Court Opinion

ID: 9904883
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-28 13:09:25.009705+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:21:41.071757
License: Public Domain

Fourth Court of Appeals
                                     San Antonio, Texas
                                 MEMORANDUM OPINION
                                        No. 04-23-00962-CR

                                       Melvin Leon OWENS,
                                             Appellant

                                                  v.

                                        The STATE of Texas,
                                              Appellee

                     From the 187th Judicial District Court, Bexar County, Texas
                                   Trial Court No. 2019CR9385
                           Honorable Stephanie R. Boyd, Judge Presiding

PER CURIAM

Sitting:          Patricia O. Alvarez, Justice
                  Luz Elena D. Chapa, Justice
                  Lori I. Valenzuela, Justice

Delivered and Filed: November 22, 2023

DISMISSED FOR LACK OF JURISDICTION

           On October 16, 2023, appellant Melvin Leon Owens filed a notice of appeal attempting to

appeal the trial court’s order dismissing his underlying criminal case. Owens’s notice states the

dismissal was part of a plea bargain in which he agreed to a lifetime protective order in exchange

for the State seeking to dismiss his criminal case. However, a plea bargain is not in the record filed

in this court. Additionally, Owens’s notice affirms that the punishment assessed by the trial court

did not exceed the punishment recommended by the prosecutor and agreed to by Owens.
                                                                                     04-23-00962-CR

       “[I]n Texas, appeals by either the State or the defendant in a criminal case are permitted

only when they are specifically authorized by statute.” State ex rel. Lykos v. Fine, 330 S.W.3d 904,

915 (Tex. Crim. App. 2011). Under Texas law, a criminal defendant is permitted to appeal only

judgments of conviction and other designated appealable orders. TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. art.

44.02; TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(a)(2). A defendant may not appeal a trial court’s order dismissing the

charge filed against him. See Bohannan v. State, 352 S.W.3d 47, 48 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2011,

pet. ref’d) (dismissing for lack of jurisdiction a defendant’s appeal from an order dismissing

criminal charges against him); Petty v. State, 800 S.W.2d 582, 583-84 (Tex. App.—Tyler 1990,

no pet.) (same).

       We ordered Owens to show cause why this appeal should not be dismissed for lack of

jurisdiction. Owens’s court-appointed counsel filed a response agreeing that this court has no

jurisdiction over Owens’s appeal. Accordingly, this appeal is dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

                                                  PER CURIAM

DO NOT PUBLISH

                                                -2-