Abatement Order filed October 16, 2018 

In The

Fourteenth Court of Appeals

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NO. 14-18-00614-CR

NO. 14-18-00615-CR

NO. 14-18-00616-CR

NO. 14-18-00617-CR

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EX PARTE KENISHIA SHANELL HILL

On Appeal from the 10th District Court

Galveston County, Texas

Trial Court Cause Nos. 16-CR-1747-83-1, 16-CR-1748-83-1, 16-CR-1749-83-1, 

and 16-CR-1750-83-1

ABATEMENT ORDER

Appellant is not represented by counsel. On September 24, 2018, 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). Appellant was notified on September 28, 2018, 

that no brief had been received. No response from appellant has been received. This 

court is unaware if appellant is, at this time, entitled at this time to proceed without 

the payment of costs and/or to appointed counsel. Accordingly, we enter the 

following order. 
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Pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(b) (a copy of which is attached), the judge 

of the 10th District Court shall immediately conduct a hearing at which appellant 

and counsel for the State shall participate, either in person or by video 

teleconference, to determine if appellant (1) desires to prosecute her appeals, (2) is 

indigent, and (3) is entitled to appointed counsel on appeal from the denial of her 

application for writ of habeas corpus. The judge may appoint appellate counsel for 

appellant if necessary. If appellant is not indigent and not entitled to counsel, the 

judge shall determine if appellant abandoned the appeals or if she has failed to make 

necessary arrangements for filing a brief. If she desires to continue the appeals, the 

judge shall also determine a date when her brief will be filed.

The judge shall see that a record of the hearing is made, shall make findings 

of fact and conclusions of law, and shall order the trial clerk to forward a record of 

the hearing and a supplemental clerk’s record containing the findings and 

conclusions. The transcribed record of the hearing and the court’s findings and 

conclusions shall be filed with the clerk of this court by November 15, 2018.

The appeals are abated, treated as closed cases, and removed from this Court’s 

active docket. The appeals will be reinstated on this Court’s active docket when the 

trial court’s findings and recommendations are filed in this Court. The Court will 

also consider an appropriate motion to reinstate the appeals filed by either party, or 

the Court may reinstate the appeals on its own motion. It is the responsibility of any 

party 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 CURIAM
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RULE 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, 

whether 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 

record of the proceedings prepared, which record—including any order and 

findings—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 rights 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 arrangements for 

filing a brief, the appellate court may consider the appeal without briefs, as justice 

may require.