Court Opinion

ID: 7806477
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-06 12:11:37.04723+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:13.896338
License: Public Domain

COURT OF APPEALS
REBECA C. MARTINEZ                 FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT                 MICHAEL A. CRUZ,
  CHIEF JUSTICE                      CADENA-REEVES JUSTICE CENTER                   CLERK OF COURT
PATRICIA O. ALVAREZ                     300 DOLOROSA, SUITE 3200
LUZ ELENA D. CHAPA                    SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78205-3037
IRENE RIOS                          WWW.TXCOURTS.GOV/4THCOA.ASPX                       TELEPHONE
BETH WATKINS                                                                          (210) 335-2635
LIZA A. RODRIGUEZ
LORI I. VALENZUELA                                                                    FACSIMILE NO.
  JUSTICES                                                                             (210) 335-2762

                                         September 1, 2022

         Kurtis S. Rudkin                                Honorable Albert D. Pattillo, III
         616 E. Blanco Road                              Kerr County Courthouse
         Suite 202 B                                     700 Main Street
         Boerne, TX 78006                                Kerrville, TX 78028
         * DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL *                        * DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL *

         Lucy Wilke                                      Jan Davis
         Assistant District Attorney, 216th              District Clerk - Gillespie County
         Judicial District                               101 West Main Street, Room 204
         200 Earl Garrett Street, Ste. 201               Fredericksburg, TX 78624-3700
         Kerrville, TX 78028                             * DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL *
         * DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL *

         Dandy Middleton
         P.O. Box 1082
         Boerne, TX 78006
         * DELIVERED VIA E-MAIL *

         RE:     Court of Appeals Number: 04-22-00381-CR
                 Trial Court Case Number:  7790
                 Style: Jose Andres Romero
                        v.
                        The State of Texas

                 Enclosed please find the order which the Honorable Court of Appeals has
         issued in reference to the above styled and numbered cause.

                 If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

                                                             Very truly yours,
                                                             MICHAEL A. CRUZ, Clerk of Court

                                                             _____________________________
                                                             Luz Estrada
                                                             Chief Deputy Clerk, Ext. 3219
                            Fourth Court of Appeals
                                   San Antonio, Texas
                                        September 1, 2022

                                       No. 04-22-00381-CR

                                     Jose Andres ROMERO,
                                            Appellant

                                                 v.

                                      The STATE of Texas,
                                            Appellee

                 From the 216th Judicial District Court, Gillespie County, Texas
                                     Trial Court No. 7790
                       Honorable Albert D. Pattillo, III, Judge Presiding

                                         ORDER
        The trial court signed a judgment of conviction indicating that appellant Jose Andres
Romero had pleaded guilty to the charged offense in the underlying case, and appellant filed a
pro se notice of appeal. The clerk’s record shows the trial court signed a certification stating the
underlying case “is a plea-bargain case, and the defendant has NO right of appeal.” See Tex. R.
App. P. 25.2(a)(2). We must dismiss an appeal “if a certification that shows the defendant has the
right of appeal has not been made part of the record.” Tex. R. App. P. 25.2(d).

        This court has a duty to examine the record to determine whether the trial court’s
certification of defendant’s right to appeal is accurate. See Dears v. State, 154 S.W.3d 610, 614–
15 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005). Generally, this review involves an examination of the clerk’s record
to determine whether the punishment assessed by the trial court exceeds the punishment
recommended by the prosecutor and agreed to by the defendant. See Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann.
art. 44.02; Shankle v. State, 119 S.W.3d 808, 811–12 (Tex. Crim. App. 2003). Here, because the
clerk’s record does not establish that the punishment assessed by the trial court does not exceed
the punishment recommended by the prosecutor and agreed to by the defendant, we ordered the
court reporter to file the reporter’s record of any hearings related to appellant’s guilty plea. The
reporter’s record, which was filed on August 29, 2022, shows that appellant agreed to plead
guilty in exchange for the State’s agreement to: (1) waive two enhancement allegations; and (2)
recommend that appellant’s sentences run concurrently rather than consecutively. The reporter’s
record further shows that the trial court confirmed with appellant and his appointed counsel that
these provisions were part of the plea agreement. Finally, the reporter’s record shows that
appellant stated that he understood that he was waiving his right to appeal as part of the plea
agreement.
        Based on these facts, the reporter’s record appears to support the trial court’s certification
that appellant has no right of appeal. See Tex. R. App. P. 25.2(a)(2); Harper v. State, 567 S.W.3d
450, 454–55 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2019, no pet.) (holding that Rule 25.2 applies to plea
agreements “[w]here a charge bargain effectively caps the maximum punishment”). Accordingly,
appellant is given notice that this appeal will be dismissed pursuant to Rule 25.2(d) of the Texas
Rules of Appellate Procedure unless an amended certification showing that appellant has the
right to appeal is made part of the appellate record by October 3, 2022. See Tex. R. App. P.
25.2(d), 37.1; Daniels v. State, 110 S.W.3d 174 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2003, order), disp. on
merits, No. 04-03-00176-CR, 2003 WL 21508347 (July 2, 2003, pet. ref’d) (not designated for
publication).

        We ORDER all appellate deadlines are suspended until further order of the court. We
further ORDER the clerk of this court to serve copies of this order on the attorneys of record and
the court reporter.

                                                      _________________________________
                                                      Beth Watkins, Justice

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said
court on this 1st day of September, 2022.

                                                      ___________________________________
                                                      MICHAEL A. CRUZ, Clerk of Court