Court Opinion

ID: 3111195
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-10-16 06:54:19.251905+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:52:20.302506
License: Public Domain

02-10-469-CR

COURT OF APPEALS
SECOND DISTRICT OF TEXAS
FORT WORTH
 

 
 
NO. 02-10-00469-CR
 
 

Christopher Wayne Morris

 

APPELLANT

 
V.
 

The State of Texas

 

STATE

 
 
----------
FROM THE 271st
District Court OF Wise COUNTY
----------
MEMORANDUM
OPINION[1]
----------
A
jury convicted Appellant Christopher Wayne Morris of continuous sexual abuse of
a young child.  See Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 21.02 (West Supp. 2011).  The
jury assessed his punishment at life imprisonment, and the trial court
sentenced him accordingly.
          Morris’s
court-appointed appellate counsel has filed a motion to withdraw as counsel and
a brief in support of that motion.  Counsel’s brief and motion meet the
requirements of Anders v. California[2]
by presenting a professional evaluation of the record demonstrating why there
are no arguable grounds for relief.  This court afforded Morris the opportunity
to file a brief on his own behalf, but he did not do so.  The State has filed a
letter brief.
As
the reviewing court, we must conduct an independent evaluation of the record to
determine whether counsel is correct in determining that the appeal is
frivolous.  See Stafford v. State, 813 S.W.2d 503, 511 (Tex. Crim. App.
1991); Mays v. State, 904 S.W.2d 920, 923 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 1995, no
pet.).  Only then may we grant counsel’s motion to withdraw.  See Penson v.
Ohio, 488 U.S. 75, 82–83, 109 S. Ct. 346, 351 (1988). 
We
have carefully reviewed the record and counsel’s brief.  We agree with counsel
that this appeal is wholly frivolous and without merit; we find nothing in the
record that arguably might support an appeal.  See Bledsoe v. State, 178
S.W.3d 824, 827–28 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005).  Accordingly, we grant counsel’s
motion to withdraw and affirm the trial court’s judgment.
 
PER CURIAM
 
PANEL: 
WALKER, J.; LIVINGSTON, C.J.; and DAUPHINOT, J.
 
DO
NOT PUBLISH
Tex.
R. App. P. 47.2(b)
 
DELIVERED:  July 5, 2012

[1]See Tex. R. App. P. 47.4.

[2]386 U.S. 738, 87 S. Ct.
1396 (1967).