Court Opinion

ID: 4042753
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-09-28 23:10:22.697203+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:27:04.253528
License: Public Domain

ACCEPTED
                                                                            03-14-00495-CR
                                                                                   3785264
                                                                  THIRD COURT OF APPEALS
                                                                             AUSTIN, TEXAS
                                                                       1/15/2015 2:54:54 PM
                                                                          JEFFREY D. KYLE
                                                                                     CLERK
                        NO. 03-14-00495-CR

                             IN THE                        FILED IN
                                                    3rd COURT OF APPEALS
                                                         AUSTIN, TEXAS
                       COURT OF APPEALS             1/16/2015 10:39:00 AM
                                                        JEFFREY D. KYLE
                   THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT                   Clerk

                        AT AUSTIN, TEXAS
__________________________________________________________________

                 ISAAC BENAVIDEZ. APPELLANT

                                V.

                 THE STATE OF TEXAS, APPELLEE
__________________________________________________________________

                          STATE’S BRIEF
__________________________________________________________________

               Appeal from the 21st Judicial District Court
                         Bastrop County, Texas
                   Honorable Christopher D. Duggan
              Cause Number 15266 Counts One and Three
__________________________________________________________________

                                         Bryan Goertz
                                         Criminal District Attorney

                                         Philip L Hall, Assistant
                                         Criminal District Attorney
                                         Bastrop County, Texas
                                         804 Pecan Street
                                         Bastrop , Texas 78602
                                         State Bar Number 00787626
                                         Phone (512) 581-4016
                                         Fax (512) 581-7133

               ORAL ARGUMENT NOT REQUESTED
                            IDENTITY OF THE PARTIES

Appellant:                                 Isaac Benavidez

Appellant's Attorney at trial:             Justin M. Fohn
                                           State Bar Number 24054404
                                           807 Pecan Street
                                           Bastrop, Texas 78602

Appellant’s Attorney for appeal:           Dal Ruggles
                                           State Bar Number 24041834
                                           1103 Nueces Street
                                           Austin, Texas 78701

State’s Attorney:                          Bryan Goertz
                                           State Bar Number 00784138
                                           Criminal District Attorney
                                           Bastrop County, Texas

                                           Valerie Bullock, Assistant
                                           State Bar Number 50511722

                                           Kristin Burns Metcalf, Assistant
                                           State Bar Number 24056654

                                           Philip L. Hall, Assistant
                                           State Bar Number 00787626

                                           Criminal District Attorney’s Office
                                           Bastrop County, Texas
                                           804 Pecan Street
                                           Bastrop, Texas 78602

Presiding Judge at trial:                  Honorable Christopher D. Duggan
                                           423rd Judicial District Court
                                           Bastrop County, Texas
                                           804 Pecan Street
                                           Bastrop, Texas 78602

                                       i
                                     TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                                                       PAGE

IDENTITY OF THE PARTIES...................................................................... i

TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................... ii

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ........................................................................ iii

STATEMENT OF THE CASE ..................................................................... 1

STATE’S ISSUE ........................................................................................... 3

    The State agrees that no meritorious ground of error exists and that
                           this appeal is frivolous.

NATURE OF APPEAL ................................................................................. 4

STATE’S ISSUE .......................................................................................... 4

PRAYER ........................................................................................................ 5

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE ............................................................. 6

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ...................................................................... 7

                                                       ii
                                         TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

                                                                                                                    PAGE

CASES

Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S. Ct. 1396, 18 L. Ed. 2d 493 (1967) ........... 4

Gainous v. State, 436 S.W.2d 137 (Tex.Crim.App. 1969) ...................................... 4

High v. State, 573 S.W.2d 807 (Tex.Crim.App. 1978)............................................ 4

Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75, 109 S. Ct. 346, 102 L. Ed. 2d 300 (1988) ................... 4

Stafford v. State, 813 S.W.2d 503 (Tex.Crim.App. 1991) ...................................... 5

TEXAS RULES OF APPELLANT PROCEDURE

Rule 9.4 (e) ............................................................................................................... 6

Rule 9.4 (i)(3) ........................................................................................................... 6

                                                                  iii
                               NO. 03-14-00495-CR

                         IN THE COURT OF APPEALS

                         THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT

                        AT AUSTIN, TEXAS
__________________________________________________________________

                      ISAAC BENAVIDEZ, APPELLANT

                                         V.

                 THE STATE OF TEXAS, APPELLEE
__________________________________________________________________

TO THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS:

      The State of Texas respectfully submits this State’s Brief in support of the

appellant’s convictions for the offense of Injury to a Child in Bastrop County, Texas.

