David Eugene Weir v. the State of Texas ( 2022 )


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  • Opinion filed January 27, 2022
    In The
    Eleventh Court of Appeals
    ___________
    No. 11-21-00261-CR
    ___________
    DAVID EUGENE WEIR, Appellant
    V.
    THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
    On Appeal from the 350th District Court
    Taylor County, Texas
    Trial Court Cause No. 15051-D
    MEMORANDUM OPINION
    Appellant, David Eugene Weir, entered into a plea agreement with the State.
    Pursuant to that plea agreement, Appellant pleaded guilty to the offense of theft, and
    the State waived two enhancement paragraphs.          See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN.
    §§ 31.03(b)(2), (c)(3)(A) (West 2019).        The trial court assessed Appellant’s
    punishment, in accordance with the terms of the plea agreement, at confinement in
    the county jail for twenty-nine days. Appellant filed a pro se notice of appeal. We
    dismiss the appeal.
    This court notified Appellant and his court-appointed attorney by letter that
    the trial court had certified that this is a plea bargain case in which Appellant has no
    right of appeal. See TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(a)(2), (d); see also TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC.
    ANN. art. 44.02 (West 2018). We requested that Appellant respond and show
    grounds to continue the appeal. We have received a pro se response from Appellant
    as well as a response from Appellant’s court-appointed appellate counsel. Neither
    response provides any grounds upon which this appeal may be continued.
    Rule 25.2(a)(2) provides that, in a plea bargain case in which the punishment
    does not exceed the punishment agreed to in the plea bargain, “a defendant may
    appeal only: (A) those matters that were raised by written motion filed and ruled on
    before trial, (B) after getting the trial court’s permission to appeal, or (C) where the
    specific appeal is expressly authorized by statute.” TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(a)(2).
    Subsections (A), (B), and (C) are not applicable here. We note that Rule 25.2 does
    not permit a plea-bargaining defendant to appeal matters related to the voluntariness
    of the plea bargain—unless the defendant has obtained the trial court’s permission
    to appeal.   See Cooper v. State, 
    45 S.W.3d 77
    , 83 (Tex. Crim. App. 2001);
    Carender v. State, 
    155 S.W.3d 929
    , 931 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2005, no pet.).
    The documents on file in this appeal reflect that Appellant entered into a plea
    bargain, that his punishment was assessed in accordance with the plea bargain, and
    that he waived his right of appeal. The trial court certified that Appellant has no
    right of appeal. Both the plea agreement and the trial court’s certification were
    signed by Appellant, Appellant’s trial counsel, and the judge of the trial court. The
    documents on file in this court support the trial court’s certification. See Dears v.
    State, 
    154 S.W.3d 610
    , 613–14 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005). Accordingly, we must
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    dismiss this appeal without further action. TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(d); Chavez v. State,
    
    183 S.W.3d 675
    , 680 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006).
    This appeal is dismissed.
    PER CURIAM
    January 27, 2022
    Do not publish. See TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).
    Panel consists of: Bailey, C.J.,
    Trotter, J., and Williams, J.
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