Opinion
No. 05-17-01061-CR
02-02-2018
ANGELA MARIE DODD, Appellant v. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the 296th Judicial District Court Collin County, Texas
Trial Court Cause No. 296-82226-2015
ORDER
Appellant's brief was due December 27, 2017. When it was not filed, we notified appellant by postcard dated December 28, 2017 that the brief was overdue. We directed appellant to file her brief and a motion to extend time to file the same within ten days. We cautioned that the failure to do so would result in this Court abating the appeal for a hearing. See TEX. R. APP. P. 38.8(b)(2). To date, no brief has been filed and we have had no communication from appellant.
Therefore, the Court ORDERS the trial court to conduct a hearing to determine why appellant's brief has not been filed. In this regard, the trial court shall make appropriate findings and recommendations and determine whether appellant desires to prosecute the appeal, whether appellant is indigent, or if not indigent, whether retained counsel has abandoned the appeal. See TEX. R. APP. P. 38.8(b). If the trial court cannot obtain appellant's presence at the hearing, the trial court shall conduct the hearing in appellant's absence. See Meza v. State, 742 S.W.2d 708 (Tex. App.-Corpus Christi 1987, no pet.) (per curiam). If appellant is indigent, the trial court is ORDERED to take such measures as may be necessary to assure effective representation, which may include appointment of new counsel.
We ORDER the trial court to transmit a record of the proceedings, which shall include written findings and recommendations, to this Court within THIRTY DAYS of the date of this order.
This appeal is ABATED to allow the trial court to comply with the above order. The appeal shall be reinstated thirty days from the date of this order or when the findings are received, whichever is earlier.
/s/ CRAIG STODDART
JUSTICE