Court Opinion

ID: 4301184
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2018-08-06 07:52:20.244346+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:54:21.582126
License: Public Domain

Order entered August 3, 2018

                                             In The
                                 Court of Appeals
                          Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
                                      No. 05-17-01488-CR

                        DOUGLAS STUART MALCOLM, Appellant

                                                V.

                              THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

                       On Appeal from the County Court at Law No. 4
                                   Collin County, Texas
                           Trial Court Cause No. 004-81103-2017

                                            ORDER
       Appellant’s brief was initially due on April 25, 2018. We granted two motions for

extension of time, making the brief due on June 25, 2018. In the second motion, we cautioned

appellant that the failure to file a brief by June 25 might result in the appeal being abated for a

hearing under rule 38.8(b)(3). 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 David Rippel,

Presiding Judge, County Court at Law No. 4; to counsel Thomas Pappas; and to the Collin

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/    LANA MYERS
                                                          JUSTICE