NO. 03-14-00545-CR

__________________________________________________________________ 

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS 

FOR THE THIRD DISTRICT OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

 __________________________________________________________________ 

RICHARD LEE POLLARD, 

 Appellant 

v.

THE STATE OF TEXAS 

 Appellee 

 _________________________________________________________________ 

Appeal in Cause No. CR6692 in the 

424th Judicial District Court of Llano County, Texas 

 __________________________________________________________________ 

BRIEF FOR APPELLEE 

------------------------- 

 OFFICE OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY 

 33RD and 424th JUDICIAL DISTRICTS 

 Wiley B. McAfee, District Attorney 

 P. O. Box 725, Llano, Texas 78643 

Telephone Telecopier 

(325) 247-5755 (325) 247-5274 

 

 By: R. Blake Ewing 

 Assistant District Attorney 

State Bar No. 24076376 

asstda2@burnetcountytexas.org 

 ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE 

March 13, 2015 

ORAL ARGUMENT WAIVED 

ACCEPTED

03-14-00545-CR

4499342

THIRD COURT OF APPEALS

AUSTIN, TEXAS

3/13/2015 4:36:50 PM

JEFFREY D. KYLE

CLERK

 FILED IN 3rd COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 3/13/2015 4:36:50 PM JEFFREY D. KYLE Clerk
ii

IDENTITY OF THE PARTIES

Trial Court

Honorable Dan Mills (now former)

424th Judicial District

Burnet County Courthouse Annex (North)

1701 East Polk St., Suite 74

Burnet, TX 78611

Trial Counsel for Appellee

Anthony J. Dodson

Assistant District Attorney

P. O. Box 725

Llano, Texas 78643

(325) 247-5755

State Bar No. 05927200

Robert Blake Ewing

Assistant District Attorney

1701 E. Polk St., Suite 24

Burnet, Texas 78611

(512) 756-5449

State Bar No. 24076376

Appellate Counsel for Appellee

Robert Blake Ewing

Assistant District Attorney

1701 E. Polk St., Suite 24

Burnet, Texas 78611

(512) 756-5449

State Bar No. 24076376
iii

Trial Counsel for Appellant

Richard D. Davis

P.O. Box 398

Burnet, TX 78611

(512) 756-5117

State Bar No. 05537100

rdd@austin.twcbc.com

Barton Joseph Vana

Attorney at Law

P.O. Box 398

Burnet, TX 78611

(512) 756-5117

State Bar No. 24084441

Appellate Counsel for Appellant

Richard D. Davis

P.O. Box 398

Burnet, TX 78611

(512) 756-5117

State Bar No. 05537100

rdd@austin.twcbc.com

Appellant

Richard Lee Pollard

TDCJ #01934170

SID #02166353

Wallace Pack Unit

2400 Wallace Pack Rd.

Navasota, TX 77868
iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Identity of the Parties........................................................................................ ii

Table of Authorities.......................................................................................... v

Statement of the Case........................................................................................2 

Statement on Oral Argument.............................................................................3

Reply to Issues Presented..................................................................................3

Statement of the Facts....................................................................................... 3

Summary of the Argument and Argument -

Reply to Issue No. 1................................................................................4

The State agrees that no reversible error 

exists in the record of this cause and that the 

appeal herein is frivolous.

Prayer for Relief................................................................................................ 5

Certificate of Word Count.................................................................................6

Certificate of Service.........................................................................................6
v

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

Cases

Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S. Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2nd 492 (1967).......4

High v. State, 573 S.W.2d 807 (Tex. Crim. App. 1978).................................4

Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75, 109 S. Ct. 346, 102 L.Ed.2d 300 1988) ...............4

Constitutions

None cited

Statutes/Rules

TEX. R. APP. PROC. 38.1(d) ..............................................................2

1

NO. 03-14-00545-CR

______________________________

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE THIRD DISTRICT OF TEXAS

AUSTIN

______________________________________

RICHARD LEE POLLARD,

Appellant

v.

THE STATE OF TEXAS

Appellee

______________________________________

Appeal in Cause No. CR6692

in the 424th Judicial District Court of

Llano County, Texas

____________________________

BRIEF FOR APPELLEE

TO THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF THE COURT OF APPEALS:

COMES NOW the State of Texas, hereinafter called Appellee, and submits 

this brief pursuant to the provisions of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure in 

support of the State’s request to affirm the judgment of the trial court.
2

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Appellant has adequately described the Statement of the Case, although the 

undersigned will provide a separate statement of the case supported by record 

references to assist the Court. TEX. R. APP. PROC. 38.1(d).

