Court Opinion

ID: 4382838
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2019-04-01 08:44:24.159715+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:50:02.020326
License: Public Domain

NO. 12-18-00073-CR

                              IN THE COURT OF APPEALS

                 TWELFTH COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT

                                          TYLER, TEXAS

 FERNANDO VILLEGAS,                                     §       APPEAL FROM THE 114TH
 APPELLANT

 V.                                                     §       JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT

 THE STATE OF TEXAS,
 APPELLEE                                               §       SMITH COUNTY, TEXAS

                                      MEMORANDUM OPINION
                                          PER CURIAM
       Fernando Villegas appeals his conviction for burglary of a habitation. Appellant’s counsel
filed a brief in compliance with Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S. Ct. 1396, 18 L. Ed. 2d
493 (1967), and Gainous v. State, 436 S.W.2d 137 (Tex. Crim. App. 1969). We affirm.

                                               BACKGROUND
       Appellant was indicted for burglary of a habitation.1 The punishment range was enhanced
to that of a first-degree felony due to a previous final juvenile adjudication for a felony level
offense resulting in placement at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.2 Appellant entered a plea
of “guilty” in exchange for a negotiated agreement as to punishment. In accordance with the plea
agreement, the trial court deferred a finding of guilt and placed Appellant on deferred adjudication
community supervision for ten years. On October 30, 2017, the State filed a motion to adjudicate
Appellant’s guilt, alleging that he violated the terms of his community supervision in that he
possessed and consumed cocaine and methamphetamine, failed to report to his community

       1
           See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 30.02(a) (West Supp. 2018).
       2
           See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. §12.42(b), (f) (West Supp. 2018).
supervision officer, and failed to pay for urinalysis testing and supervision fees. After a hearing,
the trial court denied the motion, but amended the terms of Appellant’s community supervision,
requiring him to complete an inpatient drug treatment program. On February 23, 2018, the State
filed a second motion to adjudicate Appellant’s guilt, alleging that he was discharged from the
program because he failed to participate in the drug or alcohol abuse continuum of care treatment
plan. Appellant pleaded “not true” to the allegation. After a hearing, the trial court adjudicated
Appellant’s guilt, found him guilty of the underlying offense, revoked his community supervision,
and sentenced him to fifty years of imprisonment. This appeal followed.

                             ANALYSIS PURSUANT TO ANDERS V. CALIFORNIA
         Appellant’s appellate counsel filed a brief in compliance with Anders v. California and
Gainous v. State. Appellant’s counsel relates that he reviewed the record and found no reversible
error or jurisdictional defect. In compliance with High v. State, 573 S.W.2d 807 (Tex. Crim. App.
[Panel Op.] 1978), counsel’s brief contains a professional evaluation of the record demonstrating
why there are no arguable grounds to be advanced.3
         We considered counsel’s brief and conducted our own independent review of the
record. Id. at 811. We found no reversible error.

                                                   CONCLUSION
         As required by Anders and Stafford v. State, 813 S.W.2d 503 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991),
Appellant’s counsel moved for leave to withdraw. See also In re Schulman, 252 S.W.3d 403, 407
(Tex. Crim. App. 2008) (orig. proceeding). We carried the motion for consideration with the
merits. Having done so, we agree with counsel that the appeal is wholly frivolous. Accordingly,
we grant Appellant’s counsel’s motion for leave to withdraw and affirm the trial court’s judgment.
Appellant’s counsel has a duty to, within five days of the date of this opinion, send a copy of the
opinion and judgment to Appellant and advise him of his right to file a petition for discretionary

         3
           In compliance with Kelly v. State, Appellant’s counsel provided Appellant with a copy of the brief, notified
Appellant of his motion to withdraw as counsel, informed Appellant of his right to file a pro se response, and took
concrete measures to facilitate Appellant’s review of the appellate record. 436 S.W.3d 313, 319 (Tex. Crim. App.
2014). Appellant was given time to file his own brief. The time for filing such a brief has expired and no pro se brief
has been filed.

                                                          2
review. See TEX. R. APP. P. 48.4; In re Schulman, 252 S.W.3d at 411 n.35. Should Appellant
wish to seek review of this case by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, he must either retain an
attorney to file a petition for discretionary review on his behalf or he must file a pro se petition for
discretionary review. Any petition for discretionary review must be filed within thirty days from
the date of this court’s judgment or the date the last timely motion for rehearing was overruled by
this court. See TEX. R. APP. P. 68.2(a). Any petition for discretionary review must be filed with
the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. See TEX. R. APP. P. 68.3(a). Any petition for discretionary
review should comply with the requirements of Rule 68.4 of the Texas Rules of Appellate
Procedure. See In re Schulman, 252 S.W.3d at 408 n.22.
Opinion delivered March 29, 2019.
Panel consisted of Worthen, C.J., Hoyle, J., and Neeley, J.

                                             (DO NOT PUBLISH)

                                                          3
                                   COURT OF APPEALS

      TWELFTH COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT OF TEXAS

                                           JUDGMENT

                                           MARCH 29, 2019

                                         NO. 12-18-00073-CR

                                      FERNANDO VILLEGAS,
                                            Appellant
                                               V.
                                      THE STATE OF TEXAS,
                                            Appellee

                                Appeal from the 114th District Court
                         of Smith County, Texas (Tr.Ct.No. 114-1428-14)

                       THIS CAUSE came to be heard on the appellate record and brief filed
herein, and the same being considered, it is the opinion of this court that there was no error in the
judgment.
                       It is therefore ORDERED, ADJUDGED and DECREED that the judgment
of the court below be in all things affirmed, and that this decision be certified to the court below
for observance.
                    By per curiam opinion.
                    Panel consisted of Worthen, C.J., Hoyle, J. and Neeley, J.