Opinion issued November 1, 2018

In The

Court of Appeals 

For The 

First District of Texas 

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NO. 01-17-00538-CR

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MARTIN HERNANDEZ, Appellant

V.

THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

On Appeal from 167th District Court 

Travis County, Texas

Trial Court Cause No. D-1-DC-16-206978

MEMORANDUM OPINION

After his pretrial motion to suppress evidence was denied, appellant, Martin 

Hernandez, pleaded guilty to the third-degree felony offense of driving while 

intoxicated, third offense or more—enhanced to a second-degree felony, with an 
2

agreed punishment recommendation of five years’ confinement.

1

 In accordance 

with his plea bargain with the State, the trial court found appellant guilty as charged 

and assessed his punishment at five years’ confinement. This sentence is within the 

applicable sentencing range.

2 The trial court certified that, although this was a pleabargain case, matters were raised by a written motion filed and ruled upon before 

trial and not withdrawn or waived, and that appellant had the right of appeal. See

TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(a)(2)(A). Appellant timely filed a notice of appeal and new 

counsel was appointed.

3

Appellant’s appointed counsel has filed a motion to withdraw, along with an

Anders brief stating that the record presents no reversible error and that, therefore,

the appeal is without merit and is frivolous. See Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 

87 S. Ct. 1396 (1967). Counsel’s brief meets the Anders requirements by presenting 

a professional evaluation of the record and supplying this Court with references to 

the record and legal authority. See id. at 744, 87 S. Ct. at 1400; see also High v. 

 

1 See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. §§ 49.04(a), 49.09(b)(2) (West 2011).

2 See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. §§ 12.33(a), 12.42(a) (West 2011).

3 The Texas Supreme Court transferred this appeal from the Third Court of Appeals

to this Court pursuant to its docket equalization powers. See TEX. GOV’T CODE

ANN. § 73.001 (West 2013); Misc. Docket No. 17-9066 (Tex. June 20, 2017). We 

are unaware of any conflict between the precedent of the Third Court of Appeals 

and that of this Court on any relevant issue. See TEX. R. APP. P. 41.3 (transferee 

court of appeals must decide case in accordance with precedent of transferor court 

under stare decisis if transferee court’s decision would have been inconsistent).
3

State, 573 S.W.2d 807, 812 (Tex. Crim. App. 1978). Counsel indicates that he has 

thoroughly reviewed the record and that he is unable to advance any grounds of error 

that warrant reversal. See Anders, 386 U.S. at 744, 87 S. Ct. at 1400; Mitchell v. 

State, 193 S.W.3d 153, 155 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2006, no pet.).

Appellant’s counsel has informed us that he has delivered a copy of the motion 

to withdraw and Anders brief to appellant and informed him of his right to file a pro 

se response after getting access to the records. See In re Schulman, 252 S.W.3d 403, 

408 (Tex. Crim. App. 2008). Furthermore, counsel has certified that he has sent the

form motion for pro se access to the records to appellant for his response. See Kelly 

v. State, 436 S.W.3d 313, 322 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014). Appellant has not filed any 

pro se response to his counsel’s Anders brief and his deadline has expired.

We have independently reviewed the entire record in this appeal, and we 

conclude that no reversible error exists in the record, that there are no arguable 

grounds for review, and that therefore the appeal is frivolous. See Anders, 386 U.S. 

at 744, 87 S. Ct. at 1400 (emphasizing that reviewing court—and not counsel—

determines, after full examination of proceedings, whether the appeal is wholly 

frivolous); Garner v. State, 300 S.W.3d 763, 767 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009) (reviewing 

court must determine whether arguable grounds for review exist); Bledsoe v. State, 

178 S.W.3d 824, 826–27 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005) (reviewing court is not to address 

merits of each claim raised in Anders brief or pro se response after determining there 
4

are no arguable grounds for review); Mitchell, 193 S.W.3d at 155. An appellant may 

challenge a holding that there are no arguable grounds for appeal by filing a petition 

for discretionary review in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. See Bledsoe, 178 

S.W.3d at 827 & n.6.

Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court and grant counsel’s 

motion to withdraw.

4 See TEX. R. APP. P. 43.2(a). Attorney Dal Ruggles must 

immediately send the required notice and file a copy of that notice with the Clerk of 

this Court. See TEX. R. APP. P. 6.5(c). We dismiss any other motions as moot.

PER CURIAM

Panel consists of Justices Jennings, Higley, and Massengale.

Do not publish. TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).

 

4 Appointed counsel still has a duty to inform appellant of the result of this appeal 

and that he may, on his own, pursue discretionary review in the Texas Court of 

Criminal Appeals. See Bledsoe v. State, 178 S.W.3d 824, 826–27 (Tex. Crim. App. 

2005).