Court Opinion

ID: 9372316
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-02-21 13:09:31.931697+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:34.629654
License: Public Domain

Fourth Court of Appeals
                                   San Antonio, Texas
                                        February 16, 2023

                                      No. 04-22-00811-CV

          IN THE INTEREST OF D.L.R., JR., D.L.W.R., AND D.L.L.R., Children

                   From the 45th Judicial District Court, Bexar County, Texas
                                Trial Court No. 2022-PA-00016
                      Honorable Charles E. Montemayor, Judge Presiding

                                         ORDER

       Appellant, A.G., appeals the trial court’s termination of her parental rights. The court-
appointed attorney for appellant filed a brief and motion to withdraw pursuant to Anders v.
California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), in which counsel asserts there are no meritorious issues to raise
on appeal. We have held that in parental-termination appeals, a procedure akin to Anders is
necessary to best protect the statutory right to counsel on appeal, to provide a procedural
mechanism for counsel to fulfill her ethical obligations, to assist the court in deciding appeals,
and to provide consistent procedures for all indigent litigants. In re R.R., No. 04-03-00096-CV,
2003 WL 21157944, at *4 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2003, no pet.); see In re P.M., 520 S.W.3d
24, 27 n.10 (Tex. 2016) (per curiam) (applying Anders procedures in appeal from order
terminating parental rights). In compliance with the procedure set out in Anders, appellant’s
attorney certified that, on February 4, 2023, counsel served copies of the brief and motion on
appellant, and informed appellant of her right to review the record and file her own brief, and has
explained to appellant the procedure for obtaining the record. See Nichols v. State, 954 S.W.2d
83, 85 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1997, no pet.); Bruns v. State, 924 S.W.2d 176, 177 n.1 (Tex.
App.—San Antonio 1996, no pet.). Counsel also provided appellant with a “Motion for Pro Se
Access to Appellate Record.” See Kelly v. State, 436 S.W.3d 313 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014); In re
A.L.H., No. 04-18-00153-CV, 2018 WL 3861695, at *2 (Tex. App.—San Antonio Aug. 15,
2018, no pet.); In re R.R., 2003 WL 21157944, at *4.

       If appellant wishes to obtain a copy of the record, she must file a written request with this
court no later February 27, 2023. If appellant wishes to file a pro se brief, we ORDER that she
do so no later than March 20, 2023. If appellant files a pro se brief, appellee may file a
responsive brief no later than twenty days after the date appellant’s pro se brief is filed in this
court.

    We ORDER the motion to withdraw, filed by appellant’s counsel, to be HELD IN
ABEYANCE pending further order of the court.
It is so ORDERED on February 16, 2023.
                                         PER CURIAM

ATTESTED TO: _______________________
             MICHAEL A. CRUZ,
             CLERK OF COURT