Kenneth Gray v. State

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                      COURT OF APPEALS

                                       SECOND DISTRICT OF TEXAS

                                                   FORT WORTH

 

 

                                        NO. 2-08-147-CR

 

 

KENNETH GRAY                                                                  APPELLANT

 

                                                   V.

 

THE STATE OF TEXAS                                                                STATE

 

                                              ------------

 

           FROM THE 396TH DISTRICT COURT OF TARRANT COUNTY

 

                                              ------------

 

                                MEMORANDUM OPINION[1]

 

                                              ------------

Appellant Kenneth Gray appeals his conviction and sentence for aggravated sexual assault of a child.[2]  We affirm. 


Appellant=s court-appointed appellate counsel has filed a motion to withdraw as counsel and a brief in support of that motion.  In the brief, counsel avers that, in his professional opinion, the appeal is frivolous.  Counsel=s brief and motion meet the requirements of Anders v. California[3] by presenting a professional evaluation of the record demonstrating why there are no arguable grounds for relief.  We gave appellant the opportunity to file a pro se brief, and he has not filed one.  The State also has not filed a brief.

Once an appellant=s court-appointed attorney files a motion to withdraw on the ground that the appeal is frivolous and fulfills the requirements of Anders, this court is obligated to undertake an independent examination of the record.[4]  Only then may we grant counsel=s motion to withdraw.[5]

We have carefully reviewed the record and counsel=s brief.  We agree with counsel that this appeal is wholly frivolous and without merit; we find nothing in the record that might arguably support the appeal.[6]  Accordingly, we grant counsel=s motion to withdraw and affirm the trial court=s judgment.

 


PER CURIAM

 

PANEL:  CAYCE, C.J.; DAUPHINOT and GARDNER, JJ.

 

DO NOT PUBLISH

Tex. R. App. P. 47.2(b)

 

DELIVERED: February 19, 2009



[1]See Tex. R. App. P. 47.4.

[2]See Tex. Penal Code Ann. ' 22.021(a)(2)(B) (Vernon Supp. 2008).

[4]See Stafford v. State, 813 S.W.2d 503, 511 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991); Mays v. State, 904 S.W.2d 920, 922B23 (Tex. App.CFort Worth 1995, no pet.).

[5]See Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75, 82B83, 109 S. Ct. 346, 351 (1988).

[6]See Bledsoe v. State, 178 S.W.3d 824, 827B28 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005); see also Meza v. State, 206 S.W.3d 684, 685 n.6 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006).