Appellant was indicted for the offense of Driving While Intoxicated 3

rd or 

More on August 13, 2013. C.R. 6. The State gave notice of its intent to seek an 

enhanced penalty range on Jan 2, 2014 and amended its notice on April 23, 2014. 

C.R. 16-17, 37-38. The State moved to amend and interlineate the indictment on 

April 23, 2014. C.R. 39-40. The trial court granted the State’s motion over 

Appellant’s objection. R.R., Vol. 3, pp. 4-6. 

Appellant proceeded to trial on June 16, 2014 and entered a plea of not 

guilty. R.R., Vol. 4, pp. 1, 18. After hearing evidence, the jury returned a verdict 

finding Appellant guilty of the offense of Driving While Intoxicated 3rd or More as 

charged in the indictment. C.R. 64. Appellant timely filed his election to have the 

jury assess punishment. C.R. 59. Upon conclusion of the punishment phase of 

trial the jury returned its verdict assessing punishment at confinement in the 
3

Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for a term of 

life. C.R. 71. Notice of Appeal was timely filed. C.R. 80.

STATEMENT ON ORAL ARGUMENT

The undersigned waives oral argument. The undersigned does not believe 

that Oral Argument will be beneficial for this case for the reason that the issues are 

straightforward and devoid of any novel or complex questions. Should the Court 

believe that oral argument will assist the Court in any way, the undersigned will 

accommodate the Court.

REPLY TO ISSUE PRESENTED

Reply To Issue One: The State agrees that no reversible error exists in the 

record of this cause and that the appeal herein is 

frivolous.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

Appellant’s statement of the facts is adequate, and the undersigned believes 

that Appellant’s statement is supported by the record with only one discrepancy. 

Appellant notes that the State introduced at the punishment phase of trial evidence 
4

of Appellant’s prior convictions, and states that one of those convictions was for 

“intoxication manslaughter.” APPELLANT’S BRIEF 3. The conviction 

referenced by Appellant was, in fact, for involuntary manslaughter under the law 

as it existed in 1981. R.R., Vol. 7, STATE’S EXHIBIT 15. 

In all other respects, the undersigned believes that Appellant has accurately 

stated the facts of the case. 

SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT AND ARGUMENT ON 

REPLY TO ISSUE NO. 1 

(1) The State agrees that no reversible error exists in the record 

of this cause and that the appeal herein is frivolous.

Appellant seeks to appeal his conviction and sentence. Appellant’s appellate 

counsel describes various arguable grounds for appeal and explains why such 

grounds do not support a finding of reversible error. The State of Texas has fully 

reviewed the record and agrees that there was no reversible error committed in the 

trial proceedings and that the appeal thereof is frivolous. See Anders v. California, 

386 U.S. 738, 87 S. Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2nd 492 (1967); Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75, 

109 S. Ct. 346, 102 L.Ed.2d 300 (1988); and High v. State, 573 S.W.2d 807 (Tex. 

Crim. App. 1978).
5

PRAYER FOR RELIEF

WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, Appellee prays the Court deny 

Appellant’s appeal and affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Respectfully submitted,

OFFICE OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY

33RD and 424th JUDICIAL DISTRICTS

Wiley B. McAfee, District Attorney

P. O. Box 725

Llano, Texas 78643

Telephone Telecopier 

(325) 247-5755 (325) 247-5274

By: /s/ R. Blake Ewing___________ 

R. Blake Ewing

Assistant District Attorney

State Bar No. 24076376

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE
6

CERTIFICATE OF WORD COUNT

This is to certify that the pertinent portion of this brief contains 608 words 

printed in Times New Roman 14 font according to the Microsoft WordTM 2013 

word count tool.

/s/ R. Blake Ewing_____________

R. Blake Ewing

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

This is to certify that a true copy of the above and foregoing instrument, 

together with this proof of service hereof, has been forwarded by email on the 13th 

day of March, 2015, to Mr. Richard D. Davis, Attorney for Appellant, at 

rdd@austin.twcbc.com.

/s/ R. Blake Ewing_____________

R. Blake Ewing

Assistant District Attorney