Jose Ezequiel Lopez v. State

Order entered May 1, 2019 In The Court of Appeals Fifth District of Texas at Dallas No. 05-18-01378-CR JOSE EZEQUIEL LOPEZ, Appellant V. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee On Appeal from the County Criminal Court No. 3 Dallas County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. MB16-34780-C ORDER After we granted an extension of time, appellant’s brief was due April 7, 2019. To date, no brief has been filed and we have no further communication from appellant regarding the appeal. Therefore, we ORDER the trial court to conduct a hearing to determine why appellant’s brief has not been filed. In this regard, the trial court shall make appropriate findings and recommendations and determine whether appellant desires to prosecute this appeal or whether appellant 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. We DIRECT the Clerk to send copies of this order to the Honorable Audrey Moorehead, Presiding Judge, County Criminal Court No. 3; Sandra Reynolds Oakley; and to the Dallas County District Attorney. 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