Abatement Order filed December 3, 2015




                                     In The

                    Fourteenth Court of Appeals
                                  ____________

                             NO. 14-15-00776-CR
                               ____________

                       BENJAMIN WALLS, Appellant

                                       V.

                      THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee


                   On Appeal from the 232nd District Court
                           Harris County, Texas
                       Trial Court Cause No. 1448978

                            ABATEMENT ORDER

      Appellant was represented by appointed counsel in the district court.
Appellant is not represented by counsel on appeal. On November 2, 2015, time to
file appellant’s brief expired without a brief and no motion for extension of time
was filed. See Tex. R. App. P. 38.6(a). On November 4, 2015, the court issued
notice that no brief had been received. On November 10, 2015, the notice sent to
appellant at his last known address was returned. No response from appellant has
been received.
      Pursuant to Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(b) (a copy of which is attached) the judge
of the 232nd District Court shall (1) immediately conduct a hearing, at which
appellant and state’s counsel shall participate, either in person or by video
teleconference, to determine (a) whether appellant desires to prosecute his appeal;
(b) whether appellant is indigent; (c) if not indigent, whether appellant has
abandoned the appeal or whether appellant has failed to make necessary
arrangements for filing a brief; (d) the reason for the failure to file a brief; (e) if
appellant desires to continue the appeal, a date certain when appellant’s brief will
be filed; and (2) prepare a record, in the form of a reporter’s record, of the hearing.
If appellant is indigent, the judge shall take such measures as may be necessary to
assure effective representation of counsel. The judge shall see that a record of the
hearing is made, shall make findings of fact and conclusions of law, and shall order
the trial clerk to forward a transcribed record of the hearing, a videotape or
compact disc, if any, containing a recording of the video teleconference, and a
supplemental clerk’s record containing the findings and conclusions.            Those
records shall be filed with the clerk of this court by January 4, 2016.

      The appeal is abated, treated as a closed case, and removed from this Court’s
active docket. The appeal will be reinstated on this Court’s active docket when the
trial court’s findings and recommendations are filed in this Court. The Court will
also consider an appropriate motion to reinstate the appeal filed by either party, or
the Court may reinstate the appeal on its own motion. It is the responsibility of any
party seeking reinstatement to request a hearing date from the trial court and to
schedule a hearing in compliance with this Court’s order. If the parties do not
request a hearing, the court coordinator of the trial court shall set a hearing date
and notify the parties of such date.

                                   PER CURIAM
                       RULE 38. REQUISITES OF BRIEFS

Tex. R. App. P. 38.8. Failure of Appellant to File Brief.

      (b) Criminal Cases.

             (1) Effect.    An appellant=s failure to timely file a brief does not
authorize either dismissal of the appeal or, except as provided in (4), consideration
of the appeal without briefs.

             (2) Notice. If the appellant=s brief is not timely filed, the appellate
clerk must notify counsel for the parties and the trial court of that fact. If the
appellate court does not receive a satisfactory response within ten days, the court
must order the trial court to immediately conduct a hearing to determine whether
the appellant desires to prosecute his appeal, whether the appellant is indigent, or,
if not indigent, whether retained counsel has abandoned the appeal, and to make
appropriate findings and recommendations.

             (3) Hearing. In accordance with (2), the trial court must conduct any
necessary hearings, make appropriate findings and recommendations, and have a
record of the proceedings prepared, which recordCincluding any order and
findingsCmust be sent to the appellate court.

             (4) Appellate Court Action. Based on the trial court=s record, the
appellate court may act appropriately to ensure that the appellant=s rights are
protected, including initiating contempt proceedings against appellant=s counsel. If
the trial court has found that the appellant no longer desires to prosecute the
appeal, or that the appellant is not indigent but has not made the necessary
arrangements for filing a brief, the appellate court may consider the appeal without
briefs, as justice may require.
