Milton Whiting v. State ( 2013 )

Abatement Order filed December 19, 2013. In The Fourteenth Court of Appeals ____________ NO. 14-13-00256-CR ____________ MILTON WHITING, Appellant V. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee On Appeal from the 174th District Court Harris County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. 1365102 ABATEMENT ORDER Appellant is represented by appointed counsel, Andrew G. McGee. Appellant’s brief was originally due July 1, 2013. Counsel has been granted five extensions of time to file the brief until November 4, 2013. On October 10, 2013, this court issued an order granting counsel a final extension of time and notified counsel that failure to file a brief would result in an order for a hearing in the trial court. Counsel did not file the brief as ordered, but instead he requested and was granted a further extension of time until November 22, 2013, to file appellant’s brief. The brief was not filed. Counsel and the trial court were notified on December 2, 2013, that no brief had been received. Appellant’s counsel filed no response.. Pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(b) (a copy of which is attached) the judge of the 174th District Court shall (1) immediately conduct a hearing, at which appellant, appellant’s counsel, and state’s counsel shall participate, either in person or by video teleconference, to determine (a) whether appellant desires to prosecute his appeal; (b) whether appellant is indigent; (c) if not indigent, whether appellant has abandoned the appeal or whether appellant has failed to make necessary arrangements for filing a brief; (d) the reason for the failure to file a brief; (e) if appellant desires to continue the appeal, a date certain when appellant’s brief will be filed; and (2) prepare a record, in the form of a reporter’s record, of the hearing. If appellant is indigent, the judge shall take such measures as may be necessary to assure effective representation of counsel, which may include the appointment of new counsel. The judge shall see that a record of the hearing is made, shall make findings of fact and conclusions of law, and shall order the trial clerk to forward a transcribed record of the hearing, a videotape or compact disc, if any, containing a recording of the video teleconference, and a supplemental clerk’s record containing the findings and conclusions. Those records shall be filed with the clerk of this court on or before January 17, 2014. The appeal is abated, treated as a closed case, and removed from this Court’s active docket. The appeal will be reinstated on this Court’s active docket when the trial court’s findings and recommendations are filed in this Court. The Court will also consider an appropriate motion to reinstate the appeal filed by either party, or the Court may reinstate the appeal on its own motion. It is the responsibility of any party seeking reinstatement to request a hearing date from the trial court and to 2 schedule a hearing in compliance with this Court’s order. If the parties do not request a hearing, the court coordinator of the trial court shall set a hearing date and notify the parties of such date. PER CURIAM 3 RULE 38. REQUISITES OF BRIEFS Tex. R. App. P. 38.8. Failure of Appellant to File Brief. (b) Criminal Cases. (1) Effect. An appellant=s failure to timely file a brief does not authorize either dismissal of the appeal or, except as provided in (4), consideration of the appeal without briefs. (2) Notice. If the appellant=s brief is not timely filed, the appellate clerk must notify counsel for the parties and the trial court of that fact. If the appellate court does not receive a satisfactory response within ten days, the court must order the trial court to immediately conduct a hearing to determine whether the appellant desires to prosecute his appeal, whether the appellant is indigent, or, if not indigent, whether retained counsel has abandoned the appeal, and to make appropriate findings and recommendations. (3) Hearing. In accordance with (2), the trial court must conduct any necessary hearings, make appropriate findings and recommendations, and have a record of the proceedings prepared, which recordCincluding any order and findingsCmust be sent to the appellate court. (4) Appellate Court Action. Based on the trial court=s record, the appellate court may act appropriately to ensure that the appellant=s rights are protected, including initiating contempt proceedings against appellant=s counsel. If the trial court has found that the appellant no longer desires to prosecute the appeal, or that the appellant is not indigent but has not made the necessary arrangements for filing a brief, the appellate court may consider the appeal without briefs, as justice may require. 4