Court Opinion

ID: 9895159
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-05 07:10:42.012831+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:11:33.109486
License: Public Domain

Affirmed and Memorandum Opinion filed November 2, 2023

                                       In The

                     Fourteenth Court of Appeals

                               NO. 14-22-00901-CR

            ESTANISLADO ALVAREZ-HERNANDEZ, Appellant

                                          V.

                       THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

                    On Appeal from the 338th District Court
                             Harris County, Texas
                        Trial Court Cause No. 1616060

                           MEMORANDUM OPINION

      Estanislado Alvarez-Hernandez appeals his conviction of super-aggravated
sexual assault of a child. His sole issue on appeal alleges that trial counsel violated
McCoy v. Louisiana, which prohibits defense counsel from conceding guilt over a
defendant’s objection to maintain his innocence. 138 S. Ct. 1500, 1509 (2018). The
Turner court addressed, inter alia, whether the defendant had preserved error on his
McCoy complaint. Turner v. State, 570 S.W.3d 250, 275–76 (Tex. Crim. App. 2018).
Although a defendant is not expected to object with the precision of an attorney, the
court held that a defendant cannot remain silent before and during trial and raise a
McCoy complaint for the first time after trial. Id. at 276. But see Harrison v. State,
595 S.W.3d 879, 885 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2020, pet. ref’d)
(concluding that the defendant preserved error on her McCoy complaint by filing a
motion for new trial at the first opportunity after learning about the trial court’s
statement that deferred adjudication would not be considered). To preserve a McCoy
complaint, a defendant must present “express statements of [his] will to maintain
innocence.” Turner, 570 S.W.3d at 276.

      Appellant acknowledges that he did not object to his trial counsel’s statements
at trial. Likewise, the record does not indicate that appellant otherwise presented
“express statements of [his] will to maintain innocence.” Id. Thus, appellant forfeited
any error by failing to timely object. Id.; see also Tex. R. App. P. 33.1. Accordingly,
appellant waived his sole issue on appeal. We overrule his sole issue and affirm the
trial court’s judgment.

                                              /s/ Frances Bourliot
                                              Justice

Panel consists of Chief Justice Christopher and Justices Bourliot and Hassan.
Do Not Publish — TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).

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