Order entered February 3, 2017
In The
Court of Appeals
Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
No. 05-16-01272-CR
No. 05-16-01273-CR
TOMAS VILLASENOR, Appellant
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the 422nd Judicial District Court
Kaufman County, Texas
Trial Court Cause No. 15-10493-422-F & 15-10494-422-F
ORDER
Appellant’s brief was due December 3, 2016. By postcard dated December 6, 2016, we
notified appellant and directed him to file his brief and an extension motion within ten days. On
December 18, 2016, he filed a motion to extend time which we granted, making his brief due
January 19, 2017. To date, no brief has been filed and we have had no communication from
appellant.
Therefore, the Court ORDERS the trial court to conduct a hearing to determine why
appellant’s brief has not been filed. The trial court shall make appropriate findings and
recommendations and determine whether appellant wants to prosecute the appeal, whether
appellant is indigent, or if not indigent, whether retained counsel has abandoned the appeal. See
TEX. R. APP. P. 38.8(b). If the trial court cannot obtain appellant’s presence at the hearing, the
trial court shall conduct the hearing in appellant’s absence. See Meza v. State, 742 S.W.2d 708
(Tex. App.–Corpus Christi 1987, no pet.) (per curiam). If appellant is indigent, the trial court is
ORDERED to take such measures as may be necessary to assure effective representation, which
may include appointment of new counsel.
We ORDER the trial court to transmit a record of the proceedings, which shall include
written findings and recommendations, to this Court within THIRTY DAYS of the date of this
order.
This appeal is ABATED to allow the trial court to comply with the above order. The
appeal shall be reinstated thirty days from the date of this order or when the findings are
received, whichever is earlier.
/s/ LANA MYERS
JUSTICE