Court Opinion

ID: 2758855
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2014-12-09 18:20:04.145475+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:09:42.773095
License: Public Domain

Abatement Order filed December 4, 2014.

                                      In The

                    Fourteenth Court of Appeals
                                   ____________

                              NO. 14-14-00394-CR
                              NO. 14-14-00396-CR
                                ____________

                    ROBERT LUCHES PARISH, Appellant

                                        V.

                       THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

                   On Appeal from the 178th District Court
                            Harris County, Texas
                  Trial Court Cause Nos. 1416134 & 1416135

                           ABATEMENT ORDER

      Appellant is represented by appointed counsel, Wilford A. Anderson, in
these companion cases. Appellant’s brief was not filed when due. Counsel filed no
response to the court’s past due notice. On September 4, 2014, this court abated the
appeal and ordered a hearing to determine why no brief had been filed. On
September 25, 2014, a record of that hearing was filed. At the hearing, appellant’s
counsel, Wilford Anderson, informed the trial court that he anticipated filing the
brief on or before November 7, 2014. Accordingly, the appeal was reinstated and a
new due date for appellant’s brief was set for November 7, 2014. No brief was
filed, however. On November 10, 2014, this court notified the trial court and
appellant’s counsel that no brief had been filed. Counsel filed no response.
Accordingly, we issue the following order:

      Pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(b) (a copy of which is attached) the judge
of the 178th District Court shall (1) immediately conduct a hearing, at which
appellant, appellant’s counsel, and state’s counsel shall participate, either in person
or by video teleconference, to determine (a) whether appellant desires to prosecute
his appeals; (b) whether appellant is indigent; (c) if not indigent, whether appellant
has abandoned the appeals or whether appellant has failed to make necessary
arrangements for filing a brief; (d) the reason for the failure to file a brief; (e) if
appellant desires to continue the appeals, a date certain when appellant’s brief will
be filed; and (2) prepare a record, in the form of a reporter’s record, of the hearing.
If appellant is indigent, the judge shall take such measures as may be necessary to
assure effective representation of counsel, which may include the appointment of
new counsel. The judge shall see that a record of the hearing is made, shall make
findings of fact and conclusions of law, and shall order the trial clerk to forward a
transcribed record of the hearing, a videotape or compact disc, if any, containing a
recording of the video teleconference, and a supplemental clerk’s record containing
the findings and conclusions. Those records shall be filed with the clerk of this
court on or before January 5, 2015.

      The appeal is abated, treated as a closed case, and removed from this Court’s
active docket. The appeal will be reinstated on this Court’s active docket when the
trial court’s findings and recommendations are filed in this Court. The Court will
also consider an appropriate motion to reinstate the appeal filed by either party, or
the Court may reinstate the appeal on its own motion. It is the responsibility of any
party seeking reinstatement to request a hearing date from the trial court and to
schedule a hearing in compliance with this Court’s order. If the parties do not
request a hearing, the court coordinator of the trial court shall set a hearing date
and notify the parties of such date.

                                   PER CURIAM
                       RULE 38. REQUISITES OF BRIEFS

Tex. R. App. P. 38.8. Failure of Appellant to File Brief.

      (b) Criminal Cases.

             (1) Effect.    An appellant=s failure to timely file a brief does not
authorize either dismissal of the appeal or, except as provided in (4), consideration
of the appeal without briefs.

             (2) Notice. If the appellant=s brief is not timely filed, the appellate
clerk must notify counsel for the parties and the trial court of that fact. If the
appellate court does not receive a satisfactory response within ten days, the court
must order the trial court to immediately conduct a hearing to determine whether
the appellant desires to prosecute his appeal, whether the appellant is indigent, or,
if not indigent, whether retained counsel has abandoned the appeal, and to make
appropriate findings and recommendations.

             (3) Hearing. In accordance with (2), the trial court must conduct any
necessary hearings, make appropriate findings and recommendations, and have a
record of the proceedings prepared, which recordCincluding any order and
findingsCmust be sent to the appellate court.

             (4) Appellate Court Action. Based on the trial court=s record, the
appellate court may act appropriately to ensure that the appellant=s rights are
protected, including initiating contempt proceedings against appellant=s counsel. If
the trial court has found that the appellant no longer desires to prosecute the
appeal, or that the appellant is not indigent but has not made the necessary
arrangements for filing a brief, the appellate court may consider the appeal without
briefs, as justice may require.