Court Opinion

ID: 3121914
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-10-16 14:15:34.83701+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:46:54.013533
License: Public Domain

NUMBER 13-10-00359-CR

                             COURT OF APPEALS

                   THIRTEENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

                     CORPUS CHRISTI - EDINBURG
____________________________________________________________

JOSEPH CHAFFIN,                                                              Appellant,

                                            v.

THE STATE OF TEXAS,                                 Appellee.
____________________________________________________________

              On appeal from the 28th District Court
                   of Nueces County, Texas.
____________________________________________________________

                       MEMORANDUM OPINION
      Before Chief Justice Valdez and Justices Rodriguez and Vela
                   Memorandum Opinion Per Curiam

       Appellant, Joseph Chaffin, attempted to perfect an appeal from a conviction for

aggravated assault. We dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction.

       This Court's appellate jurisdiction in a criminal case is invoked by a timely filed

notice of appeal. Olivo v. State, 918 S.W.2d 519, 522 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996). Absent a

timely filed notice of appeal, a court of appeals does not have jurisdiction to address the
merits of the appeal and can take no action other than to dismiss the appeal for want of

jurisdiction. Slaton v. State, 981 S.W.2d 208, 210 (Tex. Crim. App. 1998).

       The trial court imposed sentence in this matter on June 11, 2009. Appellant filed

his notice of appeal on July 6, 2010. On September 30, 2010, the Clerk of this Court

notified appellant that it appeared that the appeal was not timely perfected and that the

appeal would be dismissed if the defect was not corrected within ten days from the date of

receipt of the Court=s directive. Appellant’s counsel has filed a response to the Court=s

directive indicating that without a timely written notice of appeal and motion for extension

of time to file notice of appeal, the Court lacks jurisdiction.

       Unless a motion for new trial has been timely filed, a notice of appeal must be filed

within thirty days after the day sentence is imposed or suspended in open court, or after

the day the trial court enters an appealable order. TEX. R. APP. P. 26.2(a)(1). Where a

timely motion for new trial has been filed, the notice of appeal must be filed within ninety

days after the day sentence is imposed or suspended in open court. See id. 26.2(a)(2).

The time within which to file the notice may be enlarged if, within fifteen days after the

deadline for filing the notice, the party files the notice of appeal and a motion complying

with Rule 10.5(b) of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure. See id. 26.3.

       Appellant=s notice of appeal, filed more than twelve months after sentence was

imposed, was untimely, and accordingly, we lack jurisdiction over the appeal.          See

Slaton, 981 S.W.2d at 210. Appellant may be entitled to an out-of-time appeal by filing a

post-conviction writ of habeas corpus returnable to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals;

however, the availability of that remedy is beyond the jurisdiction of this Court. See TEX.

                                               2
CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 11.07, ' 3(a) (Vernon 2005); see also Ex parte Garcia, 988
S.W.2d 240 (Tex. Crim. App. 1999).

      The appeal is DISMISSED FOR WANT OF JURISDICTION.

                                                    PER CURIAM

Do not publish.
See TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).
Delivered and filed the
14th day of October, 2010.

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