Court Opinion

ID: 9914830
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-03 15:09:09.743033+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:14:40.727761
License: Public Domain

In the
              Court of Appeals
Sixth Appellate District of Texas at Texarkana

                   No. 06-23-00138-CR

        SHAUNTA DANIELLE BELL, Appellant

                            V.

           THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

          On Appeal from the 8th District Court
               Hopkins County, Texas
               Trial Court No. 2027979

      Before Stevens, C.J., van Cleef and Rambin, JJ.
        Memorandum Opinion by Justice Rambin
                               MEMORANDUM OPINION

       Shaunta Danielle Bell pled guilty to possession with intent to deliver four grams or more

but less than 200 grams of methamphetamine, a first-degree felony. See TEX. HEALTH & SAFETY

CODE ANN. § 481.112(d) (Supp.). After she pled true to the State’s enhancement allegation, the

trial court placed Bell on deferred adjudication community supervision for a period of ten years

pursuant to the terms of a plea-bargain agreement with the State. The terms and conditions of

Bell’s deferred adjudication community supervision required her to report to her community

supervision officer (CSO) in person once a month, “perform 180.00 hours of community service

work at the rate of 16.00 hours per month,” and successfully complete the “Morgans Mercy

Mansion Treatment Program,” among other things. Alleging that Bell failed to comply with

those terms and conditions, the State moved to revoke her community supervision and to proceed

to an adjudication of her guilt. Bell pled true to all of the State’s allegations in its motion to

adjudicate guilt and, after an evidentiary hearing, the trial court granted the State’s motion. The

trial court sentenced Bell to twenty-five years’ imprisonment, and she appeals.

       Bell’s attorney filed a brief stating that he reviewed the record and found no genuinely

arguable issues that could be raised on appeal. The brief sets out the procedural history of the

case and summarizes the evidence elicited during the trial court proceedings. Since counsel

provided a professional evaluation of the record demonstrating why there are no arguable

grounds to be advanced, that evaluation meets the requirements of Anders v. California. Anders

v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 743–44 (1967); In re Schulman, 252 S.W.3d 403, 406 (Tex. Crim.

App. 2008) (orig. proceeding); Stafford v. State, 813 S.W.2d 503, 509–10 (Tex. Crim. App.

                                                2
1991); High v. State, 573 S.W.2d 807, 812–13 (Tex. Crim. App. [Panel Op.] 1978). Counsel

also filed a motion with this Court seeking to withdraw as counsel in this appeal.

       On September 6, 2023, counsel mailed to Bell copies of the brief, the motion to

withdraw, and a motion for pro se access to the appellate record lacking only Bell’s signature.

Bell was informed of her rights to review the record and file a pro se response. On September 6,

this Court informed Bell that any motion for pro se access to the appellate record was due on or

before September 22, and on October 2, we notified Bell that any pro se response was due on or

before November 1. On November 15, we further informed Bell that the case would be set for

submission on the briefs on December 6. We received neither a pro se response from Bell nor a

motion requesting an extension of time in which to file such a response.

       We have reviewed the entire appellate record and have independently determined that no

reversible error exists. See Bledsoe v. State, 178 S.W.3d 824, 826–27 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005).

However, nonreversible error is found in the trial court’s listing of the statute of offense.

       “[A] person commits an offense if the person knowingly . . . possesses with intent to

deliver a controlled substance listed in Penalty Group 1.” TEX. HEALTH & SAFETY CODE ANN.

§ 481.112(a). Bell pled guilty to this offense, which was a first-degree felony, because the

amount possessed by her was four grams or more but less than 200 grams of methamphetamine.

See TEX. HEALTH & SAFETY CODE ANN. § 481.112(d). However, instead of listing the statute

reflecting the offense of possession with intent to deliver, the trial court referenced Section

481.115(d), which is the simple possession statute. Compare TEX. HEALTH & SAFETY CODE

ANN. § 481.112(d) with TEX. HEALTH & SAFETY CODE ANN. § 481.115(d) (Supp.).

                                                  3
         “[A]ppellate courts are authorized to reform judgments and affirm as modified in Anders

cases involving non-reversible error.” Mitchell v. State, 653 S.W.3d 295, 297 (Tex. App.—

Texarkana 2022, no pet.) (comprehensively discussing appellate cases that have modified

judgments in Anders cases). Because the statute of offense recited in the trial court’s judgment is

incorrect, we must modify the judgment to reflect the correct statute of offense.

         We modify the trial court’s judgment by removing Section 481.115(d) as the statute of

offense and replacing it with Section 481.112(d). As modified, we affirm the trial court’s

judgment.1

                                                        Jeff Rambin
                                                        Justice

Date Submitted:             December 6, 2023
Date Decided:               January 3, 2024

Do Not Publish

1
 Since we agree that this case presents no reversible error, we also, in accordance with Anders, grant counsel’s
request to withdraw from further representation of appellant in this case. See Anders, 386 U.S. at 744. No substitute
counsel will be appointed. Should appellant desire to seek further review of this case by the Texas Court of
Criminal Appeals, she must either retain an attorney to file a petition for discretionary review or file a pro se petition
for discretionary review. Any petition for discretionary review (1) must be filed within thirty days from either the
date of this opinion or the date on which the last timely motion for rehearing was overruled by this Court, see TEX.
R. APP. P. 68.2, (2) must be filed with the clerk of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, see TEX. R. APP. P. 68.3,
and (3) should comply with the requirements of Rule 68.4 of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, see TEX. R.
APP. P. 68.4.
                                                            4