Court Opinion

ID: 4047751
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-09-29 00:28:46.863372+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:30:39.072476
License: Public Domain

ACCEPTED
                                                                                             06-14-00225-CR
                                                                                  SIXTH COURT OF APPEALS
                                                                                        TEXARKANA, TEXAS
                                                                                        5/21/2015 3:28:54 PM
                                                                                            DEBBIE AUTREY
                                                                                                      CLERK

                                                       The State Requests Oral Argument
                                                    if Appellant Requests Oral Argument.

                                                                       FILED IN
                   NOS. 06-14-00225-CR, 06-14-00226-CR, 6th COURT OF APPEALS
                            & 06-14-00227-CR              TEXARKANA, TEXAS
                                                                5/21/2015 3:28:54 PM
                                                                   DEBBIE AUTREY
                       IN THE COURT OF APPEALS                          Clerk
                    FOR THE SIXTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS
                             AT TEXARKANA
                         ________________________

                             ELIZABETH MENDOZA,
                                   Appellant

                                       vs.

                              THE STATE OF TEXAS,
                                     Appellee
                             ________________________

              On appeal from the Criminal District Court. No. 6
                           of Dallas County, Texas
            Cause Nos. F12-61870-X, F13-34344-X, & F13-40734-X
                        ________________________

                                  STATE’S BRIEF
                             ________________________

                                             Counsel of Record:
SUSAN HAWK                                   LARISSA T. ROEDER
Criminal District Attorney                   Assistant District Attorney
Dallas County, Texas                         State Bar No. 24010357
                                             133 N. Riverfront Blvd., LB-19
                                             Dallas, Texas 75207-4399
                                             (214) 653-3627 (Phone)
                                             (214) 653-3643 (Fax)

                   ATTORNEYS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS
                                             TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................... i

INDEX OF AUTHORITIES ............................................................................................... ii

STATEMENT OF THE CASE ........................................................................................... 1

STATEMENT OF FACTS .................................................................................................. 3

SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT ........................................................................................... 3

ARGUMENT....................................................................................................................... 3

Response to Appellant’s Sole Issue on Appeal ................................................................ 3

          THE TRIAL COURT’S WRITTEN JUDGMENTS SHOULD BE
          REFORMED TO CORRECTLY REFLECT THAT APPELLANT’S
          PLEAS OF TRUE WERE ENTERED WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF
          PLEA BARGAIN AGREEMENTS. ........................................................................ 3

PRAYER ............................................................................................................................. 5

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE AND WORD-COUNT COMPLIANCE ........................... 5
                                   INDEX OF AUTHORITIES

Cases

Abron v. State,
  997 S.W.2d 281 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1998, pet. ref’d) ................................................... 4

Asberry v. State,
  813 S.W.2d 526 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1991, pet. ref’d) ................................................... 4

Bigley v. State,
  865 S.W.2d 26 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993) .......................................................................... 4

Nolan v. State,
  39 S.W.3d 697 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2001, no pet.) ..................................... 4

                                                        ii
TO THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS:

      The State of Texas submits this brief in response to the brief of appellant,

Elizabeth Mendoza.

                           STATEMENT OF THE CASE

      A grand jury issued an indictment in cause number F12-61870-X, charging

appellant with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. (CR.1:13).1 On May 2,

2013, appellant pleaded guilty and was placed on two (2) years’ deferred

adjudication community supervision. (CR.1:35-36, 40-41). The State thereafter

filed a motion to proceed to an adjudication of guilt. (CR.1:53-54). On November

13, 2014, appellant entered a non-negotiated plea of true to the allegations in the

State’s motion.2 (CR.1:60). The trial court entered judgment adjudicating guilt

and assessed punishment at six (6) years’ imprisonment. (CR.1:56).

      A grand jury issued an indictment in cause number F13-34344-X, charging

appellant with possession of a controlled substance less than one gram. (CR.2:7).

On July 2, 2014, appellant pleaded guilty to a lesser-included class A misdemeanor

offense and, in accordance with a negotiated plea agreement, the trial court placed

1
  C.R.1 refers to the clerk’s record in cause number F12-61870-X (06-14-00225-CR);
CR.2 refers to the clerk’s record in cause number F13-34344-X (06-14-00226-CR); and
CR.3 refers to the clerk’s record in cause number F13-40734-X (06-14-00227-CR).
2
  The clerk’s records on appeal do not contain the second half of any of appellant’s three
plea agreements. The State has brought the matter to the attention of the clerk of the
court, and has asked the District Clerk’s Office to supplement the clerk’s records on
appeal with complete copies of appellant’s November 13, 2014, plea agreement.

