Matthew Dufresne Williams v. State

Opinion

02-10-155 & 156-CR

COURT OF APPEALS SECOND DISTRICT OF TEXAS FORT WORTH

NOS. 02-10-00155-CR
          02-10-00156-CR

MATTHEW DUFRESNE WILLIAMS

APPELLANT

V.

THE STATE OF TEXAS

STATE

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FROM CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT NO. 3 OF TARRANT COUNTY

MEMORANDUM OPINION[1]

          Appellant Matthew Dufresne Williams appeals the trial court’s judgments revoking his deferred adjudication community supervision and sentencing him to nine years’ confinement for possessing four or more but less than two hundred grams of cocaine with intent to deliver, in appellate cause number 02-10-00155-CR, and sentencing him to two years’ confinement in state jail for evading arrest or detention using a vehicle in appellate cause number 02-10-00156-CR, to be served concurrently.

          Williams’s court-appointed appellate counsel has filed a motion to withdraw as counsel and a brief in support of that motion.  Counsel’s brief and motion meet the requirements of Anders v. California by presenting a professional evaluation of the record demonstrating why there are no arguable grounds for relief.  386 U.S. 738, 87 S. Ct. 1396 (1967).  We gave Williams an opportunity to file a pro se brief, but he has not done so.

          Once an appellant’s court-appointed attorney files a motion to withdraw on the ground that the appeal is frivolous and fulfills the requirements of Anders, this court is obligated to undertake an independent examination of the record.  See Stafford v. State, 813 S.W.2d 503, 511 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991); Mays v. State, 904 S.W.2d 920, 922–23 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 1995, no pet.).  Only then may we grant counsel’s motion to withdraw.  See Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75, 82–83, 109 S. Ct. 346, 351 (1988).

          We have carefully reviewed the record and counsel’s brief.  We agree with counsel that this appeal is wholly frivolous and without merit; we find nothing in the record that might arguably support the appeal.  See Bledsoe v. State, 178 S.W.3d 824, 827–28 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005); see also Meza v. State, 206 S.W.3d 684, 685 n.6 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006).  Accordingly, we grant counsel’s motion to withdraw and affirm the trial court’s judgment.

                                                          PER CURIAM

PANEL:  MCCOY, MEIER, and GABRIEL, JJ.

DO NOT PUBLISH

Tex. R. App. P. 47.2(b)

DELIVERED:  January 5, 2012

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[1]See Tex. R. App. P. 47.4.