terrorize him. The jury could have believed that Curry had a motive, in that the jury could have believed that Curry wanted revenge against Williams for the break-in. The jury also could have believed that Curry asked Floyd to lie for him because he had violated the law that evening.
The only remaining question is whether the jury rationally could have found that Curry restrained Williams with intent to prevent his liberation “by using or threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm.” We believe the jury could have reached this conclusion. An abduction is a continuous, ongoing event.
We deem the evidence sufficient for a rational jury to find that the State proved all the elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt.
CONCLUSION
We conclude that the phrase “by using and threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm” was not surplusage. The trial court erroneously permitted the State to delete this allegation over Curry’s objection after trial had begun. The court of appeals has determined that this error
We also find that Curry’s hypothetically correct jury charge would have included the “deadly force” phrase, and that the evidence was sufficient to convict Curry under such a charge. We affirm, albeit for different reasons, the court of appeals’ holding that the evidence was sufficient to convict.
. Curry v. State, 966 S.W.2d 203, 205-06 (Tex.App.—El Paso 1998).
. Id. at 207.
. 953 S.W.2d 234 (Tex.Crim.App. 1997).
. Curry v. State, 975 S.W.2d 629 (Tex.Crim.App. 1998).
. Curry v. State, 1 S.W.3d 175, 177-79 (Tex.App.—El Paso 1999).
. Id. at 181.
. Ibid.
. U.S. Const., Amend. VI.; Tex. Const. Art. I, § 10.
. State v. Mays, 967 S.W.2d 404, 406 (Tex.Crim.App. 1998).
. Ferguson v. State, 622 S.W.2d 846, 849 (Tex.Crim.App. 1981) (op. on reh’g).
. Tex.Code Crim. Proc Art. 21.03.
. Olurebi v. State, 870 S.W.2d 58, 62 (Tex.Crim.App. 1994).
. Ibid.
. Mays, 967 S.W.2d at 407.
. Berg v. State, 747 S.W.2d 800, 809 (Tex.Crim.App. 1984) (op. on reh’g).
. Thomas v. State, 621 S.W.2d 158, 164 (Tex.Crim.App. 1981) (op. on reh’g).
. Ibid.
. Id. at 161.
. Ferguson, 622 S.W.2d at 850-51.
. Id. at 850.
. 891 S.W.2d 264 (Tex.Crim.App. 1994).
. Tex. Penal Code § 1.07(a)(10) (conduct means an act or omission and its accompanying mental state).
. Id. at 266.
. Ibid.
. 526 S.W.2d 799 (Tex.Crim.App. 1975).
. Id. at 802.
. Ibid.
. Upchurch v. State, 703 S.W.2d 638, 641 (Tex.Crim.App. 1985).
. Id. at 640, citing Burrell, 526 S.W.2d at 802.
. Olurebi, 870 S.W.2d at 62 n. 5.
