Opinion
01-23-00369-CR
03-19-2024
Abbas Abdal Abed v. The State of Texas
339th District Court of Harris County Trial court case number: 1699240
ORDER
RICHARD HIGHTOWER, JUDGE
Appellant is represented by appointed counsel Frances Marian Northcutt. Appellant's brief was due on November 13, 2023. On November 30, 2023, the Clerk of the Court notified appellant that the brief had not yet been filed and required a response within 10 days. See Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(b)(2). No response to this notice was received and no brief has been filed.
Pursuant to Rule of Appellate Procedure 38.8, we must abate this appeal and remand the cases to the trial court for a hearing. See Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(b)(2)-(3). We direct the trial court to conduct a hearing at which a representative of the Galveston County District Attorney's Office, appointed counsel Northcutt, and appellant shall be present. The trial court shall have a court reporter record the hearing. The trial court is directed to make appropriate findings on these issues:
If appellant is incarcerated, at the trial court's discretion, appellant may participate in the hearing by closed-circuit video teleconferencing. Any such teleconference must use a closed-circuit video teleconferencing system that provides for a simultaneous compressed full motion video and interactive communication of image and sound between the trial court, appellant, and any attorneys representing the State or appellant. On request of appellant, appellant and his counsel shall be able to communicate privately without being recorded or heard by the trial court or the attorney representing the State.
(1) whether appellant wishes to prosecute these appeals; and, if so,
(2) whether appointed counsel Northcutt has abandoned the appeal by failing to timely file briefs on appellant's behalf;
(3) and, if so, whether appellant is presently
(a) indigent, in which case the trial court should appoint new appellate counsel at no expense to appellant and establish a date by which counsel will file a brief, no later than 30 days from the appointment; or
(b) not indigent, in which case the trial court should establish a date by which appellant shall retain new counsel;
(4) or, if appointed counsel Northcutt has not abandoned the appeals, make appropriate findings and recommendations regarding the reason that counsel has failed to file briefs and establish a date by which counsel will file appellant's briefs, no later than 30 days from the date of the hearing.Tex. Code Crim. Proc. arts. 1.051(d), 26.04; Tex.R.App.P. 38.8(b)(2), (3), (4).
The trial court shall cause a supplemental clerk's record containing its findings and recommendations, including the name, address, telephone number, and State Bar number of any substitute counsel, and the reporter's record of the hearing to be filed in this Court no later than April 19, 2024. If the hearing is conducted by video teleconference, a certified video recording of the hearing shall be filed in this Court no later than April 19, 2024.
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 a supplemental clerk's record that complies with this order, and the reporter's record of the hearing, have been filed in this Court. The trial court coordinator shall set a hearing date and notify the parties and the Clerk of this Court of such date.
It is so ORDERED.