James Randall Downs v. the State of Texas ( 2023 )

COURT OF APPEALS
EIGHTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS
EL PASO, TEXAS
JAMES RANDALL DOWNS, § No. 08-23-00275-CR
Appellant, § Appeal from the
v. § 143rd District Court
THE STATE OF TEXAS, § of Ward County, Texas
Appellee. § (TC# 08-05-04962-CRW)
SUBSTITUTED MEMORANDUM OPINION
On November 21, 2023, we issued a memorandum opinion and judgment in this appeal.
On our own motion, we withdraw our opinion and judgment of said date and now substitute this
opinion in the place of our previous opinion.
Appellant James Randall Downs, acting pro se, filed a notice of appeal in this Court on
October 24, 2023. His notice indicates he is attempting to appeal a judgment of conviction rendered
against him in trial court cause number 08-05-04962-CRW for aggravated kidnapping. 1 The
challenged judgment reflects the trial court assessed his punishment at life imprisonment, and said
1
In a companion case docketed in this Court as cause number 08-23-00276-CR, Appellant also filed a notice of appeal
challenging the judgment of conviction for the offense of aggravated sexual assault of a child, which was rendered by
the 143rd District Court of Ward County, Texas, in trial cause number 08-10-05019-CRW. There, sentence was also
imposed on January 28, 2009. By separate opinion issued on the same date as this cause, we also dismiss the appeal
for lack of jurisdiction.
sentence was imposed on January 28, 2009. To the extent Appellant is attempting to appeal from
this judgment, we note he previously brought a direct appeal of the judgment, and this Court
affirmed his conviction. See Downs v. State, No. 08-09-00069-CR, 2010 WL 3030504, at *1
(Tex. App.—El Paso Aug. 4, 2010, pet. ref’d) (not designated for publication). Mandate was issued
in that cause on April 4, 2011.
In a criminal case, a defendant’s notice of appeal is due within 30 days after the sentence
is imposed in open court or the trial court enters an appealable order. See TEX. R. APP. P. 26.2(a)(1);
see also Williams v. State, 603 S.W.3d 439, 448 (Tex. Crim. App. 2020). Out an abundance of
caution, the Clerk of this Court sent a letter to Appellant, on November 3, 2023, notifying him that
his notice failed to show the jurisdiction of this Court. The letter further gave notice of our intention
to dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction, after ten days of the date of the notice, unless grounds
were shown for the Court to continue the appeal.
On November 27, 2023, the Court received multiple filings from Appellant, with all filings
including a certificate of service indicating each was mailed on November 16, 2023, or days prior
to the issuance of our now withdrawn opinion of November 21, 2023. For this cause only, the
filings include a motion to suppress evidence pertaining solely to the kidnapping charge. As a joint
motion in this cause and his companion case of 08-23-00276-CR, Appellant also included a motion
to suppress contextual evidence and a document titled in part, “Motion to Suppress Motion in
Limine.” Among his filings, Appellant requests a live hearing to present both constitutional claims
and a claim of actual innocence, he seeks forensic DNA testing, and he argues for suppression of
evidence. Relevant here, all requests pertain to Appellant’s 2009 judgment of conviction for
aggravated kidnapping in trial court cause number 08-05-04962-CRW, or otherwise seek post-
conviction relief.
2
We conclude we do not have jurisdiction to hear a second appeal from Appellant’s 2009
judgment of conviction for aggravated kidnapping. Only the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
possesses jurisdiction in final post-conviction felony proceedings. See Ater v. Eighth Court of
Appeals, 802 S.W.2d 241 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991) (en banc) (explaining that writ of habeas corpus
pursuant to Article 11.07 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure governs out-of-time appeals).
Because there is no appealable order or judgment of conviction, we dismiss the appeal for lack of
jurisdiction. All pending motions are denied as moot.
GINA M. PALAFOX, Justice
December 5, 2023
Before Palafox, J., Soto, J., and Marion, C.J. (Ret.)
Marion, C.J. (Ret.), sitting by assignment
(Do Not Publish)
3