Antonio Catrell Gatlin v. State ( 2014 )

Opinion issued May 6, 2014
In The
Court of Appeals
For The
First District of Texas
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NO. 01-13-00338-CR
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ANTONIO CATRELL GATLIN, Appellant
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the 56th District Court
Galveston County, Texas
Trial Court Case No. 12-CR-1068
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Appellant, Antonio Catrell Gatlin, timely appealed from his conviction for
the felony offense of possession of a controlled substance. See TEX. HEALTH &
SAFETY CODE. ANN. § 481.115(a), (c) (West 2010). The clerk’s record filed on
April 18, 2013 contains a certification of appellant’s right to appeal indicating that
this “is not a plea-bargain case, and the defendant has the right of appeal.” On
March 18, 2014, after appellant failed to respond to a notice informing him that the
time for filing his brief had expired, we abated the case and ordered the trial court
to determine whether (1) appellant wishes to pursue his appeal and (2) appellant’s
retained trial counsel intends to represent appellant on appeal.
On April 9, 2014, the trial court reporter filed a reporter’s record of the
abatement hearing held by the trial court that day. At the hearing, appellant stated
that he did not wish to continue with his appeal. After both appellant and his
counsel further confirmed that appellant did not wish to pursue his appeal, the trial
court requested that counsel prepare “an order reflecting that [appellant] wants to
waive his appeal and get [appellant’s] signature to reflect that waiver of appeal.”
On April 10, 2014, the trial court clerk filed a supplemental clerk’s record
containing an April 9, 2014 certification of appellant’s right to appeal stating that
“the defendant has waived the right of appeal.” The certification was signed by the
trial court, appellant, and appellant’s counsel.
An appeal must be dismissed if a certification showing that the defendant
has the right of appeal has not been made part of the record. See TEX. R. APP. P.
25.2(d); Dears v. State, 154 S.W.3d 610, 613 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005). The trial
court’s April 9, 2014 certification, which is included in the record on appeal, states
that appellant waived his right of appeal. See TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(a)(2). A valid
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waiver of appeal prevents a defendant from appealing without the trial court’s
consent. See Monreal v. State, 99 S.W.3d 615, 622 (Tex. Crim. App. 2003).
A waiver of appeal made after sentence is imposed is valid. See Monreal, 99
S.W.3d at 618, 622; Moreno v. State, 327 S.W.3d 267, 268–69 (Tex. App.—San
Antonio 2010, no pet.); Delatorre v. State, 957 S.W.2d 145, 149 (Tex. App.—
Austin 1997, pet. ref’d). Because the record reflects that appellant waived the right
to appeal after his sentence was imposed, appellant has no right of appeal and we
must dismiss this appeal. See TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(d); Menefee v. State, 287
S.W.3d 9, 12 n.12 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009) (“If a new certificate of appeal . . . were
to certify that the appellant waived his right to appeal, then, of course, the court of
appeals could only exercise its appellate jurisdiction to dismiss the appeal under
Rule 25.2(d).”); Dears, 154 S.W.3d at 613 (“The court of appeals must dismiss an
appeal if a certification showing that the defendant has the right to appeal is not
made a part of the appellate record.”).
Accordingly, we reinstate this appeal and dismiss the appeal for want of
jurisdiction. We dismiss any pending motions as moot.
PER CURIAM
Panel consists of Justices Keyes, Bland, and Brown.
Do not publish. TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).
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