Amouri Lavelle Nicholson v. State ( 2014 )


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  •                           COURT OF APPEALS
    SECOND DISTRICT OF TEXAS
    FORT WORTH
    NO. 02-13-00213-CR
    02-13-00214-CR
    AMOURI LAVELLE NICHOLSON                                       APPELLANT
    V.
    THE STATE OF TEXAS                                                   STATE
    ----------
    FROM COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT NO. 1 OF DENTON COUNTY
    ----------
    MEMORANDUM OPINION1
    ----------
    A jury convicted Appellant Amouri Lavelle Nicholson of driving while
    intoxicated and possession of marihuana in an amount less than two ounces.
    See Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 49.04 (West Supp. 2013); Tex. Health & Safety
    Code Ann. § 481.121(a), (b)(1) (West 2010). The trial court sentenced him to
    180 days in jail in both cases.
    1
    See Tex. R. App. P. 47.4.
    Nicholson’s court-appointed appellate counsel has filed a motion to
    withdraw as counsel and a brief in support of that motion for both cases.
    Counsel’s brief and motion meet the requirements of Anders v. California2 by
    presenting a professional evaluation of the records demonstrating why there are
    no arguable grounds for relief. This court afforded Nicholson the opportunity to
    file a brief on his own behalf, but he did not do so.
    As the reviewing court, we must conduct an independent evaluation of the
    records to determine whether counsel is correct in determining that the appeals
    are frivolous.   See Stafford v. State, 
    813 S.W.2d 503
    , 511 (Tex. Crim. App.
    1991); Mays v. State, 
    904 S.W.2d 920
    , 923 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 1995, no
    pet.). Only then may we grant counsel’s motions to withdraw. See Penson v.
    Ohio, 
    488 U.S. 75
    , 82–83, 
    109 S. Ct. 346
    , 351 (1988).
    We have carefully reviewed the records and counsel’s brief. We agree
    with counsel that these appeals are wholly frivolous and without merit; we find
    nothing in either record that arguably might support an appeal. See Bledsoe v.
    State, 
    178 S.W.3d 824
    , 827–28 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005). Accordingly, we grant
    counsel’s motions to withdraw and affirm the trial court’s judgments.
    PER CURIAM
    PANEL: WALKER, J.; LIVINGSTON, C.J.; and DAUPHINOT, J.
    2
    
    386 U.S. 738
    , 
    87 S. Ct. 1396
    (1967).
    2
    DO NOT PUBLISH
    Tex. R. App. P. 47.2(b)
    DELIVERED: June 12, 2014
    3