Christopher Keith Schmotzer v. State ( 2020 )

IN THE
TENTH COURT OF APPEALS
No. 10-20-00085-CR
CHRISTOPHER KEITH SCHMOTZER,
Appellant
v.
THE STATE OF TEXAS,
Appellee
From the 85th District Court
Brazos County, Texas
Trial Court No. 09-01287-CRF-85
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Christopher Schmotzer was convicted of murder. The trial court’s judgment was
signed July 8, 2010. He appealed. His conviction was affirmed by this Court on
October 12, 2011. His petition for discretionary review was refused by the Court of
Criminal Appeals on February 15, 2012. His petition for a writ of certiorari was denied
by the United States Supreme Court on October 1, 2012. Since that date, Schmotzer has
engaged in extensive post-conviction collateral attacks on his conviction and other post-
conviction proceedings such as proceedings to obtain DNA testing under Chapter 64 of
the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Schmotzer now appeals the trial court's denial of his Motion for Brady Evidence
which was signed on February 11, 2020. By letter dated March 6, 2020, the Clerk of this
Court notified Schmotzer that his appeal was subject to dismissal because it appeared
that the trial court’s Order was not a final, appealable order, and thus, the Court has no
jurisdiction of this appeal. See TEX. R. APP. P. 26.2; 44.3. Schmotzer was warned that the
appeal would be dismissed unless, within 14 days from the date of the letter, a response
was filed explaining how the Court has jurisdiction of this appeal.
Schmotzer has responded, but his explanation does not establish that this Court
has jurisdiction of his appeal. Jurisdiction must be expressly given to the courts of
appeals. Ragston v. State, 424 S.W.3d 49, 52 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014); In re Ford, 553 S.W.3d
728, 731 (Tex. App.—Waco 2018, orig. proceeding). The standard for determining
jurisdiction is not whether the appeal is precluded by law, but whether the appeal is
authorized by law. Abbott v. State, 271 S.W.3d 694, 696 (Tex. Crim. App. 2008); Ford, 553
S.W.3d at 731. We have not found any rule or any statutory or constitutional provision
that would authorize Schmotzer's appeal from the trial court's February 11, 2020 order.
Accordingly, the order is not appealable, and we have no jurisdiction to entertain
Schmotzer's appeal. The appeal must be, and is, dismissed.
TOM GRAY
Chief Justice
Before Chief Justice Gray,
Justice Davis, and
Justice Neill
Appeal dismissed
Opinion delivered and filed April 8, 2020
Do not publish
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