                                   NO. 07-08-0449-CR

                             IN THE COURT OF APPEALS

                      FOR THE SEVENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

                                      AT AMARILLO

                                         PANEL A

                                   JANUARY 28, 2009

                          ______________________________


          HORCE LEE ROGERS A.K.A. HORACE LEE HOOD, APPELLANT

                                             v.

                          THE STATE OF TEXAS, APPELLEE

                        _________________________________

             FROM THE 69TH DISTRICT COURT OF HARTLEY COUNTY;

                       NO. 997H; HON. RON ENNS, PRESIDING

                         _______________________________

Before CAMPBELL, HANCOCK and PIRTLE, JJ.


                                Abatement and Remand


       Following a plea of not guilty, appellant, Horace Lee Rogers a.k.a. Horace Lee

Hood, was convicted by a jury of burglary of a habitation, enhanced, and sentenced to 35

years incarceration in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division. The

clerk’s record was filed on January 21, 2009.
       Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 25.2(a)(2) requires that a trial court shall enter

a Certification of Defendant’s Right of Appeal each time it enters a judgment of guilt or

other appealable order. TEX . R. APP . P. 25.2(a)(2); Hargesheimer v. State, 182 S.W.3d

906, 911 (Tex.Crim.App. 2006). An appeal must be dismissed if the certification has not

been made part of the record under the applicable rules. TEX . R. APP . P. 25.2(d). An

appellate court that has an appellate record that includes a certification is obligated to

review the record to ascertain whether the certification is defective. Dears v. State, 154

S.W.3d 610, 615 (Tex.Crim.App. 2005).


       Pursuant to an amendment to Rule 25.2(d), which became effective on September

1, 2007, the certification of defendant’s right of appeal must be signed by the defendant

and a copy must be given to him. TEX . R. APP. P. 25.2(d). Additionally, the certification

shall include a notice that the defendant has been informed of his rights concerning appeal,

as well as his right to file a pro se petition for discretionary review.1


       The certification contained in the clerk’s record does not contain the defendant’s

signature. Furthermore, it does not reflect whether a copy of the certification was given to

the defendant nor does it indicate whether the defendant was given the required

admonishments. Therefore, the certification on file is defective.


       Consequently, we abate this appeal and remand the cause to the trial court for

further proceedings. Upon remand, the trial court shall utilize whatever means necessary



       1
       The proper form for Certification of Defendant’s Right of Appeal is contained in
Appendix D of the 2008 Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure.

                                               2
to secure a Certification of Defendant’s Right of Appeal in compliance with Rule 25.2(d).

Once properly executed, the certification shall be included in a supplemental clerk’s record

and filed with the Clerk of this Court on or before March 16, 2009.


       This order constitutes notice to all parties of the defective certification pursuant to

Rule 37.1 of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure. See TEX . R. APP. P. 37.1. If a

supplemental clerk’s record containing a proper certification is not filed in accordance with

this order, this matter will be referred to the Court for dismissal. See TEX . R. APP. P.

25.2(d).


       It is so ordered.


                                        Per Curiam




Do not publish.




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