Opinion
No. 05-19-01088-CR
12-18-2019
POLYCARP OIGO ONCHOKE, Appellant v. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the Criminal District Court No. 6 Dallas County, Texas
Trial Court Cause No. F19-00423-X
ORDER
Appellant's brief was due November 15, 2019. When it was not filed, we notified appellant by letter dated November 21, 2019 and directed him to file a brief and a motion to extend time to file the brief by December 2, 2019. To date, no brief or motion has been filed, nor have we had any communication from appellant counsel.
Therefore, we ORDER 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 this appeal, whether appellant has abandoned the appeal, or whether appointed 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.
We DIRECT the Clerk to send copies of this order to the Honorable Jeanine Howard, Presiding Judge, Criminal District Court No. 6; to J. Daniel Oliphant; and to the Dallas County District Attorney's Office, Appellate Division.
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/ LANA MYERS
JUSTICE