Court Opinion

ID: 9399484
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-06-04 23:12:34.023383+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:20.430191
License: Public Domain

IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS
                        OF TEXAS

                                    NO. WR-93,904-01

                      EX PARTE JEREMY WARREN, Applicant

         ON APPLICATION FOR A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS
  CAUSE NO. W20-00088-K(A) IN THE CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT NO. 4
                         DALLAS COUNTY

       SLAUGHTER, J., filed a concurring opinion.

                                CONCURRING OPINION
       While I join in the Court’s decision to grant Applicant postconviction habeas relief

in the form of an out-of-time appeal, I feel compelled to write separately to yet again

emphasize that it is trial counsel’s duty (not appellate counsel’s) to file a notice of appeal

when his client expresses a desire to appeal. This issue underlies far too many ineffective-

assistance-of-counsel cases before us and is a troubling sign that many trial attorneys are

either unaware of, or are neglecting, their responsibilities in this regard.
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         In August 2021, a jury found Applicant guilty of murder 1 and he received a sentence

of 60 years’ imprisonment. Following the conviction, the court certified Applicant’s right

to appeal. However, no notice of appeal was ever filed.

         In his writ application, Applicant alleges that, shortly after sentencing, he informed

trial counsel of his desire to appeal the conviction. Applicant alleges that trial counsel

promised that a notice of appeal would be filed and showed Applicant a document that said

“right to appeal.” Applicant asked if this was for his appeal, and trial counsel affirmed that

it was. On August 31, 2021, Applicant’s sister, Jamaya Warren, had the following

exchange with trial counsel over a series of text messages:

         Jamaya:        Good morning [Applicant] said[sic] did you put the appeal in
         Counsel:       I’m not the person who puts the appeal in. A notice will get
                        filed, [and] they will appoint an appeal lawyer . . .
         Jamaya:        Ok so was the notice was[sic] filed because he said he signed
                        some papers for an appeal that you brought
         Counsel:       The papers he signed said he has the right to appeal. They will
                        appoint someone I will call y’all to explain later today
This exchange occurred within the 30-day filing period for the notice of appeal.

Approximately five months later, in January 2022, Applicant’s family contacted habeas

counsel for assistance. Habeas counsel notified them that no notice of appeal had been

filed. This postconviction writ of habeas corpus followed.

         In response to the allegations, trial counsel filed an extremely brief affidavit:

         On speaking with [Applicant], he asked if I did appeals, I informed
         [Applicant] that I did not do appeals. [Applicant] indicated that he was not
         interested in doing an appeal, with that said I felt there was no need for filing
         a notice of appeal. That completed our conversation regarding appeals.

1
    TEX. PENAL CODE § 19.02.
                                                                                               Warren - 3

Not only is trial counsel’s statement contrary to the affidavits of Applicant and his sister,

but it is also at odds with the text-message exchange between trial counsel and Applicant’s

sister. Trial counsel fails to address this issue in his affidavit. The text messages clearly

reflect that counsel was well aware of Applicant’s desire to appeal, that he believed a notice

of appeal would “get filed,” and that he further believed an appellate attorney would be

appointed to represent Applicant on appeal. 2

        While trial counsel does not expressly assert that he did not have a duty to file a

notice of appeal, his behavior and representations to Applicant’s sister suggest that he

believed that appellate counsel would handle the filing of the notice of appeal. However,

we have repeatedly explained that filing the notice of appeal is one of several obligations

that trial counsel must fulfill at the conclusion of his representation. See, e.g., Ex parte

Axel, 757 S.W.2d 369, 374 (Tex. Crim. App. 1988) (“[T]rial counsel, retained or appointed,

has the duty, obligation and responsibility to consult with and fully to advise his client

concerning [the] meaning and effect of the judgment rendered by the court, his right to

appeal from that judgment, the necessity of giving notice of appeal and taking other steps

to pursue an appeal, as well as expressing his professional judgment as to possible grounds

for appeal and their merit, and delineating advantages and disadvantages of appeal.”); see

also Jones v. State, 98 S.W.3d 700, 703 (Tex. Crim. App. 2003) (stating that “[i]f the

defendant decides to appeal, the [trial] attorney must ensure that written notice of appeal is

