1
... S ee Te x. R. App
. P. 47. 4. 

## COURT OFAPPEA LS SE COND DISTRIC TOF TE XAS FORT WORTH
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. 2- 09- 298- CR
E S S I E OL A P UR NE L L AP P E L L ANT V
. TH E STA TE O F TEXA S STA TE

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### MEMORANDU M OPI NI ON 1

----- ----- -- In 2 0 0 6 , a D e n t o n C o u n ty g ra n d ju r y in d ic t e d a p p e lla n t E s s ie O la P u rn e ll
w i t h forger

y of a che ck , w hi ch i s a s t ate j ai l fel ony. Tex
. Pen al Code Ann. § 3 2 .2 1 (b ), (d ) (V e rn o n S u p p . 2 0 0 9 ). L a t e r t h a t y e a r, u n d e r a p le a b a rg a in a g re e m e n t , a p p e ll a n tre c e iv e d w r it t e n a d m o n is h m e n t s , w a iv e d c e rt a in c o n sti tu ti o n a l an d sta tu to ry ri g h ts, an d p l e d g u i l ty. T h e tri a l co u rtd e ferred i ts2
... A p p e lla n t ’s p le a o f t ru e p ro v id e d t h e t r ia l c o u rtw it h a s u f fic ie n tb a s is a l o n e t o re v o k e h e r c o m m u n i ty s u p e rv i s i o n . C o l e v . S tate , 578 S
. W
. 2d 127, 1 2 8 (T e x . C r im . A p p . [P a n e l O p .] 1 9 7 9 ); B a ttl e s v . S tate , 626 S. W
. 2d 149, 1 5 0(T e x . A p p .— F o rt W o rth 1 9 8 1 , n o p e t.). 2 a dj u d i c a ti o n o f ap p e l l a n t’ s g u i l t an d p l a c e d h e r o n thre e y e a rs’ co m m u n i ty super vi si on w i t h several w r i t t en cond i t i ons. I n 2 0 0 9 , th e S tate fi l e d a m o ti o n th a t a sk e d th e tri a l co u rtto p roc e e d to t he adj udi ca t i on of app el l ant ’ s gui l t . The St at e’ s m ot i on as se rt ed t hatap pel l ant had, am ong several ot her acts, used i l l egal drugs, fai l ed t o rep ortt o her su p e rvi sion o ffi c e r on se v e ral o c c a sion s, an d fai l e d to c o m p l e te h e r co m m u n i ty ser vi ce obl i gat i ons. T he S t at e’ s m ot i on w as del i vered t o appel l ant , an d t he t r i al cou rtap poi nt ed cou ns el t o repres enthe r . A ta hea r i ng on t he m ot i on, ap pel l ant p l e d tru e to th e m o ti o n ’s all e g a ti o n s, an d afte r sh e rea d a l e tter t o the co u rtto as k f or l eni enc y, t he cou rtfound her gui l ty of the forger y of fens e a nd se n ten c e d h e r to eigh tee n m o n th s’ co n fi n e m e n t. 2 Appel l antfi l ed her not i ce of t h is a p p e a l. A ppel l ant ’ s appel l at e coun sel has fi l ed a m ot i on t o w i t hdraw as counsel (co n ten d i n g tha t a p p e l l a n t’ s a p p e a l i s “ i l l -f o u n d e d ”) an d a b ri e f. I n the b ri e f, c o u n se l c o n c l u d e s th a t, in h i s p rofe ss i o n a l o p i n i o n , th e re i s n o arg u a b l e erro r to appeal from . C oun sel ’ s br i ef and m ot i on m eet t he requi rem ent s o f A nd ers v. C a lifo rn ia by pres ent i ng a profes si ona l ev al uat i on of t he rec ord de m ons t rat i ng3
... I n our revi ew of

