Abatement Order filed May 24 , 20 12

.

In The 

## Fourteenth Court of Appeals

____________ NO. 14

- 11

- 00 838

- CR NO. 14

- 11

- 00839

- CR NO. 14

- 11

- 00840

- CR NO. 14

- 11

- 00841

- CR

____________ FREDRICHEE DOUGLAS SMITH , Appellant

V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

On Appeal from the 339th District Court

Harris County, Texas Trial Court Cause No s . 1197969, 1197970, 1208812, & 1255072



### ABATEMENT ORDER

Appellant is represented by retain ed counsel, Abraham M. Risch . On May 4 , 20 1 2 , time to file appellant ’ s brief expired without a brief and no motion for extension of
time was filed. See Tex. R. App. P. 38.6(a). Counsel and the trial court were notified on May 8 , 20 12 , that no brief had been received. No response from appellant has been
received.2

Pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(b) (a copy of which i s attached) the judge of the
339th District Court shall (1) immediately conduct a hearing, at which appellant, appellant ’ s counsel, and state ’ s counsel shall participate, either in person or by video

t eleconference, to determine (a) whether appellant desires to prosecute his appeal; (b) whether appellant is indigent; (c) if not indigent, whether appellant has abandoned the appeal or whether appellant has failed to make necessary arrangements for filing a brief; (d) the reason for the failure to file a brief; (e) if appellant desires to continue the appeal, a date certain when appellant ’ s brief will be filed; and (2) prepare a record, in the form of a reporter ’ s record, of the hearing. If appellant is in digent, the judge shall take such measures as may be necessary to assure effective representation of counsel, which may include the appointment of new counsel. The judge shall see that a record of the hearing is made, shall make findings of fact and concl usions of law, and shall order the trial clerk to forward a transcribed record of the hearing, a videotape or compact disc, if any, containing a recording of the video teleconference, and a supplemental clerk ’ s record containing the findings and conclusion s. Those records shall be filed with the clerk of this court on or
before June 25 , 2012

. The appeal is abated, treated as a closed case, and removed from this Court ’ s active docket. The appeal will be reinstated on this Court ’ s active docket when the tri al court ’ s findings and recommendations are filed in this Court. The Court will also consider an appropriate motion to reinstate the appeal filed by either party, or the Court may reinstate the appeal on its own motion. It is the responsibility of any pa rty seeking reinstatement to request a hearing date from the trial court and to schedule a hearing in compliance with this
Court ’ s order. If the parties do not request a hearing, the court coordinator of the trial court shall set a hearing date and notify the parties of such date.

PER CURIAM3 R ULE 38. REQUISITES OF BRIEFS

Tex. R. App. P. 38.8

. Failure of Appellant to File Brief. (b) Criminal Cases

.

(1) Effect. An appellant = s failure to timely file a brief does not authorize
either dismissal of the appeal or, except as provided in (4), consideration of the appeal
without briefs.

(2) Notice

. If the appellant = s brief is not timely filed, the appellate clerk must notify counsel for the parties and the trial court of that fact. If the appellate court does not receive a satisfactory response within ten days, the court must order the trial court to immediately conduct a hearing to determine whether the appellant desires to prosecute his appeal, whether the appellant is indigent, or, if not indigent, whet her retained counsel has abandoned the appeal, and to make appropriate findings and recommendations.

(3) Hearing. In accordance with (2), the trial court must conduct any necessary hearings, make appropriate findings and recommendations, and have a recor d of the proceedings prepared, which record

C including any order and findings

C must be sent to the appellate court.

(4) Appellate Court Action

. Based on the trial court = s record, the appellate court may act appropriately to ensure that the appellant = s righ ts are protected, including initiating contempt proceedings against appellant = s counsel. If the trial court has found that the appellant no longer desires to prosecute the appeal, or that the appellant is not indigent but has not made the necessary arrang ements for filing a brief, the appellate court may consider the appeal without briefs, as justice may require.