. Eastep v. State, 941 S.W.2d 130, 135 (Tex.Crim.App. 1997) (abandonment of some appropriations in theft indictment permissible where aggregate value of remaining appropriations was still over $20,000); Swope v. State, 805 S.W.2d 442 (Tex.Crim.App. 1991) (State need not allege, to provide notice, acts defen
. Langston v. State, 855 S.W.2d 718, 721-22 (Tex.Crim.App. 1993) (allegation in trespass case that property was "owned by Karen Johnson” was unnecessary but once alleged, had to be proved, presumably because it was descriptive of property); Polk v. State, 749 S.W.2d 813, 816 (Tex.Crim.App. 1988) (allegation that individual was "unknown” to grand jurors was descriptive of element of "another,” so once alleged, had to be proved); Huffman v. State, 726 S.W.2d 155, 156-57 (Tex.Crim.App. 1987) (allegation of "Black Hat Bar” was unnecessary but descriptive of "licensed premises” so once alleged, had to be proved); Wray v. State, 711 S.W.2d 631, 634 (Tex.Crim.App. 1986) (allegation "by pointing said deadly weapon at Mary Ann Henderson” was descriptive of element of threatening another with imminent bodily injury, so once alleged, had to be proved); Clark v. State, 665 S.W.2d 476, 484 (Tex.Crim.App. 1984) (allegation that defendant used instrument "known as a psychological stress evaluator” was descriptive of “instrument" element of offense, so once alleged, had to be proved); Franklin v. State, 659 S.W.2d 831 (Tex.Crim.App. 1983) (unnecessary allegation that defendant knew property was stolen from Elmer L. Herzberg was descriptive of stolen property element of offense, so once alleged, had to be proved); Windham v. State, 638 S.W.2d 486, 487 (Tex.Crim.App. 1982) (phrase "by shooting at her with a gun” was allegation of act amounting to more than mere preparation so had to be proven); Garcia v. State, 595 S.W.2d 533 (Tex.Crim.App. 1980) (allegation that defendant did “take, steal, appropriate and carry away” was unnecessary but once alleged, had to be proved); Weaver v. State, 551 S.W.2d 419 (Tex.Crim.App. 1977) (allegation that gun was a "Ruger” was descriptive of deadly weapon element of offense, so once alleged, had to be proved); Rowland v. State, 523 S.W.2d 676 (Tex.Crim.App. 1975) (allegation "on F.M. 1632” was descriptive of "upon a public highway” element of offense, so once alleged, had to be proved); Cohen v. State, 479 S.W.2d 950, 951 (Tex.Crim.App. 1972) (allegation "in the 12,300 block of Westheimer Road” was unnecessary, but descriptive of "in the city of Houston, Texas,” an element of offense, so once alleged, had to be proved); McClure v. State, 296 S.W.2d 263, 163 Tex.Crim. 650 (1956) (allegation "at the Alamo Cafe located at Cleveland and Second Streets” was descriptive of location element of offense so once alleged, had to be proved).
. Thomas v. State, 753 S.W.2d 688, 692 (Tex.Crim.App. 1988) (allegation that owner did not give his "assent in fact” was unnecessary but descriptive of element of lack of effective consent, so once alleged, had to be proved); Reynolds v. State, 723 S.W.2d 685, 686-87 (Tex.Crim.App. 1986) (statutory alternatives for type of restraint, whether by moving victim from one place to another or confining victim, must be alleged in face of motion to quash); Gibbons v. State, 652 S.W.2d 413, 415 (Tex.Crim.App. 1983) (State must allege which type of abduction it seeks to prove in face of motion to quash), overruled in part, Adams v. State, 707 S.W.2d 900, 902-03 (Tex.Crim.App. 1986) (error does not result in automatic reversal); Ferguson, 622 S.W.2d at 850-51 (State must allege which type of delivery it seeks to prove in face of motion to quash).
. Berg, 747 S.W.2d at 809 (allegation that appropriation was "without owner’s effective consent” was not element of offense of theft so was surplusage and need not be proved, even though alleged); Ward v. State, 642 S.W.2d 782, 783 (Tex.Crim.App. 1982) (false imprisonment indictment need not allege that restraint was "without consent”; that phrase is within definition of "restrain” and would be surplusage); Jackson v. State, 633 S.W.2d 897, 899 (Tex.Crim.App. 1982) (allegation that habitation "was not then open to the public” was unnecessary in burglary indictment so need not be proved, even though alleged).
. Gibbons, 652 S.W.2d at 415.
. 827 S.W.2d 324, 327 (Tex.Crim.App. 1992) (op. on reh’g)
. Ibid.
. Ibid.
. Thomas, 621 S.W.2d at 161.
. Berg, 747 S.W.2d at 809.
. Ibid.; but see Coats v. State, 712 S.W.2d 520 (Tex.Crim.App. 1986) (term appropriate must be defined); Coleman v. State, 643 S.W.2d 124 (Tex.Crim.App. 1982), (same); Gorman v. State, 634 S.W.2d 681 (Tex.Crim.App. 1982) (same).