an A nders br i ef, w e m ay exam i ne possi bl e i ssues t hat a r is e fro m th e a p p e a l a n d e x p l a i n w h y th e y l a c k a rg u a b l e m e ri t. Ga rn e r v. S tate , 3 0 0S .W .3 d 7 6 3 , 7 6 7 (T e x . C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 9 ). 3 w h y the re are no a rgu a b l e g rou n d s fo r re l i e f. 3 8 6 U .S
. 7 3 8 , 7 4 4
– 4 5 , 8 7 S
. C t. 1 3 9 6 , 1 4 0 0(1 9 6 7 ). W e note t hat despi t e t he ul t i m at e concl usi on of appel l ant ’ s counsel ’ s br i ef th a t th e re a re n o a rg u a b l e g ro u n d s fo r re l i e f, p a rt o f th e b ri e f s ta te s th a t th e re i s one pot ent i al ba si s for t hi s app ea l be ca us e a ppe l l antw asa l l eg ed l y no t “p rop e rl y a d v i se d o n th e re c o rd a t a n y ti m e as to h e r fu l l ri g h ts w i th reg a rd to a co nt es t e d [ re vo c a t i on ] h e a r i ng a nd a l l t he a nc i l l a r y r i gh t s a s s oc i a t ed th e re w i th .” 3 T h e c o u rt o f c ri m i n a l a p p e a ls h a s h e l d th a t s ta tu to ry adm oni sh m ents are n otrequ i red i n c om m un i ty s upe r vi si on revo ca t i on p ro c e e d i n g s . H a rri s v . S tate , 5 0 5 S .W .2 d 5 7 6 , 5 7 8 (T e x . C ri m . A p p . 1 9 7 4 ). A l so, t he record from appel l ant ’ s hear i ng reveal s t he fol l ow i ng exch ange:

[ TH E CO U RT: ] M s. Purnel l , ha ve yo u se en a c opy of t he S tate ’s m o ti o n to re v o k e y o u r p rob a ti o n an d p roc e e d to adj udi ca t i on? T H E D E F E N D A N T : Y e s , sir. T H E C O U R T : D o y o u fee l l i k e y o u u n d e rstan d w h a t t h e S tate i s sa yi ng y ou di d i n t hatm ot i on? T H E D E F E N D A N T : Y e s , sir.4 TH E C O U R T: I w i l l t el l you t hatyou can c h a l l e n g e t hat m o ti o n . D u ri n g th a t p ro c e s s , y o u ’d h a v e y o u r v e ry fi n e la w y e r, M r. P e u g h , b y y o u r

s id e h e lp in g y o u o u t . Y o u c o u ld c a ll w it n e s s e s in your ow n be hal f, co nfrontan d c ros s- exa m i ne w i t ne sse s brought aga i ns tyou . You ca n rem ai n si l entan d requ i re t he St at e to prove t hatatl ea stone of t ho se al l ega t i onsi s t rue and co rrec tt o m y sa t i sf ac t i on. You unde rstand you co ul d ha ve t hatpa rtof t he hea r i ng i f

you w ant ed t o? T H E D E F E N D A N T : Y e s , sir. TH E C O U R T: M y und erst andi ng from w hatyour at t or ney j ust sa i d i s t hatyou do notw antt o do t hat , t hatyou w antt o pl ea d t rue t o t he St at e’ s m ot i on a nd j us tha ve t he i ss ue of puni sh m ent pres ent ed t o m e, I gue ss w het her or nott o revo ke you . I m i ghtnot revo k e y o u o n a p l e a o f t ru e a s w e l l , o r

I c o u l d g o a h e a d a n d put y o u o n a reg u l a r p rob a ti o n o r g o a h e a d a n d se n d y o u to th e s tate j ai l for up to tw o ye ars. So yo u und erstand I ha ve t hatful l rang e open i f you pl ead t rue? T H E D E F E N D A N T : Y e s , sir. T H E C O U R T : A l l ri g h t. A n d w h a t -- w h a t do y o u w a n t t o do? Do you w ant t o pl ea d t rue, or do you w antt o pl ea d nott rue a n d m a k e the S tate p rov e i t? (B ri e f p a u s e i n p ro c e e d i n g s .) TH E D EFEN D A N T: I w antt o pl ead t rue. B a s e d o n t h is p o rt io n o f t h e re c o rd , w e c o n c lu d e t h a tt h e t r ia l c o u rtt o ld app el l antab outhe r

