Opinion
12-24-00073-CR
08-29-2024
YOEL SIMON-GONZALEZ, APPELLANT v. THE STATE OF TEXAS, APPELLEE
DO NOT PUBLISH
Appeal from the 66th District Court of Hill County, Texas (Tr.Ct.No. F017-24)
Panel consisted of Worthen, C.J., Hoyle, J., and Bass, Retired J., Twelfth Court of Appeals, sitting by assignment.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
PER CURIAM
Yoel Simon-Gonzalez appeals his conviction for continuous sexual abuse of a child.Appellant's counsel filed a brief in compliance with Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967), and Gainous v. State, 436 S.W.2d 137 (Tex. Crim. App. 1969). Appellant filed a pro se response. We affirm.
This case was transferred to this Court from the Tenth Court of Appeals in Waco, Texas, pursuant to a docket equalization order. See Tex. Gov't Code Ann. § 73.001 (West 2013).
Background
Appellant was charged by indictment with continuous sexual abuse of a child. He pleaded "not guilty," and the matter proceeded to a jury trial. At trial, the evidence showed that when A.G. was four years old, her mother, E.G., went to prison for a drug offense, and A.G. went to live with E.G.'s sister, T.G., and T.G.'s husband, Appellant. When A.G. was six years old, Appellant began committing acts of sexual abuse against her, including touching her vagina and penetrating her anus with his penis. When A.G. was twelve years old, she overheard T.G. talking to E.G. about leaving Appellant. A.G. interrupted the conversation and disclosed the abuse. Ultimately, the jury found Appellant "guilty" as charged and assessed his punishment at imprisonment for a term of seventy-five years. This appeal followed.
A first-degree felony punishable by imprisonment for a term of life, or not more than ninety-nine years or less than twenty-five years. See Tex. Penal Code Ann. §§ 21.02(b)(1), (b)(2)(A), (h) (West Supp. 2023).
Analysis Pursuant to Anders v. California Appellant's counsel filed a brief in compliance with Anders v. California and Gainous v. State. Appellant's counsel relates that he has reviewed the record and found no arguable grounds for appeal. In compliance with High v. State, 573 S.W.2d 807, 812 (Tex. Crim. App. [Panel Op.] 1978), Appellant's brief contains a professional evaluation of the record demonstrating why there are no arguable grounds to be advanced.
In compliance with Kelly v. State, Appellant's counsel provided Appellant with a copy of the brief, notified Appellant of his motion to withdraw as counsel, informed Appellant of his right to file a pro se response, and took concrete measures to facilitate Appellant's review of the appellate record. See Kelly v. State, 436 S.W.3d 313, 319 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014).
In Appellant's pro se response, he complains of exculpatory evidence suppression, (2) due process violations, (3) witness tampering, and (4) ineffective assistance of counsel. When faced with an Anders brief and a pro se response by an appellant, an appellate court can either (1) determine that the appeal is wholly frivolous and issue an opinion explaining that it has reviewed the record and finds no reversible error or (2) determine that arguable grounds for appeal exist and remand the cause to the trial court so that new counsel may be appointed to brief the issues. Bledsoe v. State, 178 S.W.3d 824, 826-27 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005). We conducted an independent review of the record in this case and found no reversible error. See id. We conclude that the appeal is wholly frivolous. See id.
Conclusion
As required by Anders and Stafford v. State, 813 S.W.2d 503, 511 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991), Appellant's counsel has moved for leave to withdraw. See also In re Schulman, 252 S.W.3d 403, 407 (Tex. Crim. App. 2008) (orig. proceeding). We carried the motion for consideration with the merits. Having done so and finding no reversible error, we grant counsel's motion for leave to withdraw and affirm the trial court's judgment.
Appellant's counsel has a duty to, within five days of the date of this opinion, send a copy of the opinion and judgment to Appellant and advise him of his right to file a petition for discretionary review. See Tex. R. App. P. 48.4; In re Schulman, 252 S.W.3d at 411 n.35. Should Appellant wish to seek review of this case by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, he must either retain an attorney to file a petition for discretionary review on his behalf or he must file a pro se petition for discretionary review. Any petition for discretionary review must be filed within thirty days from either the date of this opinion or the date that the last timely motion for rehearing was overruled by this court. See Tex. R. App. P. 68.2(a). Any petition for discretionary review must be filed with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. See Tex. R. App. P. 68.3(a). Any petition for discretionary review should comply with the requirements of Rule 68.4 of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure. See In re Schulman, 252 S.W.3d at 408 n.22.
Opinion delivered.
JUDGMENT
THIS CAUSE came to be heard on the appellate record and briefs filed herein, and the same being considered, it is the opinion of this court that there was no error in the judgment.
It is therefore ORDERED, ADJUDGED, and DECREED that the judgment of the court below be in all things affirmed, and that this decision be certified to the court below for observance.