Opinion
NO. WR-90,802-01
02-26-2020
EX PARTE ALAN EDWARD MILLER, Applicant
ON APPLICATION FOR A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS CAUSE NO. D140297AR IN THE 260TH DISTRICT COURT FROM ORANGE COUNTY
Per curiam. ORDER
Applicant was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment. The Ninth Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction. Miller v. State, No. 09-15-00287-CR (Tex. App.-Beaumont, May 10, 2017, pet. ref'd). Applicant filed this application for a writ of habeas corpus in the county of conviction, and the district clerk forwarded it to this Court. See TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. art. 11.07.
Applicant contends that trial counsel was ineffective because he failed to call an expert witness to rebut the testimony of the State's experts concerning the cause of the child's injuries. Applicant has alleged facts that, if true, might entitle him to relief. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984). Accordingly, the record should be developed. The trial court is the appropriate forum for findings of fact. TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. art. 11.07, § 3(d). The trial court shall order trial counsel to respond to Applicant's claim. In developing the record, the trial court may use any means set out in Article 11.07, § 3(d). If the trial court elects to hold a hearing, it shall determine whether Applicant is indigent. If Applicant is indigent and wants to be represented by counsel, the trial court shall appoint counsel to represent him at the hearing. See TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. art. 26.04. If counsel is appointed or retained, the trial court shall immediately notify this Court of counsel's name.
The trial court shall make findings of fact and conclusions of law as to whether trial counsel's performance was deficient and Applicant was prejudiced. The trial court may make any other findings and conclusions that it deems appropriate in response to Applicant's ineffective assistance of counsel.
The trial court shall make findings of fact and conclusions of law within ninety days from the date of this order. The district clerk shall then immediately forward to this Court the trial court's findings and conclusions and the record developed on remand, including, among other things, affidavits, motions, objections, proposed findings and conclusions, orders, and transcripts from hearings and depositions. See TEX. R. APP. P. 73.4(b)(4). Any extensions of time must be requested by the trial court and obtained from this Court. Filed: February 26, 2020
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