Ignacio Villegas v. the State of Texas

• Court: Texas Court of Appeals, 2nd District (Fort Worth)
• Decided: April 30, 2026
• Docket: 02-26-00076-CR
• Status: Published

Opinion

In the Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas at Fort Worth ___________________________

No. 02-26-00076-CR ___________________________

IGNACIO VILLEGAS, Appellant

V.

THE STATE OF TEXAS

On Appeal from the 16th District Court Denton County, Texas Trial Court No. F25-555-16

Before Birdwell, Bassel, and Womack, JJ. Per Curiam Memorandum Opinion MEMORANDUM OPINION

Appellant Ignacio Villegas, proceeding pro se, attempts to appeal his conviction

for driving while intoxicated third or more. See Tex. Penal Code Ann. §§ 49.04,

49.09(b)(2). Pursuant to a plea bargain, Villegas pleaded guilty to that offense in

exchange for the State’s recommending that his punishment be assessed at ten years’

confinement, probated for seven years, and a $1,000 fine. As part of his written plea

agreement, Villegas waived any right of appeal, and he was admonished that if the trial

court followed the plea agreement, he could not appeal his case without permission

from the trial court “except for matters raised by written motions filed prior to trial.”

In accordance with the parties’ agreement, the trial court found Villegas guilty

and sentenced him to ten years’ confinement, probated for seven years, and fined him

$1,000. The trial court’s certification of defendant’s right of appeal, which was signed

by Villegas, states that this “is a plea-bargain case, and the defendant has NO right of

appeal.” See Tex. R. App. P. 25.2(a)(2), (d). The trial court also certified that Villegas

“has waived the right of appeal.”

After receiving a copy of Villegas’s notice of appeal, we notified him that we

had received the trial court’s certification stating that this is a plea-bargain case, that

he has no right of appeal, and that he waived the right of appeal. We warned him that

unless he filed a response by March 19, 2026, showing grounds for continuing the

appeal, this appeal could be dismissed. See Tex. R. App. P. 25.2(d), 44.3. We did not

receive a response.

2 Thus, in accordance with the trial court’s certification, we dismiss the appeal

for want of jurisdiction. See Tex. R. App. P. 25.2(d), 43.2(f).

Per Curiam

Do Not Publish Tex. R. App. P. 47.2(b)

Delivered: April 30, 2026