Court Opinion

ID: 9365430
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-24 11:09:11.351637+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:15:45.921595
License: Public Domain

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                            Fourth Court of Appeals
                                   San Antonio, Texas
                                         January 23, 2023

                                       No. 04-22-00641-CV

                                 IN THE MATTER OF C.J.Z.

                  From the 386th Judicial District Court, Bexar County, Texas
                               Trial Court No. 2022JUV00491
                     Honorable Jacqueline Herr-Valdez, Judge Presiding

                                           ORDER
        Appellant’s brief in this juvenile appeal was originally due by November 18, 2022 and
was not filed. We notified appellant’s appointed counsel, Patrick Montgomery, of the deficiency
on November 30, 2022. See TEX. R. APP. P. 38.8(b)(2). In our notice, we cautioned counsel if we
did not receive an adequate response by December 10, 2022, we would abate this appeal to the
trial court for an abandonment hearing. See id. Counsel did not file a response. Thereafter, on
January 3, 2023, we ordered appellant’s counsel to file the brief by January 13, 2023. Counsel
has not filed either a brief or a motion for extension of time.
         Therefore, pursuant to Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 38.8(b)(2), we abate this case
to the trial court and order the trial court to conduct a hearing to answer the following questions:
               1. Does appellant desire to prosecute his appeal?

               2. Is appellant indigent?

                   a. If appellant is indigent, the trial court shall take such measures as may be
                      necessary to assure the effective assistance of counsel, which may include
                      the appointment of new counsel.

                   b. If the trial court finds that appellant is not indigent, the trial court should
                      determine whether appellant has made the necessary arrangements for
                      filing a brief.

               3. Has appointed or retained counsel abandoned the appeal? Because initiating
                  contempt proceedings against appellant’s counsel may be necessary, the trial
                  court should address this issue even if new counsel is retained or substituted
                  before the date of the hearing. See TEX. R. APP. P. 38.8 (b)(4).

        The trial court may, in its discretion, receive evidence on the first two questions by sworn
affidavit from appellant. The trial court shall, however, order appellant’s counsel to be present at
the hearing.
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        We order the trial court to file its written findings of fact and conclusions of law with the
trial court clerk no later than February 22, 2023. We order the trial court clerk to file a
supplemental clerk’s record in this court no later than March 6, 2023. We further order the
court reporter to file in this court a supplemental reporter’s record of the hearing, along with
copies of any documentary evidence admitted, no later than twenty days after the date of the
hearing.

                                                      _________________________________
                                                      Luz Elena D. Chapa, Justice

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said
court on this 23rd day of January, 2023.

                                                      ___________________________________
                                                      MICHAEL A. CRUZ, Clerk of Court