                                            1
appellant on ten (10) months’ deferred adjudication community supervision.

(CR.2:19-22). The State thereafter filed a motion to proceed to an adjudication of

guilt. (CR.2:36-37). On November 13, 2014, appellant entered a non-negotiated

plea of true to the allegations in the State’s motion. (CR.2:44). The trial court

entered judgment adjudicating guilt and assessed punishment at one (1) year

confinement in the county jail. (CR.2:38-39).

      A grand jury issued an indictment in cause number F13-40734-X, charging

appellant with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. (CR.3:11). On May 2, 2013,

appellant pleaded guilty and on May 22, 2013, the trial court placed appellant on

two (2) years’ deferred adjudication community supervision. (CR.3:25, 34-36).

The State thereafter filed a motion to proceed to an adjudication of guilt.

(CR.3:47-48). On November 13, 2014, appellant entered a non-negotiated plea of

true to the allegations in the State’s motion. (CR.3:53). The trial court entered

judgment adjudicating guilt and assessed punishment at ten (10) months in the

state jail. (CR.3:50-51).

                                        2
                           STATEMENT OF FACTS

      The State filed motions to revoke appellant’s deferred adjudication

community supervision in three separate cases. Appellant entered a plea of true in

each case without the benefit of a plea bargain agreement.          The trial court

adjudicated guilt and sentenced appellant to a term of confinement in each of the

three cases. All three of the court’s written judgments incorrectly reflect that the

sentences imposed were based on negotiated plea agreements.

                         SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT

      This Court should reform the written judgment in each of appellant’s cases

to correctly reflect that appellant entered a plea of true in each case without the

benefit of a plea bargain agreement.

                                  ARGUMENT

                 Response to Appellant’s Sole Issue on Appeal

      THE TRIAL COURT’S WRITTEN JUDGMENTS SHOULD BE
      REFORMED TO CORRECTLY REFLECT THAT APPELLANT’S
      PLEAS OF TRUE WERE ENTERED WITHOUT THE BENEFIT
      OF PLEA BARGAIN AGREEMENTS.

      The State agrees that the judgment in all three of appellant’s convictions

should be reformed to correctly reflect the appellant entered her pleas of true

without the benefit of a plea agreement.

                                           3
                                  Applicable Law

      Where the record contains the necessary information to do so, the court on

appeal has the authority to modify incorrect judgments. Tex. R. App. P. 43.2(b);

Bigley v. State, 865 S.W.2d 26, 27 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993); Abron v. State, 997
S.W.2d 281, 282 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1998, pet. ref’d). “An appellate court has the

power to correct and reform a trial court judgment ‘to make the record speak the

truth when it has the necessary data and information to do so, or make any

appropriate order as the law and nature of the case may require.’” Nolan v. State,

39 S.W.3d 697, 698 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2001, no pet.) (quoting

Asberry v. State, 813 S.W.2d 526, 529 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1991, pet. ref’d)).

                         Application of Law to the Facts

      The record in each of appellant’s cases reflect that appellant entered an

“open plea” of true.     The judgments, however, each incorrectly show a plea

agreement to a term of confinement that matches the punishments actually imposed

by the trial court. Because this Court has the information to do so, the State

respectfully joins in appellant’s request that the judgment in each of her three cases

should be modified to show appellant entered an “open plea” to the allegations in

the State’s motions to proceed with an adjudication of guilt.

                                          4
                                   PRAYER

      The State prays this Honorable Court will reform the judgments in cause

numbers F12-61870-X (06-14-00225-CR), F13-34344-X (06-14-00226-CR); and

F13-40734-X (06-14-00227-CR), and affirm as modified.

                                            Respectfully submitted,

SUSAN HAWK                                  LARISSA T. ROEDER
Criminal District Attorney                  Assistant District Attorney
State Bar No. 00791886                      State Bar No. 24010357
Dallas County, Texas                        133 N. Riverfront Blvd., LB-19
                                            Dallas, Texas 75207-4399
                                            (214) 653-3627 (phone)
                                            (214) 653-3643 (fax)
                                            larissa.roeder@dallascounty.org

   CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE AND WORD-COUNT COMPLIANCE

      A copy of this brief has been served on Bruce Anton, attorney for appellant,
2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 250, Dallas, Texas 75201, via electronic mail at
ba@sualaw.com on May 21, 2015. I further certify that this document contains
1,069 words, inclusive of all contents.

                                            Larissa T. Roeder

                                        5