Diez, James Logan

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 29, 2015
DocketWR-14,622-19
StatusPublished

This text of Diez, James Logan (Diez, James Logan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Diez, James Logan, (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

AFFIDAVIT IN FORMA PAUPERIS

I, James Logan Diez, do hereby swear under penalty of perjury pursuant to the Statutory Law on the unsworn declarations by prisoners that:

• I am presently confined by GPS/SISP and House Arrest by the TDCJ Parole Division at the Avalon Correctional Services, Inc.'s El Paso Correctional Services; • That I have no income and have not worked in a wage.earning job since my release from the TDCJ-CID prison system; That I have no a~sets such as lands, bank accounts and/or other tangible property which could be converted to cash; • That I am seeking a Writ of Mandamus which I believe I am legally entitled to because State Officials have refused to conform with Texas Court of Criminal Appeals findings/rulings in Case No. WR-14,622-18 and that I am asking the Court to ORDER said Officials to conform with said findings/rulings; and • That I do not seek such relief maliciously, but because I believe I am entitled to redress for my grievance.

So I do swear under penalty of perjury this the 22nd day of September 2015.

. ~EC~~VED .~~ . COURT OF CRJMINAlAWf~l~ SEP 29101~ IN THE TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS In Re: State of Texas vs. James Logan Diez Cause No. 12,797-B I Ct.Crim.App. No.14,622·t~=~~~\\~n{EIQJ ~{M PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS COURT OF CRJMIN/\t ~EAt~ SEP 29 2015 To the Honorable Justices ofthe Texas Court of Criminal Appeals:

Comes Now JAMES LOGAN DIEZ (Petitioner) and petitions the Court to is~~l~'iit'i~1,.Cie~ Mandamus ORDERING the Director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and/or the Chairman of the Board of Pardons and Paroles (Board) to immediately issue DISCHARGE CERTIFICATE on Sentence No. 12,797-B and release Petitioner from Custody; or, in the alternative, demonstrate by Certified documentation why Petitioner should not be Discharged as would be consistent with this Petition's presented Facts. In support of this Petition for Writ of Mandamus, Petitioner would show the following FACTS.

I

On November 27, 2013 TDCJ issued to Petitioner a Certificate of Mandatory Supervision (which Petitioner refused to sign) purportedly pursuant to the 65th Leg. Mandated "release from confinement" date. However, rather than release Petitioner from confinement per applicable Law, Petitioner was transferred from the TDCJ-CID's prison facilities to GPS/SISP CONFINEMENT and/or "House Arrest" at a TDCJ-PD (Parole Division) contracted Multi-Use Facility (MUF) in El Paso operated by Avalon Correctional Services, Inc. [the El Paso Transitional Center or EPTCJ, which is basically a privately operated minimum security work release prison. 1 Petitioner has basically REMAINED under such confinement from 11/27/2013 through Present date. The Certificate of Mandatory Supervision issued to Petitioner on November 27,2013, stated a Sentence Expiration Date 12/05/2015.

\ II

1 Petitioner is a 65th Legislative offender whose offense occurred May 6, 1982, and his parole/mandatory supervision is, therefore, controlled by the law in effect on 5/6/1982. Said law MANDATES that he be RELEASED FROM CONFINEMENT when his Flat Calendar Time served plus any Good Conduct Time equals the length of his sentence. However, TDCJ/Board Officials have seen fit to ignore this and continue Petitioner in ACTUAL Confinement dispite the mandated "release from confinement" under 65th Leg. Statute.

1 IN THE TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS In Re: State of Texas vs. James Logan Diez Cause No. 12,797-B j Ct.Crim.App. No. 14,622-18

On Ju~e 25, 2014, by unpublished opinion, this Court dismissed Petitioner's state Habeas Corpus Application on finding the Petitioner's Sentence of 30 years in Cause No. 12,797-B had been DISCHARGED. However, the TDCJ/Board did NOT conform with this Court's finding that the Sentence had Discharged, but has ignored said finding and continued Petitioner under conditions of ACTUAL confinement and conditional release. 'I:=x.~~ ~ ~ i- A]

III

On August 22, 2014, TDCJ Director William Stephens provided Petitioner a print-out showing Petitioner's Maximum Expiration of Sentence Date to be 12/05/2015. [Exhibit B] However ...

IV

On December 10, 2014, TDCJ Program Specialist Charley Valdez (TDCJ Classification and Records) provided an Affidavit which set Petitioner's Maximum Expiration of Sentence Date at May 7, 2016. [Exhibit C] ***** It should be noted that the Valdez Affidavit is saturated with incorrect dates/periods of confinement/release. *****

v

On December 10, 2014, TDCJ Parole Division (based on the Valdez Affidavit) provided Petitioner a print-out, also, showing Petitioner's Maximum Expiration of Sentence Date as being 5/07/2016; and, containing incorrect information [i.e. that the Sentence is to be served "Flat only" (without the benefit of Good Time); and, that "Restitution" is applicable, when in fact NO \ restitution was imposed by the convicting Trial Court]. [Exhibit C]

VI

Hence, the State of Texas, through this Court and THREE State Officials/Agencies has asserted Petitioner's Sentence of Record EXPIRES on:

2 IN THE TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS In Re: State of Texas vs. James Logan Diez Cause No. 12,797-B I Ct.Crim.App. No. 14,622-18

a) June25, 2014; b) December 5, 2015; c) May 7, 2016; and, when the Petitioner calculated his time, 5 d) February 12, 201~.

VII

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is this State's highest Authority on criminal matters. It MUST be presumed when the Ct.Crim.App. rules upon a matter, the Court has correctly and accurately applied BOTH the Facts AND the Law controlling the Case.

As demonstrated through Exhibit A, this Court found Petitioner's Sentence had been DISCHARGED as of June 25, 2014. Ergo, Petitioner should have been issued a DISCHARGE Certificate and immediately released from all custodial restraints in JUNE 2014 -- -yet, he was not. The TDCJ/Board Officials ignored this Court's finding and continued the Petitioner in ACTUAL confinement.

NOR did said Officials notify this Court that it had erred in its finding in order for the Court to make a timely review of Petitioner's time credits and/or, if appropriate, to re-open the state Habeas Corpus proceedings.

VIII.

TWO things MUST be recognized by all interested Parties:

' 1) The Opinions/Findings ofthe Texas Court of Criminal Appeals MUST be respected and adhered to by State Officials as well as the Citizenry; and, where said Officials take exception/object to the Court's Opinions or Findings, those Officials CANNOT simply ignore the Court, but MUST follow the legal Due Process procedure by which the disagreement with the Court can be properly considered by the Justices thereof; and, 2) A Citizen serving a Sentence imposed by a District Court has a statutory and constitutional RIGHT to have an accurate calculation of his Time Served and a fixed 3 IN THE TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS In Re: State of Texas vs. James Logan Diez Cause No. 12 797-B I Ct.Crim.App. No. 14,622-18 1

Discharge of Sentence date, and to know specifically WHEN that Discharge is. Officials CANNOT establish 2 or 3 different dates of Discharge and apply whichever they arbitrarily choose to his release.

IX

WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, Petitioner prays the Court will issue Writ of Mandamus ORDERING the TDCJ/Board to conform with the Court's finding that Petitioner's 30 year Sentence in Cause No. 12,797-B is and has been Discharged as of (at least) June 25, 2014, as was determined and stated by this Court in Habeas Review No. WR-14,622-18.

Should the TDCJ/Board take exception/object to or otherwise dispute this Court's finding that the Petitioner's Sentence had DISCHARGED; Petitioner respectfully Prays that the Court:

I.

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