## IN THE COURT OF CRIMINA L APP EALS

OF TEX AS

N O

. A P

- 7 7

, 0 7 1

J O H N R A Y F A L K

, J R

. , A p p e l l a n t

v

.

T H E S T A T E O F T E X A S

O N D I R E C T A P P E A L F R O M C A U S E N O

. 2 7 3 4 7

I N T H E 2 7 8 J U D I C I A L D I S T R I C T C O U R T

T H

W A L K E R C O U N T Y

P e r c u r i a m

.

O R D E R

T h e a b o v e

- s t y l e d a n d n u m b e r e d c a u s e i s p e n d i n g b e f o r e t h i s C o u r t a s a r e s u l t o f

F a l k ’ s c a p i t a l m u r d e r c o n v i c t i o n a n d r e s u l t i n g s e n t e n c e o f d e a t h i n t h e 2 7 8 J u d i c i a l t h

D i s t r i c t C o u r t o f W a l k e r C o u n t y

, C a u s e N o

. 2 7 3 4 7

, s t y l e d T h e S t a t e o f T e x a s v

. J o h n R a y

F a l k

, J r

. O n J u l y 1 7

, 2 0 1 8

, J e n n a e R

. S w i e r g u l a a n d J a r e d T y l e r o f t h e T e x a s D e f e n d e r

S e r v i c e f i l e d i n t h i s C o u r t a “ M o t i o n t o A p p o i n t C o u n s e l a n d C o m p l e t e t h e A p p e l l a t e

R e c o r d

. ”

T h e r e c o r d r e f

l e c t s t h a t

, f

o l l o w i n g h i s t r i a l

, F a l k i n i t i a l l y i n f o r m e d t h e c o u r t t h a t h eF a l k

– 2

w a n t e d t o “ r e q u e s t c o u n s e l f o r t h e a p p e a l p r o c e s s

. ” B u t i n a h e a r i n g w h i c h t o o k p l a c e a

f e w w e e k s l a t e r o n M a r c h 1 4

, 2 0 1 7

, F a l k s t a t e d

, “ I d o w a n t t o w a i v e m y a p p e l l a t e r i g h t s

,

a n d I d o n o t w a n t c o u n s e l

. ” T h e t r i a l c o u r t d e t e r m i n e d t h a t F a l k ’ s w a i v e r o f h i s r i g h t t o

c o u n s e l w a s k n o w i n g a n d v o l u n t a r y a n d a l l o w e d F a l k t o p r o c e e d p r o s e

. I n y e t a n o t h e r

h e a r i n g b e f

o r e t h e t r i a l c o u r t o n N o v e m b e r 1 4

, 2 0 1 7

, F a l k i n f o r m e d t h e t r i a l c o u r t t h a t h e

h a d r e t a i n e d a t t o r n e y T i m o t h y G u m k o w s k i o f t h e T e x a s D e f e n d e r S e r v i c e t o r e p r e s e n t

h i m p r o b o n o

. H o w e v e r

, o n J u n e 2 7

, 2 0 1 8

, F a l k f i l e d a d o c u m e n t i n t h i s C o u r t t i t l e d 1

“ A p p e l l a n t ’ s N o t i c e o f I n t e n t t o E x p e d i t e t h e A p p e a l

. ” F a l k s t a t e d i n t h a t d o c u m e n t t h a t 2

h e w i s h e d “ t o a b s t a i n f

r o m r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h e T e x a s D e f e n d e r S e r v i c e s o r t h e O f f i c e o f

C a p i t a l a n d F o r e n s i c W r i t s

, i n t h e e f f o r t t o e x p e d i t e t h i s p r o c e s s w i t h a s m u c h s w i f t n e s s

a s t h i s C o u r t m i g h t a l l o w

. ” F a l k e x p l a i n e d t h a t

, “ [ h ] a v i n g s u r r e n d e r e d t o t h e S t a t e ’ s o v e r 3

z e a l o u s c h a r g e s a n d a c c e p t e d t h e e x c e s s i v e l y a b u s i v e p u n i s h m e n t

, . . . [ h e ] n o w s e e k s f o r

t h i s C o u r t t o e x p e d i t e t h e c a u s e n u m b e r b a c k t o t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t f o r t h e g r a n t i n g o f a n

e x e c u t i o n d a t e

. ”

Fa lk’s brief w as initially due on January

22, 2018. Gumkowski sought a nd obtained an 1

extension unt il April 23, 2018. W hen Gumkowski left the T exas Defe nder Ser vice in F ebrua

ry

2018, he withdre w from this ca se and Swier g ula and Ty ler we re substituted in his place. Ty ler

soug ht and obtained a

n extension t o J uly

23, 2018.

