1 ... S ee T EX . R. A PP . P. 47. 4. 

## COURT OF APPEALS SECOND DISTRICTOFTEXAS FORT WORTH NO . 2- 07-431- CR E R I C D . S T ONE AP P E L L ANT V . TH E STA TE O F TEXA S STA TE

----- ----- -- FR O M THE 3 55TH DI STRI CT CO URT O F HO O D CO UN TY

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### M E M ORANDU M OP I NI ON 1

----- ----- -- I. I N T R OD U C T I ON A ppel l ant Er i c D . Stone appeal s f r om a convi ct i on f oraggr avat ed sexual assaul tofa chi l d com m i t t ed on or ar oun d N ovem ber1, 20 01 . St one pl eaded g u ilt y t o t w o co un t s of ag grav ated sex ua l ass au l t , an d t he j ury ass es s e d h is p u n i s h m e n t a t n i n e ty -n i n e y e a rs ’ c o n fi n e m e n t o n e a c h c o u n t. T h e tri a l c o u rt i m pos ed t he puni sh m entas se ss ed by t he j ur y a nd or der ed t he se nt enc est o r un2

con cur r ent l y. St one ’ s app el l at e cou ns el ha s f i l ed an A n dersbr i efassert i ng t hat th e re a re n o g ro u n d s th a t c o u l d b e a rg u e d s u c c e s s fu l l yo n a p p e a l . S e eA n ders v. Ca lif o r n ia , 386 U . S. 738, 87 S. Ct . 1396 ( 196 7) . Beca us e w e hol d t hatan y a p p e a l fr o m this ca se w o u l d b e fr i v o l o u s, w e w i l l g ran t c o u n se l ’s m o ti o n to w i th d raw an d affi rm the tr i a l co u rt ’s j u d g m e n t. II . A nder

s Bri ef S t one’ s court - appo i nt ed appel l at e counsel has f i l ed a m ot i on t o w i t hdr aw a s c o u n s e l a n d a b ri e f i n s u p p o rt o f th a t m o ti o n . I n h i s m o ti o n , c o u n s e l a v e rs t hat he has con duc t ed a pr of es si ona l eva l uat i on of t he r ec or d a n d , a fte r a th o rough r evi ew oft he app l i ca bl e l aw , ha s r ea che d t he con cl us i on t hatt here ar e n o a r gua bl e g r oundst o be ad van ce d t o s upport an app ea l oft hi s ca us e a nd t hatt he app ea l i s f r i vol ous . I n hi s br i ef , cou ns el hasr evi ew ed t he hi st or y oft he ca se , i ncl udi ng de t ai l i ng t he evi den ce pr es ent ed. Counse l ’ s br i efan d m ot i on m e e t t h e req u i rem e n ts o f A n dersby pr es ent i ng a pr of es si ona l ev al uat i on oft he r ec or d de m ons t r at i ng w hy t her e a re no r eve r si bl e g r oundson a ppe al an d re fe re n c i n g a n y g ro u n d s th a t m i g h t a rg u a b l y s u p p o rt th e a p p e a l . Id. ; se e Mays v. S tate , 9 0 4 S .W . 2 d 9 2 0 , 9 2 2

– 2 3 (T e x . A p p .— F o rt W o rth 1 9 9 5 , n o p e t.). St one w asgi ven t he opport uni t y t o f i l e a pr o s e b r i efon h i s ow n be hal f , buthe cho senott o do so .3

I n ourdut i esasa r evi ew i ng c ourt , w e m u s t con duc tan i nde pen den t eva l uat i on oft he r ec or d t o de t er m i ne w het her cou ns el i s cor r ec ti n de t er m i ni ng th a t th e a p p e a l i s fri v o l o u s . S e eS taffo rd v. S tate , 813 S . W . 2d 503, 511 ( Tex. C r i m . A p p . 1 9 9 1 ); Mays , 9 0 4 S . W . 2 d a t 9 2 3 . On l y t h e n ma y w e g r ant c o u n s e l ’s m o ti o n to w i th d ra w . S e ePen s o nv. O h io , 488 U. S. 75, 82–8 3, 109 S . C t. 3 4 6 , 3 5 1 (1 9 8 8 ). Beca us e St one en t er ed an ope n pl ea ofgui l t y, ouri nde pen den tr evi ew f or pot ent i al er r ori s l i m i t ed t o pot ent i al j ur i sd i ct i ona l def ec t s, t he vol unt ar i nes s of h i s p l e a , e rr o r t h a t i s n o t i n d e p e n d e n t of a n d su p p o r t s t h e j u d g m e n t of g u i l t, a n d e rro r o c c u rri n g a fte r e n tryo f th e g u i l typ l e a . S e e Mo n rea l v. S tate , 99 S .W .3 d 6 1 5 , 6 2 0 (T e x . C r i m . A p p . 2 0 0 3 ); Yo ungv. S tate , 8 S. W . 3d 656, 6 6 6

– 6 7 (T e x . C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 0 ). III. C ON C L U S I ON W e h a v e c a re fu l l y re v i e w e d th e a p p e l l a te re c o rd a n d c o u n s e l ’s b ri e f. W e a g r e e t h a tt h e a p p e a l is w h o llyf r iv o lo u s a n d w it h o u tm e r it . W e f in d n o t h in g in th e re c o rd th a t m i g h t a rg u a b l ys u p p o rt th e a p p e a l . S e eBle dso ev. S tate , 178 S .W .3 d 8 2 4 , 8 2 7 ( T e x . C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 5 ). T h e refo re, w e g ran t th e m o ti o n to4

w i th d ra w fi l e d b yS to n e ’s a p p e l l a te c o u n s e l a n d a ffir m th e t ri a l c o u rt’s j u d g m e n t.

SU E W A LKER J U S T I C E PA N EL F: C A YC E, C. J. ; W A LKER and M C C O Y, JJ. DO NO T P UBLI SH T EX . R. A PP . P. 47. 2( b) DEL I VERE D: J ul y 3, 2008