Court Opinion

ID: 4258706
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2018-03-28 07:02:21.222891+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:51:06.995102
License: Public Domain

Order entered February 8, 2018

                                              In The
                                  Court of Appeals
                           Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
                                       No. 05-17-00786-CR

                           STEVEN WAYNE SIMMONS, Appellant

                                                 V.

                              THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

                      On Appeal from the 422nd Judicial District Court
                                 Kaufman County, Texas
                          Trial Court Cause No. 16-90142-422-F

                                             ORDER
       Appellant’s brief was initially due November 15, 2017. Appellant filed two motions for

extension of time which the Court granted, making his brief due January 16, 2018. In our

December 19th order, we cautioned appellant that the failure to file a brief might result in the

appeal being abated for a hearing. See TEX. R. APP. P. 38.8(b)(2). To date, no brief has been

filed and we have had no further communication from appellant.

       Therefore, the Court ORDERS the trial court to conduct a hearing to determine why

appellant’s brief has not been filed. In this regard, the trial court shall make appropriate findings

and recommendations and determine whether appellant desires to prosecute the appeal, whether

appellant is indigent, or if not indigent, whether retained counsel has abandoned the appeal. See

TEX. R. APP. P. 38.8(b). If the trial court cannot obtain appellant’s presence at the hearing, the
trial court shall conduct the hearing in appellant’s absence. See Meza v. State, 742 S.W.2d 708

(Tex. App.–Corpus Christi 1987, no pet.) (per curiam). If appellant is indigent, the trial court is

ORDERED to take such measures as may be necessary to assure effective representation, which

may include appointment of new counsel.

         We ORDER the trial court to transmit a record of the proceedings, which shall include

written findings and recommendations, to this Court within THIRTY DAYS of the date of this

order.

         This appeal is ABATED to allow the trial court to comply with the above order. The

appeal shall be reinstated thirty days from the date of this order or when the findings are

received, whichever is earlier.

                                                     /s/    LANA MYERS
                                                            JUSTICE