NUMBER 13-13-00338-CR
COURT OF APPEALS
THIRTEENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS
CORPUS CHRISTI - EDINBURG
____________________________________________________________
LAURA DAY A/K/A LAURA
SYRING A/K/A LAURA LEE
BUSH A/K/A LAURA LEE
MARSDEN A/K/A LAURA
LEE FEIST, Appellant,
v.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee.
____________________________________________________________
On appeal from the 214th District Court
of Nueces County, Texas.
____________________________________________________________
ORDER ABATING APPEAL
Before Chief Justice Valdez and Justices Perkes and Longoria
Order Per Curiam
Appellant, Laura Day a/k/a Laura Syring a/k/a Laura Lee Bush a/k/a Laura Lee
Marsden a/k/a Laura Lee Feist, proceeding pro se, has filed several motions with the
Court: (1) a motion to abate appeal; (2) motion to dismiss her court-appointed appellate
counsel; (3) motion to waive live admonishment hearing, or in the alternative, to conduct
an admonishment hearing by telecommunication or video conference; and (4) a motion
to proceed pro se and strike the brief filed by appointed appellate counsel on her behalf.
In short, appellant seeks to dismiss her court-appointed counsel and to proceed pro se
for purposes of this appeal. Appellant’s court-appointed counsel has also filed a motion
for extension of time to file the brief in this matter. Appellant’s appointed counsel’s brief
in this matter was due on June 30, 2014, but was not filed until July 14, 2014. As a
preliminary matter, the Court GRANTS the motion and the appellant’s brief is now duly
filed with the Court.
The Court, having considered appellant's pro se motions and the appellant's
apparent desire to proceed on appeal without the benefit of counsel, is of the opinion that
the appeal should be abated in accordance with Hubbard v. State, 739 S.W.2d 341 (Tex.
Crim. App. 1987). The trial court is ordered to immediately conduct a hearing to
determine if appellant desires to proceed pro se. The trial court is required to make the
appellant aware of the dangers and disadvantages of self-representation and to develop
evidence as to whether appellant's apparent decision to relinquish the obvious benefits
associated with having appointed appellate counsel and to proceed pro se is knowingly
and intelligently made. The trial court is further ordered to make appropriate findings and
recommendations and forward a transcription of the hearing to this Court within 15 days
from the date of this order. If the trial court finds that appellant knowingly and intelligently
waives her right to counsel in compliance with TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. art. 1.051(g), then
2
the trial court shall make a copy of the clerk’s record and reporter’s record available to
the appellant so that she can file her brief. Appellant’s brief shall be filed thirty days from
the date she receives the record.
Accordingly, appellant’s motion to abate is GRANTED to the extent that we are
hereby abating the appeal for the purposes described in this order. Appellant’s motion
to waive live admonishment hearing or, in the alternative, to conduct an admonishment
hearing by telecommunication or video conference, is DENIED. Appellant’s motions to
dismiss her counsel and strike the brief filed on her behalf, and to proceed on appeal pro
se, will be CARRIED WITH THE CASE pending receipt and review of the trial court’s
findings and conclusions on remand.
The appeal is ordered ABATED.
PER CURIAM
Delivered and filed the
30th day of July, 2014.
3