Court Opinion

ID: 9669136
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 02:40:28.348884+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:49.713351
License: Public Domain

*616LEE ANN DAUPHINOT, Justice,
dissenting.
I join Justice Livingston’s dissent. I write only to emphasize that contrary to the majority’s assertion that “the trial court has not ruled upon [ ] a request for forensic DNA testing,” the trial court’s order provided:
The Court finds that there exists no evidence containing biological material available in this case to be tested. Accordingly, the Court denies the defendant’s request for counsel to file a motion for forensic DNA testing.
The trial court could not have entered a “no-evidence” finding without reaching the merits of the case, and the trial court used this substantive finding to retroactively justify violating Appellant’s right to counsel. This finding is clearly a final determination; thus, we have jurisdiction to review this case under chapter 64.