in Re Albert Vincent Thomas ( 2016 )


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  • Petition for Writ of Mandamus Denied and Memorandum Opinion filed
    August 25, 2016.
    In The
    Fourteenth Court of Appeals
    NO. 14-16-00642-CR
    IN RE ALBERT VINCENT THOMAS, Relator
    ORIGINAL PROCEEDING
    WRIT OF MANDAMUS
    263rd District Court
    Harris County, Texas
    Trial Court Cause No. 1145134
    MEMORANDUM OPINION
    On August 15, 2016, relator Albert Vincent Thomas filed a petition for writ
    of mandamus in this court. See Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. § 22.221 (West 2004); see
    also Tex. R. App. P. 52. In the petition, relator asks this court to compel the
    Honorable Jim Wallace, presiding judge of the 263rd District Court of Harris
    County, to compel the Harris County District Clerk to forward to relator a copy of
    the record related to his conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a child.
    Relator complains that, although the trial court ordered that he was indigent
    for the for the purpose of employing counsel and paying for the record for the
    appeal of his conviction, he did not receive a copy of the record pursuant to the
    December 16, 2008 order, even though relator had requested a copy. To be
    entitled to mandamus relief, the relator must show that (1) he has no adequate
    remedy at law; and (2) what he seeks is a ministerial act. In re State ex rel. Weeks,
    
    391 S.W.3d 117
    , 122 (Tex. Crim. App. 2013) (orig. proceeding). With respect to
    ministerial duty, the relator is required to show that (1) the trial court must have a
    legal duty to perform a nondiscretionary act; (2) the relator must have a made a
    demand for performance; and (3) the trial court must have refused the request. In
    re Mendoza, 
    467 S.W.3d 76
    , 78 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2015, orig.
    proceeding).
    Relator has not shown that the trial court has legal duty to compel the district
    clerk to provide relator with a free copy of the trial record. Indigent defendants
    have a right to appointed counsel and a free trial record on direct appeal, but do not
    have those rights for discretionary review of a decision of the court of appeals or
    for collateral attacks on their convictions. In re Bonilla, 
    424 S.W.3d 528
    , 532
    (Tex. Crim. App. 2014) (orig. proceeding).           This court affirmed relator’s
    conviction on February 18, 2010, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused
    relator’s pro se petition for discretionary review on July 24, 2013, after permitting
    relator to file an out-of-time petition for discretionary review. See Thomas v. State,
    2
    
    309 S.W.3d 576
    (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2010, pet. ref’d). Moreover,
    relator does not aver in his petition that he either asked the trial court to direct the
    district clerk to provide him with a copy of the record or that the trial court refused
    such request.
    Relator has not established that he is entitled to mandamus relief.
    Accordingly, we deny relator’s petition for writ of mandamus.
    PER CURIAM
    Panel consists of Justices Busby, Donovan, and Brown.
    Do Not Publish — Tex. R. App. P. 47.2(b).
    3
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 14-16-00642-CR

Filed Date: 8/25/2016

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 8/29/2016