Ex Parte Craig Gloude

In The



Court of Appeals



Ninth District of Texas at Beaumont



____________________



NO. 09-06-120 CR

____________________



EX PARTE CRAIG GLOUDE




On Appeal from the Criminal District Court

Jefferson County, Texas

Trial Cause No. 2091 (95476)




MEMORANDUM OPINION

On March 6, 2006, the trial court denied Craig Gloude's application for writ of habeas corpus without conducting an evidentiary hearing or issuing the writ of habeas corpus. We questioned our jurisdiction over the appeal. Gloude filed a response in which he contends the trial court heard his complaints regarding ineffective assistance of counsel in an unrecorded hearing on January 30, 2006. The application for issuance of a pre-trial writ of habeas corpus was filed February 28, 2006, so a hearing conducted in January could not have been triggered by his application.



No appeal lies from the refusal to issue writ of habeas corpus unless the trial court conducts an evidentiary hearing on the merits of the application. Ex parte Hargett, 819 S.W.2d 866 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991); Noe v. State, 646 S.W.2d 230 (Tex. Crim. App. 1983). In this case, the trial court did not address the merits of the appellant's petition. The trial court did not issue a writ of habeas corpus, nor did the court conduct an evidentiary hearing on the application for the writ. Compare Ex parte Silva, 968 S.W.2d 367 (Tex. Crim. App. 1998); Ex parte McCullough, 966 S.W.2d 529 (Tex. Crim. App. 1998). (1) We hold we have no jurisdiction over this appeal. Accordingly, it is ordered that the appeal be dismissed for want of jurisdiction.

APPEAL DISMISSED.



____________________________

STEVE McKEITHEN

Chief Justice





Opinion Delivered April 26, 2006

Do Not Publish

Before McKeithen, C.J., Gaultney and Kreger, JJ.

1.

A pre-trial determination of ineffectiveness of counsel would not entitle Gloude to immediate release and therefore would not be cognizable in a pre-trial writ of habeas corpus. See Ex parte Weise, 55 S.W.3d 617, 619 (Tex. Crim. App. 2001).