r i ghtt o a co nt es t ed revo ca t i on he ari ng.4
... T h e re c o rd c o n t a in s a le t t e r t h a ta p p e lla n tw ro t e t o t h e t r ia l c o u rtin Jul y 20 09
. That l et t er reveal ed her

di ssat i sfact i on w i t h her appoi nt ed t r i al c o u n se l ; i t i m p u g n e d h i s h o n e sty an d d e l i n e a ted v a ri o u s a l l e g e d l y i m p rop e r ac ts su c h as h i s a l l e g e d refu sa l to v i sith e r i n j a i l
. A p p e l l a n t’ s c o u n se l res p o n d e d to her l et t er by fi l i ng hi s ow n l et ter w i t h t he t r i al courtt hatfact ual l y refut ed her al l ega t i ons . Bas ed on t he l i m i t ed rec ord i n t hi s ca se , i nef fec t i ve as si stanc e o f cou ns el i s notan argua bl e g round for rel i ef be ca us e t here i s not hi ng i n t he re c o rd t o in d ic a t e t h a t if a p p e lla n t h a d re c e iv e d d if fe re n ta s s is t a n c e , s h e w o u ld have deci ded t o pl ead not t rue t o t he S t at e’ s al l egat i ons or thatt he resul tof

her proce edi ng (ei t he r

a s t o he r

co nvi ct i on or

puni sh m ent) w oul d ha ve cha nge d. See St r i ck l and v. W as hi ngt on , 466 U. S. 668, 687, 104 S
. Ct
. 2052 , 2064 (1 9 8 4 ); S a l i n a s v . S tate , 1 6 3 S .W .3 d 7 3 4 , 7 4 0(T e x . C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 5 ). 5 A fter ap p e l l a n t’ s c o u n se l fi l e d h i s b ri e f, w e g a v e a p p e l l a n t t h e o p p o rt u n i ty t o fi l e a pro se response, and she has notfi l ed one. The S t at e al so has notfi l ed a b ri e f. O nce an appel l ant ’ s court
- appo i nt ed at t or ney fi l es a m ot i on t o w i t hdraw on t he ground t hatt he app ea l i s fr i vol ousan d ful fi l l s t he requ i rem ents of A n d e rs , t hi s cou rti s obl i gat ed t o undert ak e an i nde pen den texam i nat i on of t he re c o rd
. S e e S taffo rd v
. S tate , 8 1 3 S .W .2 d 5 0 3 , 5 1 1 (T e x . C ri m . A p p . 1 9 9 1 ); M a y s v . S tate , 904 S
. W
. 2d 920, 922– 23 (Tex. A pp. — FortW ort h 1995, no p e t.). O n l y th e n m a y w e g ra n t c o u n s e l ’s m o ti o n to w i th d ra w . See Pens on v . O h io , 4 8 8 U .S . 7 5 , 8 2
– 8 3 , 1 0 9 S . C t. 3 4 6 , 3 5 1 (1 9 8 8 ). W e have careful l y revi ew ed t he record and cou nsel ’ s br i ef
. W e agree w i t h c ounse l tha tt hi s app ea l i s w hol l y fr i vol ousan d w i t houtm eri t ; w e fi nd n o t h in g in t h e re c o rd t h a t m ig h t a rg u a b ly s u p p o rtt h e a p p e a l. 4 See Bl eds oe v.6

S tate , 1 7 8 S .W .3 d 8 2 4 , 8 2 7
– 2 8 (T e x . C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 5 ). A c c o rd i n g l y , w e g ra n t c o u n s e l ’sm o ti o n to w i th d ra w a n d a ffirm th e tri a l c o u rt’sj u d g m e n t.

T E R R I E L I VI NGS T ON CHI E F J UST I CE PA N EL: L I V I N G STO N , C. J. ; G A RD N ER and W A LKER, JJ. DO NO T P UBLI SH Tex. R. A pp. P. 47. 2( b) DEL I VERE D: M a y 13, 2010