Order entered April 11, 2019




                                            In The
                                  Court of Appeals
                           Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
                                     No. 05-18-01072-CR

                            THOMAS PAUL GILBERT, Appellant

                                               V.

                               THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

                       On Appeal from the 219th Judicial District Court
                                    Collin County, Texas
                           Trial Court Cause No. 219-80015-2018

                                           ORDER

       Appellant’s brief was initially due January 27, 2019. Appellant subsequently filed two

motions for extensions of time which we granted, making his brief due March 28, 2019. To date,

appellant’s brief has not been filed, and appellant has had no communication with the Court

regarding the brief or 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 Jennifer Edgeworth,

Presiding Judge, 219th Judicial District Court; Mitchell Nolte; and to the Collin 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
