Ex Parte Christopher Brantley v. the State of Texas

• Court: Court of Appeals of Texas
• Decided: April 23, 2024
• Docket: 07-24-00144-CR
• Status: Published

Opinion

In The Court of Appeals Seventh District of Texas at Amarillo

No. 07-24-00144-CR

EX PARTE CHRISTOPHER BRANTLEY

ORIGINAL PROCEEDING

April 23, 2024 MEMORANDUM OPINION Before QUINN, C.J., and DOSS and YARBROUGH, JJ.

Christopher Brantley, proceeding pro se, seeks relief from his 2013 conviction via

a writ of habeas corpus, mistakenly titled “Writ of Mandamus.”1 He asserts the State

withheld exculpatory evidence. For the reasons expressed herein, we dismiss his request

for want of jurisdiction.

This Court’s original jurisdiction to issue writs of habeas corpus is limited. See

TEX. GOV’T CODE ANN. § 22.221(d). Article 11.05 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure

provides that a writ of habeas corpus may be issued by the Court of Criminal Appeals,

1 Brantley brought a related challenge to his 2013 conviction in In re Brantley, No. 07-13-00141-

CR, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 6210, at *1 (Tex. App.—Amarillo May 20, 2013, orig. proceeding). district courts, county courts, or any judge of those courts. TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN.

art. 11.05. Watson v. State, 96 S.W.3d 497, 500 (Tex. App.—Amarillo pet. ref’d). Courts

of appeal are not designated as having jurisdiction to entertain or issue writs of habeas

corpus. Additionally, article 11.07 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure vests

exclusive jurisdiction ultimately in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals after an application

for relief is filed with the clerk of the court in which the conviction being challenged was

obtained. Art. 11.07, § 3(b).

Consequently, Brantley’s request for a writ of habeas corpus is dismissed for want

of jurisdiction.

Alex Yarbrough Justice

Do not publish.