Michael White v. State ( 2018 )


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  •               In the
    Court of Appeals
    Second Appellate District of Texas
    at Fort Worth
    ___________________________
    No. 02-17-00305-CR
    No. 02-17-00306-CR
    No. 02-17-00307-CR
    ___________________________
    MICHAEL WHITE, Appellant
    V.
    THE STATE OF TEXAS
    On Appeal from the 213th District Court
    Tarrant County, Texas
    Trial Court Nos. 1464400D, 1470552D, 1470991D
    Before Meier, Gabriel, and Kerr, JJ.
    Memorandum Opinion by Justice Kerr
    MEMORANDUM OPINION
    Without entering into plea bargains, Michael White pleaded guilty to three
    aggravated robberies with a deadly weapon. See Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 29.03(a)(2)
    (West 2011). After hearing evidence, the trial court found White guilty, sentenced him
    to eight years in prison for each offense, and ordered all three sentences to run
    concurrently. White appealed.
    White’s court-appointed appellate counsel has filed a motion to withdraw as
    counsel and a brief in support of that motion. Counsel’s brief and motion meet the
    requirements of Anders v. California by presenting a professional evaluation of the
    record demonstrating why there are no arguable grounds for relief. 
    386 U.S. 738
    , 744,
    
    87 S. Ct. 1396
    , 1400 (1967); see In re Schulman, 
    252 S.W.3d 403
    , 406–12 (Tex. Crim.
    App. 2008) (orig. proceeding) (analyzing the effect of Anders). Although White was
    given an opportunity to file a pro se response to the Anders brief, he has not done so.
    In a letter, the State agreed with White’s counsel that the appeals are frivolous.
    After an appellant’s court-appointed counsel files a motion to withdraw on the
    ground that the appeals are frivolous and fulfills the requirements of Anders, this court
    must independently examine the record to see if any arguable ground may be raised
    on his behalf. See Stafford v. State, 
    813 S.W.2d 503
    , 511 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991). We
    also consider the briefs and any pro se response. See 
    Schulman, 252 S.W.3d at 408
    –09.
    Only after we conduct our own examination to determine whether counsel has
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    correctly assessed the case may we grant his motion to withdraw. See Penson v. Ohio,
    
    488 U.S. 75
    , 82–83, 
    109 S. Ct. 346
    , 351 (1988).
    We have carefully reviewed counsel’s brief, the State’s letter, and the record.
    We agree with counsel that these appeals are wholly frivolous and without merit, and
    we find nothing in the record that arguably might support the appeals. See Bledsoe v.
    State, 
    178 S.W.3d 824
    , 827–28 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005); see also Meza v. State, 
    206 S.W.3d 684
    , 685 n.6 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006).
    Accordingly, we grant counsel’s motion to withdraw and affirm the trial court’s
    judgments. See Isaacs v. State, No. 02-18-00034-CR, 
    2018 WL 4781575
    , at *1 (Tex.
    App.—Fort Worth Oct. 4, 2018, no pet.) (mem. op., not designated for publication);
    Lewis v. State, No. 02-16-00388-CR, 
    2018 WL 1956230
    , at *1 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth
    Apr. 26, 2018, no pet.) (mem. op., not designated for publication).
    /s/ Elizabeth Kerr
    Elizabeth Kerr
    Justice
    Do Not Publish
    Tex. R. App. P. 47.2(b)
    Delivered: December 20, 2018
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