                          STATEMENT OF THE CASE

      On June 4, 2013, a Bastrop County grand jury indicted the appellant for the

offenses of Injury to a Child committed on or about January 1, 2013 in Cause

Number 15266 Counts One, Two and Three in the 21st Judicial District Court. (CR

1, page 4 – 5) On January 28, 2014, the state and the appellant came to an

agreement in this cause. (CR 2, page 211 – 218 and page 229 - 237) On January

28, 2014, the court accepted the agreement. The court found the appellant guilty in

Count One and sentenced the appellant to ten years in the Texas Department of

Criminal Justice. The court suspended the sentence and placed the appellant on

community supervision for ten years. (CR 2, page 219 – 223) The court dismissed
Count Two. (CR 2, page 229)     The court found the appellant guilty in Count Three

and sentenced the appellant to ten years in the Texas Department of Criminal

Justice. The court suspended the sentence and placed the appellant on community

supervision for ten years. (CR 2, page 238 – 242) On April 8, 2014, the state filed

a motion to adjudicate the guilt of the appellant in Count One and Count Three.

(CR, page 257 – 262) On May 27, the state filed an amended motion to revoke in

each count. On July 28, 2014, in Count One, the court heard the allegations in the

motion to revoke, found five allegations true, revoked the appellant’s community

supervision, and sentenced the appellant to ten years in the Texas Department of

Criminal Justice. (CR 2, page 265 – 267) On July 28, 2014, in Count Three, the

court heard the allegations in the motion to revoke, found four allegations true,

revoked the appellant’s community supervision, and sentenced the appellant to ten

years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. (CR 2, page 274 – 276) The

appellant now appeals.

                                        2
                           STATE’S ISSUE

The State agrees that no meritorious ground of error exists and that this

                          appeal is frivolous.

                                   3
                             NATURE OF APPEAL

      The appellant's appeal is frivolous and the appellant's counsel has filed a brief

which, in the State's opinion, is in accordance with Anders v. California, 386 U.S.
738, 87 S. Ct. 1396, 18 L. Ed. 2d 493 (1967); High v. State, 573 S.W.2d 807

(Tex.Crim.App. 1978); and Gainous v. State, 436 S.W.2d 137 (Tex.Crim.App.

1969).

                                 STATE'S ISSUE

 THE STATE AGREES THAT NO MERITORIOUS GROUND OF ERROR
        EXISTS AND THAT THIS APPEAL IS FRIVOLOUS.

                      ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES

      The State agrees with appellant’s attorney that the record discloses no

meritorious or arguable error upon which this Court may grant relief.

      The appellant's attorney has properly examined the record and complied with

the requirements outlined by Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75, 80, 109 S. Ct. 346, 350,

102 L. Ed. 2d 300, ___ (1988) and High v. State, 573 S.W.2d at 813. The brief filed

by the appellant’s counsel details the proceedings contained in the record. The

brief submitted is evidence of a conscientious examination of the record by the

appellant’s counsel as required by the United States Supreme Court. Anders, 386
U.S. at 744, 87 S.Ct. at 1400, 18 L.Ed.2d at ___; Penson, 488 U.S. at 80, 109 S.Ct. at

350, 102 L.Ed.2d at ___. The State agrees with the brief’s analysis of the facts and

proceedings, and the conclusion that this appeal is frivolous.
                                          4
      In the event the appellant files a pro se brief, the State requests a reasonable

time to respond by way of supplemental brief. Absent a pro se brief by the

appellant, or upon the expiration of such time as the court may allow the appellant to

file, the State respectfully requests this Honorable Court to determine that this

appeal is wholly frivolous and to affirm the appellant's convictions.

      If, however, this Court determines that issues need to be briefed more

thoroughly, the State asks the Court to appoint new counsel and to allow the State

the opportunity to respond to any further briefing. Stafford v. State, 813 S.W.2d
503, 511 (Tex.Crim.App. 1991).

                                      PRAYER

      WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, the State prays this court to

find that this appeal is frivolous and affirm the appellant's convictions.

                                               Respectfully Submitted,

                                               /s/ Philip L. Hall
                                               Philip L. Hall
                                               Criminal District Attorney’s Office
                                               Bastrop County Texas
                                               804 Pecan Street
                                               Bastrop, Texas 78602
                                               State Bar Number 00787626
                                               Phone: 512 581-7125
                                               Fax: 512 581-7133
                                               phil.hall@co.bastrop.tx.us
                                           5
                       CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

      Pursuant to Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.4(i)(3), the State certifies that

the length of this brief is 882 words. Pursuant to Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure

9.4(e), the State certifies that a conventional typeface 14-point was used to generate

this brief.

                                              /s/ Philip L. Hall
                                              Philip L. Hall

                                          6
                         CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

      I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of the State’s Reply to the

Appellant’s Anders Brief was mailed to Dal Ruggles, 1103 Nueces Street, Austin,

Texas 78701, counsel for the appellant, by certified mail on January 15, 2015.

                                             /s/ Philip L. Hall
                                             Philip L. Hall

                                         7