. Tex. Penal Code § 31.03(b).
. Berg, 747 S.W.2d at 809.
. 687 S.W.2d 350 (Tex.Crim.App. 1985).
. Id. at 353-55.
. Id. at 353.
. Tex Penal Code § 20.01(2).
. Ibid.
. See Thomas, 621 S.W.2d at 161 (allegation of "without effective consent” in theft indictment not act or omission of defendant).
. Tex. Penal Code § 20.01(1).
. 647 S.W.2d 286 (Tex.Crim.App. 1983).
. Tex. Penal Code § 30.02(a)(1).
. Tex. Penal Code § 30.02(b).
. Ibid.
. Ibid.
. 41 George E. Dix & Robert O. Dawson, Criminal Practice and Procedure § 20.119 (1995).
. Tex. Penal Code § 20.01(2).
. Carpenter v. State, 551 S.W.2d 724, 726 (Tex.Crim.App. 1977).
. 723 S.W.2d at 686-87 (State must allege, in face of motion to quash, which statutory alternative manner or means of restraint it seeks to prove, whether by moving victim from one place to another or confining victim).
. 622 S.W.2d at 849 (State must allege which type of delivery it seeks to prove in prosecution for delivery of controlled substance).
. Ibid.
. Id. at 181.
. Ibid.
. Malik, 953 S.W.2d at 240.
. Id. at 240 n. 5.
. Tex. Penal Code § 20.04(a).
. Id. at 235, 240.
. Id. at 240.
. Ibid.
. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979).
. Moreno v. State, 755 S.W.2d 866, 867 (Tex.Crim.App. 1988).
. Weaver v. State, 657 S.W.2d 148, 150 (Tex.Crim.App. 1983).
. Ibid.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting in which MEYERS, J., joined.
I agree with the majority that once the state alleged aggravated kidnapping “by using and threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm,” it was required to prove that allegation. I also agree that the sufficiency of the evidence must be analyzed using this allegation. However, I respectfully dissent from the final disposition
In the instant case, the court of appeals concluded that the hypothetically-correct jury charge did not include the phrase “by using and threatening to use deadly force namely, a firearm, on the Complainant.” Curry v. State, 1 S.W.3d 175, 180-81 (Tex.App.—El Paso 1999). The majority finds that this was error, and that the hypothetically-correct jury charge would include this phrase. Ante, at 404 - 405. Thus, the court of appeals is found to have applied the wrong standard in its sufficiency analysis. The majority then performs its own sufficiency analysis using the proper hypothetically-correct jury charge. Ante, at 406-407.
Such action is inconsistent with our precedents See, e.g., Malik v. State, 953 S.W.2d 234, 240 (Tex.Crim.App. 1997) (judgment of court of appeals vacated and cause remanded for that court to apply correct standard of review in analyzing sufficiency of the evidence); Curry v. State, 975 S.W.2d 629 (Tex.Crim.App. 1998) (judgment of court of appeals vacated and cause remanded for reconsideration of defendant’s sufficiency claim in light of Malik ); Blanco v. State, 962 S.W.2d 46 (Tex.Crim.App. 1998) (judgment of court of appeals vacated and cause remanded for reconsideration in light of Malik). As we have previously stated, our jurisdiction is limited to review of decisions by the courts of appeals. Garcia v. State, 15 S.W.3d 533, 536-37 n. 5 (Tex.Crim.App. 2000); see also Tex.Code Crim. Proc. 4.04, § 2; Tex.R.App. P. 66.1. Because the court of appeals did not apply the appropriate sufficiency analysis, the majority’s application of the appropriate standard is not a review of the court of appeals’ decision; it is an application of that standard in the first instance. We should remand this cause and allow the court of appeals to conduct the appropriate sufficiency analysis. To do otherwise is beyond our authority.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Steven Troy CURRY, Appellant, v. the STATE of Texas
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- 1890 cases
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- Published