I t appea rs from this document that F alk wishes to ag ain proc eed pro se and wa ive his 2

rig ht to direct appe al. Althoug h he may not waive his direc t appea l in this case , he may under the

proper circ umstances wa ive counse l on appea l and proc eed pro se.

The re cord r efle cts that the trial cour t signe d an orde r in Fe bruar y 2018 appointing the 3

Offic e of Capital a

nd For ensic Writs to repre sent Fa lk in state habea s proce eding s.F a l k

– 3

I n t h e i r m o t i o n b e f

o r e t h i s C o u r t

, S w i e r g u l a a n d T y l e r r e q u e s t u s “ t o a p p o i n t t h e m

,

w i t h o u t p a y m e n t f

o r f e e s o r e x p e n s e s

, t o p r e p a r e a n d f i l e a n A p p e l l a n t ’ s B r i e f i n t h i s

d i r e c t a p p e a l p r o c e e d i n g [

. ] ” T h e y a l s o c o n t e n d t h a t “ t h e r e c o r d o n a p p e a l i s i n c o m p l e t e

a n d t h i s C o u r t s h o u l d o r d e r i t c o m p l e t e d b e f o r e p r o c e e d i n g

. ”

B e c a u s e t h e t r i a l c o u r t i s i n a b e t t e r p o s i t i o n t o a d d r e s s t h e s e i s s u e s

, w e a b a t e t h e

a p p e a l a n d r e m a n d t h i s c a u s e t o t h e t r i a l c o u r t

. T h e t r i a l c o u r t s h a l l m a k e f i n d i n g s o f f

a c t

r e g a r d i n g w h e t h e r o r n o t F a l k c u r r e n t l y w i s h e s t o p r o c e e d p r o s e o n d i r e c t a p p e a l

. T h e

t r i a l c o u r t s h a l l a l s o a d d r e s s t h e i t e m s t h a t S w i e r g u l a a n d T y l e r h a v e i d e n t i f i e d a s m i s s i n g

f r o m t h e a p p e l l a t e r e c o r d

. T h e t r i a l c o u r t s h a l l m a k e f i n d i n g s o f f

a c t r e g a r d i n g w h e t h e r 4

t h e i t e m s i n q u e s t i o n h a v e b e e n o m i t t e d f r o m t h e r e c o r d

, a n d i f s o

, w h e t h e r t h e y s h o u l d b e

i n c l u d e d

. I f t h e t r i a l c o u r t d e t e r m i n e s t h a t c e r t a i n i t e m s n e e d n o t b e i n c l u d e d i n t h e

r e c o r d

, t h e n t h e t r i a l c o u r t s h a l l s t a t e i t s r e a s o n s f o r m a k i n g t h a t d e t e r m i n a t i o n

. I f t h e t r i a l

c o u r t d e t e r m i n e s t h a t a n y r e l e v a n t i t e m s h a v e b e e n o m i t t e d f r o m t h e c l e r k ’ s r e c o r d o r

r e p o r t e r ’ s r e c o r d

, t h e n t h e t r i a l c o u r t s h a l l d i r e c t t h e c l e r k a n d / o r c o u r t r e p o r t e r t o p r e p a r e

,

c e r t i f y

, a n d f i l e i n t h i s C o u r t a s u p p l e m e n t a l r e c o r d c o n t a i n i n g t h e o m i t t e d i t e m s

. S e e

T EX

. R

. A PP

. P

. 3 4

. 5 ( c ) ( 1 ) & 3 4

. 6 ( d )

.

We note that Swierg ula and Ty ler ha ve re quested that the juror questionnaires be 4

included in the appe llate re cord. The y must first present their r equest for the disclosure of

this

information to the trial cour t. See T E X

. C O D E C R I M

. P R O C

. Art. 35.29. I n addition, they

have

reque sted “[t] he re cord of proce eding s under Cause No. 12-04731-CRF- 272, pursuant to which

Mr. Fa lk was first prose cuted f or the same underly

ing of fense and re sulting in a mistrial.” The

rec ord of pr ocee dings he ld under a differ ent ca

use number is not a pa

rt of the a ppellate r ecor d in

the instant case

.F a l k

– 4

T h e f i n d i n g s s h a l l b e m a d e b y t h e t r i a l c o u r t a n d a n y n e c e s s a r y s u p p l e m e n t s s h a l l

b e f i l e d i n t h i s C o u r t w i t h i n 3 0 d a y s o f t h e d a t e o f t h i s o r d e r

. F a l k ’ s b r i e f w i l l b e d u e i n

t h i s C o u r t w i t h i n 3 0 d a y s t h e r e a f t e r

. N o f u r t h e r m o t i o n s f

o r e x t e n s i o n w i l l b e e n t e r t a i n e d

b y t h i s C o u r t

.

I T I S S O O R D E R E D T H I S T H E 2 5 D A Y O F J U L Y

, 2 0 1 8

. T H

D o n o t p u b l i s h