Court Opinion

ID: 5124066
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2021-11-08 08:21:20.849229+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:22:38.016553
License: Public Domain

Abatement Order filed November 2, 2021

                                       In The

                     Fourteenth Court of Appeals
                                    ____________

                               NO. 14-21-00166-CR
                               NO. 14-21-00167-CR
                                 ____________

                DEXTER TRAVON CARPENTER, Appellant

                                          V.

                       THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

                    On Appeal from the 177th District Court
                             Harris County, Texas
                   Trial Court Cause Nos. 1592887 & 1592908

                     CORRECTED ABATEMENT ORDER

      In each of these cases, appellant is represented by retained counsel, Arthur
C. Washington. On September 20, 2021, time to file appellant’s brief expired
without a brief and no motion for extension of time was filed. See Tex. R. App. P.
38.6(a). Counsel and the trial court were notified on September 22, 2021, that no
brief had been received. No response from appellant has been received.

      Pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(b) (a copy of which is attached) the judge
of the 177th District Court shall (1) immediately conduct a hearing, at which
appellant, appellant’s counsel, and state’s counsel shall participate, either in person
or by video teleconference, to determine (a) whether appellant desires to prosecute
his appeal; (b) whether appellant is indigent; (c) if not indigent, whether appellant
has abandoned the appeal or whether appellant has failed to make necessary
arrangements for filing a brief; (d) the reason for the failure to file a brief; (e) if
appellant desires to continue the appeal, a date certain when appellant’s brief will
be filed; and (2) prepare a record, in the form of a reporter’s record, of the hearing.
If appellant is indigent, the judge shall take such measures as may be necessary to
assure effective representation of counsel, which may include the appointment of
new counsel. The judge shall see that a record of the hearing is made, shall make
findings of fact and conclusions of law, and shall order the court reporter to
forward a transcribed record of the hearing, a videotape or compact disc, if any,
containing a recording of the video teleconference, and order the trial clerk to
forward a supplemental clerk’s record containing the findings and conclusions.
Those records shall be filed with the clerk of this court on or before December 2,
2021.

        The appeal is abated, treated as a closed case, and removed from this Court’s
active docket. The appeal will be reinstated on this Court’s active docket when the
trial court’s findings and recommendations are filed in this Court. The Court will
also consider an appropriate motion to reinstate the appeal filed by either party, or
the Court may reinstate the appeal on its own motion. It is the responsibility of any
party seeking reinstatement to request a hearing date from the trial court and to
schedule a hearing in compliance with this Court’s order. If the parties do not
request a hearing, the court coordinator of the trial court shall set a hearing date
and notify the parties of such date.

                                   PER CURIAM

Panel Consists of Justices Jewell, Bourliot and Poissant.
                       RULE 38. REQUISITES OF BRIEFS

Tex. R. App. P. 38.8. Failure of Appellant to File Brief.

      (b) Criminal Cases.

             (1) Effect. An appellant=s failure to timely file a brief does not
authorize either dismissal of the appeal or, except as provided in (4), consideration
of the appeal without briefs.

             (2) Notice. If the appellant=s brief is not timely filed, the appellate
clerk must notify counsel for the parties and the trial court of that fact. If the
appellate court does not receive a satisfactory response within ten days, the court
must order the trial court to immediately conduct a hearing to determine whether
the appellant desires to prosecute his appeal, whether the appellant is indigent, or,
if not indigent, whether retained counsel has abandoned the appeal, and to make
appropriate findings and recommendations.

             (3) Hearing. In accordance with (2), the trial court must conduct any
necessary hearings, make appropriate findings and recommendations, and have a
record of the proceedings prepared, which record–including any order and
findings–must be sent to the appellate court.

             (4) Appellate Court Action. Based on the trial court=s record, the
appellate court may act appropriately to ensure that the appellant=s rights are
protected, including initiating contempt proceedings against appellant=s counsel.
If the trial court has found that the appellant no longer desires to prosecute the
appeal, or that the appellant is not indigent but has not made the necessary
arrangements for filing a brief, the appellate court may consider the appeal without
briefs, as justice may require.