2
 I briefly emphasize trial counsel’s duty of candor to the Court. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R.
3.03(a)(1) (“A lawyer shall not knowingly[] make a false statement of material fact . . . to a tribunal.”).
                                                                                                  Warren - 4

filed with the trial court”). We have also instructed that, if trial counsel will not be

representing the defendant on appeal, he should submit his motion to withdraw

simultaneously alongside the defendant’s signed pro se notice of appeal. See Jones, 98

S.W.3d at 703 (“A contemporaneous presentation of the pro se notice [of appeal] with a

motion to withdraw by trial counsel serves as actual notice to the trial court of the

defendant’s desire to appeal.”). Yet, in spite of these admonitions, too frequently attorneys

are failing to fulfill these obligations at the conclusion of their representation, resulting in

harm to their clients who are then prevented from pursuing appellate review of their

convictions.

        In addition to depriving Applicant of his right to pursue a direct appeal, counsel’s

error has also now resulted in the habeas court and this Court having to expend resources

to undo the effects of counsel’s mistake. Thus, this case serves as yet another reminder that

trial counsel’s duties at the conclusion of the proceedings—including filing a motion for

new trial, if any; filing a timely notice of appeal; filing a motion to withdraw if counsel

will not be completing the appeal; and advising the client on the next steps to pursue an

appeal if desired—are all critical for ensuring that a defendant’s right to appeal is properly

preserved. 3 Failure to fulfill these obligations is not only unprofessional and unfair to

3
  See American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Standards, Defense Function, Standard 4.9-1(a)-(d),
“Preparing to Appeal” (“If a client is convicted, defense counsel should explain to the client the meaning
and consequences of the court’s judgment and the client’s rights regarding appeal . . . . Defense counsel
should take whatever steps are necessary to protect the client’s rights of appeal, including filing a timely
notice of appeal in the trial court, even if counsel does not expect to continue as counsel on appeal. Defense
counsel should explain to the client that the client has a right to counsel on appeal (appointed, if the client
is indigent), and that there are lawyers who specialize in criminal appeals. Defense counsel should candidly
explore with the client whether trial counsel is the appropriate lawyer to represent the client on appeal, or
                                                                                                Warren - 5

clients, but it also wastes judicial resources by spawning the type of corrective

postconviction litigation before us here. I recognize that we are all human beings who make

mistakes, but this type of error can no longer be considered a simple mistake given the

number of times this Court has addressed this very issue—it is borderline willful ignorance

of an attorney’s necessary obligations to his clients. Because of the sheer volume of writ

applications this Court sees annually in which this or similar problems arise, I feel that it

is my ethical obligation to yet again bring attention to this issue so that attorneys may

continue to be reminded of the effect of failing to stay on top of their responsibilities and

take steps to prevent such problems from arising in the future. 4, 5

        With these comments, I join the Court’s opinion granting Applicant relief.

Filed: May 31, 2023

Publish

whether a lawyer specializing in appellate work should be consulted, added or substituted.”) (emphasis
added).
4
 See Tex. Code Jud. Conduct, Canon 3(D)(2) (“A judge who receives information clearly establishing that
a lawyer has committed a violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct should take
appropriate action.”). My hope is that attorneys will implement practices that spur them to regularly check
on the status of their cases so that they may fulfill their duty to meet important filing deadlines for their
clients.
5
 More generally, I also note here that the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct require lawyers
to keep clients reasonably informed of any case developments and to effectively communicate with their
clients in a manner that permits the clients to make informed decisions related to their cases. Tex.
Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.03(a)–(b). Further, “in representing a client, a lawyer shall not[]
neglect a legal matter entrusted to the lawyer.” Id. R. 1.01(b)(1). Ultimately, trial counsel’s failure to
adequately communicate with clients about the appeals process is unfair to clients and falls short of the
standard for professionalism set forth in the disciplinary rules.