In Re Alejandro De Jesus Lopez-Mendez v. the State of Texas

Fourth Court of Appeals San Antonio, Texas MEMORANDUM OPINION No. 04-23-00058-CR IN RE Alejandro De Jesus LOPEZ-MENDEZ Original Proceeding 1 PER CURIAM Sitting: Rebeca C. Martinez, Chief Justice Irene Rios, Justice Lori I. Valenzuela, Justice Delivered and Filed: March 29, 2023 PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS DENIED On January 17, 2023, relator filed a petition for writ of mandamus. Relator also filed an emergency motion to stay the underlying proceedings pending disposition of the petition for writ of mandamus, which this court granted in part on January 17, 2023. For mandamus relief in a criminal case, a relator has the burden to show the trial court violated a ministerial duty and there is no adequate remedy at law. See State ex rel. Young v. Sixth Jud. Dist. Ct. of Apps. at Texarkana, 236 S.W.3d 207, 210 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007) (orig. proceeding). A trial court has a ministerial duty to rule on a properly filed and timely presented motion. See id. However, a relator has the burden of providing this court with a sufficient record. See TEX. R. APP. P. 52.7(a)(1). A relator must provide the court of appeals with a record showing 1 This proceeding arises out of Cause No. 12432CR, styled State of Texas v. Alejandro De Jesus Lopez-Mendez, pending in the County Court, Kinney County, Texas, the Honorable Todd Alexander Blomerth presiding. 04-23-00058-CR the motion at issue was properly filed, the trial court was made aware of the motion, and the motion has not been ruled on by the trial court for an unreasonable time period. See In re Mendoza, 131 S.W.3d 167, 167–68 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2004, orig. proceeding); Barnes v. State, 832 S.W.2d 424, 426–27 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1992, orig. proceeding). Here, the record contains a file-stamped copy of relator’s motion. However, this record does not establish that the trial court was aware of relator’s motion or that the trial court has failed to rule for an unreasonable period of time. See id. Based on the record before us, relator has not satisfied his mandamus burden. Accordingly, the petition for writ of mandamus is denied. See TEX. R. APP. P. 52.8(a). The stay imposed on January 17, 2023 is lifted. PER CURIAM DO NOT PUBLISH -2-