NUMBER 13-16-00303-CR
COURT OF APPEALS
THIRTEENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS
CORPUS CHRISTI – EDINBURG
MICHELLE PUENTES, Appellant,
v.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee.
On appeal from the 36th District Court
of San Patricio County, Texas
ORDER OF ABATEMENT
Before Chief Justice Valdez and Justices Rodriguez and Benavides
Order Per Curiam
Appellant’s brief was due on September 8, 2016. Pursuant to Texas Rule of
Appellate Procedure 38.8(b)(2), on September 12, 2016, the Clerk of the Court notified
appellant’s counsel that the brief had not been timely filed, requested counsel to file a
response concerning the failure to file the brief within ten days, and warned counsel that
the Court would abate and remand this cause to the trial court for appropriate findings if
a response was not filed. Counsel has nevertheless failed to file either a response or an
appellate brief in this matter.
Accordingly, we now ABATE this appeal and REMAND the cause to the trial court
for further proceedings pursuant to Rule 38.8(b)(2) and (3) of the Texas Rules of Appellate
Procedure. Upon remand, the trial court shall utilize whatever means necessary to make
appropriate findings and recommendations concerning the following: (1) whether
appellant desires to prosecute this appeal; (2) why appellant's counsel has failed to file a
brief and whether counsel has effectively abandoned the appeal; (3) whether appellant
has been denied effective assistance of counsel; (4) whether appellant's counsel should
be removed; and (5) whether appellant is indigent and entitled to court-appointed counsel.
If the trial court determines that appellant does want to continue the appeal, that
present counsel should be removed, and that appellant is indigent and entitled to
court-appointed counsel, the trial court shall appoint new counsel to represent appellant
in this appeal. If new counsel is appointed, the name, address, email address, telephone
number, and state bar number of said counsel shall be included in an order appointing
counsel.
The trial court shall cause its findings and recommendations, together with any
orders it may enter regarding the aforementioned issues, to be included in a supplemental
clerk's record. Furthermore, the trial court shall cause a supplemental reporter's record
of any proceedings to be prepared. The supplemental clerk's record and supplemental
reporter's record, if any, shall be filed with the Clerk of this Court on or before the
expiration of thirty days from the date of this order.
It is so ORDERED.
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PER CURIAM
Do not publish.
TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).
Delivered and filed the
24th day of October, 2016.
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