Court Opinion

ID: 9941923
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-19 16:08:20.236829+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:47:26.576412
License: Public Domain

Opinion issued February 13, 2024

                                     In The

                              Court of Appeals
                                     For The

                          First District of Texas
                            ————————————
                              NO. 01-23-00777-CR
                           ———————————
                        WALTER ZUNIGA, Appellant
                                        V.
                      THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

                   On Appeal from the 232nd District Court
                           Harris County, Texas
                       Trial Court Case No. 1698342

                         MEMORANDUM OPINION

      Appellant Walter Zuniga seeks to appeal the judgment in trial court cause

number 1698342 convicting him of murder.1 After appellant pleaded guilty, the trial

1
      See TEX. PENAL CODE § 19.02.
held a Pre-Sentence Investigation hearing and sentenced him to 40 years in prison.

Appellant filed a pro-se notice of appeal. We dismiss the appeal.

                                      Discussion

      A defendant may waive his right to appeal in all but capital cases. See Carson

v. State, 559 S.W.3d 489, 492–93 (Tex. Crim. App. 2018). As part of his guilty plea,

appellant signed a “Waiver of Constitutional Rights, Agreement to Stipulate, and

Judicial Confession” in which he waived the right to appeal, stating:

             The state and defense have agreed that the defendant has waived
             his right to appeal in exchange for the state capping the
             punishment at 40 years TDC and waiving its right to a jury trial.

             ....

             I understand that I have not reached an agreement with the
             prosecutor as to punishment. However, in exchange for the State
             waiving their right to a jury trial, I intend to enter a plea of guilty
             without an agreed recommendation of punishment from the
             prosecutor and request that my punishment should be set by
             the Judge after a pre-sentence investigation report and
             hearing. I understand the state reserves the right to argue for full
             punishment at my sentencing hearing. I waive any further time
             to prepare for trial to which I or my attorney may be entitled.
             Further, in exchange for the state giving up their right to trial, I
             agree to waive any right of appeal which I may have.

      By agreeing to waive its right to a jury trial, the State gave consideration for

appellant’s waiver of his right of appeal. See id. at 494. The trial court’s certification

of defendant’s right of appeal is included in the record on appeal. See TEX. R. APP.

P. 25.2. The trial court’s certification states that defendant waived the right of

                                            2
appeal. The record supports the trial court’s certification. See Dears v. State, 154

S.W.3d 610, 615 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005). Because appellant has no right of appeal,

we must dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.2 See Chavez v. State, 183 S.W.3d

675, 680 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006).

      Accordingly, we dismiss this appeal for want of jurisdiction. See TEX. R. APP.

P. 43.2(f). We dismiss any pending motions as moot.

                                  PER CURIAM
Panel consists of Chief Justice Adams and Justices Landau and Rivas-Molloy.

Do not publish. TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).

2
      Appellant’s appointed counsel also notified this Court that appellant waived his
      right of appeal.
                                           3