Case Information
*0 FILED IN 3rd COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 1/16/2015 10:39:00 AM JEFFREY D. KYLE Clerk NO. 03-14-00495-CR THIRD COURT OF APPEALS 1/15/2015 2:54:54 PM JEFFREY D. KYLE 03-14-00495-CR AUSTIN, TEXAS *1 ACCEPTED [3785264] CLERK IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT AT AUSTIN, TEXAS __________________________________________________________________
ISAAC BENAVIDEZ. APPELLANT
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, APPELLEE
__________________________________________________________________
STATE’S BRIEF __________________________________________________________________
Appeal from the 21 st 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
423 rd 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 *4 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 *5 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 21 st 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.
STATE’S ISSUE The State agrees that no meritorious ground of error exists and that this
appeal is frivolous. *8 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.
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 *10 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 *11 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