Ricardo Rodriguez v. State

Becker v. State

COURT OF APPEALS

EIGHTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

EL PASO, TEXAS


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RICARDO RODRIGUEZ,                                  )                  No. 08-03-00464-CR

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                                    Appellant,                        )                              Appeal from

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v.                                                                          )                 Criminal District Court No. 5

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THE STATE OF TEXAS,                                   )                  of Dallas County, Texas

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                                    Appellee.                          )                  (TC# F-0173718-VL)


MEMORANDUM OPINION


            Ricardo Rodriguez appeals from his conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. We dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction.

FACTUAL SUMMARY

            Appellant waived his right to a jury trial and entered a negotiated plea. In accordance with the plea bargain, the trial court deferred adjudication of guilt and placed Appellant on deferred adjudication community supervision for a term of three years and imposed a $1,500 fine.

            The State later filed a motion to adjudicate guilt based on allegations that Appellant had not paid his fines and court costs and he had committed a new assault. Appellant pled true to the allegation regarding failure to pay his fine and court costs, but he contested the allegation regarding commission of the assault. The trial court found both allegations true, adjudicated Appellant guilty and assessed punishment at imprisonment for two years.

JURISDICTION

            In his sole point of error, Appellant contends that the trial court abused its discretion by revoking community supervision because the evidence is insufficient to show that he violated the conditions of community supervision. The State responds that we lack jurisdiction to address this complaint and should dismiss the appeal. We agree. Article 42.12, section 5(b) provides that no appeal may be taken from the trial court’s determination to proceed with an adjudication of guilty on the original charge. Tex.Code Crim.Proc.Ann. art. 42.12, § 5(b)(Vernon Supp. 2004); see Wright v. State, 592 S.W.2d 604, 606 (Tex.Crim.App. 1980)(holding that under Article 42.12, section 5(b), “no appeal may be taken from the hearing in which the trial court determines to proceed with an adjudication of guilt on the original charge”); Williams v. State, 592 S.W.2d 931, 932-33 (Tex.Crim.App. 1979)(“the trial court’s decision to proceed with an adjudication of guilt is one of absolute discretion and [is] not reviewable . . .”). Appellant’s complaint on appeal regarding the evidentiary basis for the trial court’s decision to adjudicate falls squarely with Section 5(b)’s prohibition. Accordingly, we dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction.



August 12, 2004                                                         

                                                                                    ANN CRAWFORD McCLURE, Justice


Before Panel No. 2

Barajas, C.J., McClure, and Chew, JJ.


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