AFFIRM; and Opinion Filed March 27, 2015.

In The

Court of Appeals 

Fifth District of Texas at Dallas 

No. 05-14-01198-CR

No. 05-14-01199-CR

KEITH RUPERT PETEET, Appellant

V.

THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

On Appeal from the Criminal District Court No. 5

Dallas County, Texas

Trial Court Cause Nos. F13-00371-L, F13-00372-L

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Before Justices Bridges, Fillmore, and Brown

Opinion by Justice Brown

Keith Rupert Peteet appeals his convictions, following adjudication of his guilt, for two 

offenses of injury to a child. In a single issue, appellant contends the trial court lacked 

jurisdiction to hear the cases and render judgments. We affirm the trial court’s judgment 

adjudicating guilt.

Appellant waived a jury and his right to have a grand jury return an indictment, pleaded 

guilty to informations alleging two injury to a child offenses, and pleaded true to two 

enhancement paragraphs contained in each information. See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 22.04(a) 

(West Supp. 2014). Pursuant to plea agreements, the trial court deferred adjudication of guilt, 
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placed appellant on seven years’ community supervision, and assessed a $2,000 fine in each 

case. The State later moved to adjudicate guilt, alleging appellant violated the terms of his 

community supervision. Appellant pleaded true to the allegations in a hearing on the motions. 

The trial court found the allegations true, adjudicated appellant guilty of injury to a child, and 

assessed punishment at twenty-five years’ imprisonment in each case.

Appellant contends the trial court lacked jurisdiction to hear the cases and render 

judgments because the cases were not transferred to its docket. Appellant argues the cases were 

presented to the Criminal District Court No. 7, and there was no order transferring the cases from 

the Criminal District Court No. 7 to Criminal District Court No. 5 where the cases were heard 

and the judgments rendered. The State responds that the trial court always had jurisdiction over 

these cases; therefore, no transfer order was necessary. We agree with the State.

The record shows the Criminal District Court No. 5 obtained jurisdiction over these cases 

when appellant waived his right to an indictment and was tried on informations with supporting 

affidavits filed in Criminal District Court No. 5. See Ex Parte Long, 910 S.W.2d 485, 486–87 

(Tex. Crim. App. 1995). Even when a transfer order is required, its absence from the record is a 

procedural error rather than jurisdictional error. See Mills v. State, 742 S.W.2d 831, 834–35 

(Tex. App.—Dallas 1987, no pet.). The absence of a transfer order merely subjects the 

transferee court to a timely plea to the jurisdiction; it does not render actions of the transferee 

court void. Mills, 742 S.W.2d at 835. If no timely plea to the jurisdiction is filed in the trial 

court, appellant waives the right to complain about the lack of a transfer order on appeal. See

Mills, 742 S.W.2d at 835.
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Because appellant did not file a plea to the jurisdiction in the trial court, he has waived 

his complaint about the lack of a transfer order. See Mills, 742 S.W.2d at 835. We therefore 

resolve this issue against appellant.

We affirm the trial court’s judgments.

Do Not Publish

TEX. R. APP. P. 47

141198F.U05

/Ada Brown/

ADA BROWN

JUSTICE
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Court of Appeals 

Fifth District of Texas at Dallas 

JUDGMENT

KEITH RUPERT PETEET, Appellant 

No. 05-14-01198-CR V.

THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

Appeal from the Criminal District Court

No. 5 of Dallas County, Texas (Tr.Ct.No. 

F13-00371-L).

Opinion delivered by Justice Brown, 

Justices Bridges and Fillmore participating.

Based on the Court’s opinion of this date, the trial court’s judgment adjudicating guilt is 

AFFIRMED.

Judgment entered March 27, 2015.
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Court of Appeals 

Fifth District of Texas at Dallas 

JUDGMENT

KEITH RUPERT PETEET, Appellant 

No. 05-14-01199-CR V.

THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

Appeal from the Criminal District Court

No. 5 of Dallas County, Texas (Tr.Ct.No. 

F13-00372-L).

Opinion delivered by Justice Brown, 

Justices Bridges and Fillmore participating.

Based on the Court’s opinion of this date, the trial court’s judgment adjudicating guilt is 

AFFIRMED.

Judgment entered March 27, 2015.