Ronald Eugene Cockrell v. State ( 2018 )

Opinion issued September 11, 2018
In The
Court of Appeals
For The
First District of Texas
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NO. 01-17-00914-CR
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RONALD EUGENE COCKRELL, Appellant
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the 400th District Court
Fort Bend County, Texas
Trial Court Case No. 15-DCR-069981
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Appellant, Ronal Eugene Cockrell, pleaded guilty without an agreed
recommendation from the State to the offense of aggravated robbery. Following a
sentencing hearing, the trial court sentenced appellant to twelve years’ imprisonment.
This sentence is within the applicable range.1 The trial court certified that this was
not a plea-bargain case, and that appellant had the right of appeal. See TEX. R. APP.
P. 25.2(a)(2). Appellant timely filed a notice of appeal.
Appellant’s appointed counsel on appeal has filed a motion to withdraw, along
with an Anders brief stating that the record presents no reversible error and that,
therefore, the appeal is without merit and is frivolous. See Anders v. California, 386
U.S. 738 (1967). Counsel’s brief meets the Anders requirements by presenting a
professional evaluation of the record and supplying this Court with references to the
record and legal authority. See id. at 744; 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 that he is unable to advance any grounds of error that warrant reversal.
See Anders, 386 U.S. at 744; Mitchell v. State, 193 S.W.3d 153, 155 (Tex. App.—
Houston [1st Dist.] 2006, no pet.).
Appellant’s counsel has certified that he mailed a copy of the motion to
withdraw and the Anders brief to appellant and informed appellant of his right to file
a response and to access the record. See In re Schulman, 252 S.W.3d 403, 408 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2008).
1
See TEX. PENAL CODE § 29.03(b) (offense of aggravated robbery is first-
degree felony); 12.32 (first-degree felony punishable by imprisonment from
5 to 99 years or life).
2
We have independently reviewed the entire record in this appeal, and we
conclude that no reversible error exists in the record, that there are no arguable
grounds for review, and that therefore the appeal is frivolous. See Anders, 386 U.S.
at 744 (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–
28 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005) (reviewing court is not to address merits of each claim
raised in Anders brief or pro se response after determining there are no arguable
grounds for review); Mitchell, 193 S.W.3d at 155. 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.
Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court and grant counsel’s
motion to withdraw.2 See TEX. R. APP. P. 43.2(a). Attorney Calvin D. Parks must
immediately send the required notice and file a copy of that notice with the Clerk of
2
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 Bledsoe v. State, 178 S.W.3d 824, 826–27
(Tex. Crim. App. 2005).
3
this Court. See TEX. R. APP. P. 6.5(c). We dismiss any other pending motions as
moot.
PER CURIAM
Panel consists of Chief Justice Radack and Justices Brown and Caughey.
Do not publish. TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).
4