Curtis Lee Smith v. State

NO. 07-08-0516-CR


IN THE COURT OF APPEALS


FOR THE SEVENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS


AT AMARILLO


PANEL B


FEBRUARY 12, 2009

______________________________


CURTIS LEE SMITH,

 

Appellant


v.


THE STATE OF TEXAS,

 

Appellee


                                    _________________________________


FROM THE 242nd DISTRICT COURT OF HALE COUNTY;


NO. B17591-0803; HON. EDWARD LEE SELF, PRESIDING

_______________________________


ON ABATEMENT AND REMAND

_______________________________


Before QUINN, C.J., and CAMPBELL and HANCOCK, JJ.

          Appellant appeals from his conviction for possession of a controlled substance. Neither the clerk’s record nor the reporter’s record have been filed. Extension motions were filed by the clerk and court reporter on February 9, 2009. Movants represented that appellant has not submitted a request for the clerk’s or reporter’s record and has not paid or made arrangements to pay for the clerk’s record.

          Accordingly, we abate this appeal and remand the cause to the 242nd District Court of Hale County (trial court) for further proceedings. Upon remand, the trial court shall immediately cause notice of a hearing to be given and, thereafter, conduct a hearing to determine the following:

          1. whether appellant desires to prosecute the appeal;

2. whether appellant is indigent; and,

3. whether the appellant is entitled to a free appellate record due to his indigency.


          The trial court shall cause the hearing to be transcribed. So too shall it 1) execute findings of fact and conclusions of law addressing the foregoing issues, 2) cause to be developed a supplemental clerk’s record containing its findings of fact and conclusions of law and all orders it may issue as a result of its hearing in this matter, and 3) cause to be developed a reporter’s record transcribing the evidence and arguments presented at the aforementioned hearing, if any. Additionally, the district court shall then file the supplemental records and reporter’s records transcribing the hearing with the clerk of this court on or before March 16, 2009. Should further time be needed by the trial court to perform these tasks, then same must be requested before March 16, 2009.

          It is so ordered.

                                                                           Per Curiam

Do not publish.

esponse, Rubins filed a motion for extension of time in which to pay the filing fee or, in lieu thereof, file an affidavit of indigence. The motion was granted to May 25, 2009, with a detailed explanation of the procedures and deadlines for either filing an affidavit of indigence or paying the filing fee. See Tex. R. App. P. 10.5(b), 20.1(c)(1) & (3). Rubins was also admonished that failure to either pay the required filing fee of $175 or file a compliant affidavit of indigence accompanied by a motion for extension of time might result in dismissal of this appeal. Tex. R. App. P. 42.3(c). Rubins did not respond to this Court’s notice. Neither did he pay the required filing fee or file an affidavit of indigence.

          In response to a motion for extension of time in which to file the clerk’s record for nonpayment, this Court abated the request pending Rubins’s compliance with the Court’s directive. Rubins’s failure to comply with the Court’s directive renders the clerk’s request for an extension of time moot.

          Accordingly, the appeal is dismissed for failure to comply with an order of this Court. Tex. R. App. P. 42.3(c).

                                                                           Patrick A. Pirtle

                                                                                 Justice