Court Opinion

ID: 4300259
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2018-08-02 11:23:01.012349+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:02:53.461450
License: Public Domain

Order entered July 31, 2018

                                            In The
                                 Court of Appeals
                          Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
                                     No. 05-17-00923-CR

                                DEVON D. ALLEN, Appellant

                                               V.

                             THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

                      On Appeal from the 291st Judicial District Court
                                   Dallas County, Texas
                           Trial Court Cause No. F16-00628-U

                                           ORDER
       Appellant’s brief was due June 7, 2018. When it was not filed, we notified appellant by

postcard dated June 11, 2018, and instructed him to file his brief and a motion to extend time to

file the brief by June 21, 2018. To date, no brief or motion has been filed, and we have had no

communication from appellant.

       Therefore, we ORDER 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 this appeal or whether

appellant 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.

         We DIRECT the Clerk to send a copy of this order to the Honorable Stephanie Mitchell,

Presiding Judge, 291st Judicial District Court; to appointed counsel Valencia Bush; and to the

Dallas County District Attorney.

         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/    CRAIG STODDART
                                                          JUSTICE