reviewing court determines whether arguable grounds exist by reviewing entire record
How later courts described this case
- reviewing court determines whether arguable grounds exist by reviewing entire record
- reviewing court must determine whether arguable grounds for review exist
Written by the judges who cited it.
The opinion
Opinion issued July 7, 2016
In The
Court of Appeals
For The
First District of Texas
————————————
NO. 01-16-00002-CR
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JOSE A. BRIBIESCA-RAMIREZ, Appellant
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the 177th District Court
Harris County, Texas
Trial Court Case No. 1441994
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Jose A. Bribiesca-Ramirez pleaded guilty without an agreed punishment
recommendation to the felony offense of possession with intent to deliver a
controlled substance with an aggregate weight of 440 grams or more. See TEX.
HEALTH & SAFETY CODE ANN. § 481.112(a) (West 2010). The trial court accepted
the plea and after a presentence investigation hearing, sentenced appellant to 30
years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division. See id. §
481.112(f). Appellant timely filed a notice of appeal.
Appellant’s appointed counsel on appeal has filed a motion to withdraw, along
with a brief stating that the record presents no reversible error and the appeal is
without merit and is frivolous. See Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S. Ct.
1396 (1967).
Counsel’s brief meets the Anders requirements by presenting a professional
evaluation of the record and supplying us with references to the record and legal
authority. 386 U.S. at 744, 87 S. Ct. at 1400; see also High v. State, 573 S.W.2d
807, 812 (Tex. Crim. App. 1978). Counsel indicates that he has thoroughly reviewed
the record and is unable to advance any grounds of error that warrant reversal. See
Anders, 386 U.S. at 744, 87 S. Ct. at 1400; Mitchell v. State, 193 S.W.3d 153, 155
(Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2006, no pet.).
Appellant requested and was provided access to a copy of the record and his
pro se response to counsel’s Anders brief was due on May 9, 2016. Appellant filed
no response and requested no extension of time.
We have independently reviewed the entire record in this appeal, and we
conclude that no reversible error exists in the record, there are no arguable grounds
for review, and the appeal is frivolous. See Anders, 386 U.S. at 744, 87 S. Ct. at
2
1400 (emphasizing that reviewing court—and not counsel—determines, after full
examination of proceedings, whether appeal is wholly frivolous); Garner v. State,
300 S.W.3d 763, 767 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009) (reviewing court must determine
whether arguable grounds for review exist); Bledsoe v. State, 178 S.W.3d 824, 826–
27 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005) (same); Mitchell, 193 S.W.3d at 155 (reviewing court
determines whether arguable grounds exist by reviewing entire record). We note
that an appellant may challenge a holding that there are no arguable grounds for
appeal by filing a petition for discretionary review in the Texas Court of Criminal
Appeals. See Bledsoe, 178 S.W.3d at 827 & n.6.
We affirm the judgment of the trial court and grant counsel’s motion to
withdraw.1 Attorney Joseph W. Varela must immediately send appellant the
required notice and file a copy of the notice with the Clerk of this Court. See TEX.
R. APP. P. 6.5(c). We dismiss any pending motions as moot.
PER CURIAM
Panel consists of Justices Keyes, Brown, and Huddle.
Do not publish. TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).
1
Appointed counsel still has a duty to inform appellant of the result of this appeal
and that he may, on his own, pursue discretionary review in the Texas Court of
Criminal Appeals. See Ex Parte Wilson, 956 S.W.2d 25, 27 (Tex. Crim. App. 1997).
3