Mayes, Dennis Levece

• Court: Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas
• Decided: April 15, 2020
• Docket: WR-24,164-02
• Status: Published

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TEXAS NO. WR-24,164-02

EX PARTE DENNIS LEVECE MAYES, Applicant

ON APPLICATION FOR A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS CAUSE NO. W12-53766-K(A) IN CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT NO. 4 FROM DALLAS COUNTY

Per curiam.

ORDER

Applicant was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and sentenced to life

imprisonment. The Fifth Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction. Mayes v. State, No. 05-16-

00490-CR (Tex. App.—Dallas May 23, 2017) (not designated for publication). Applicant filed this

application for a writ of habeas corpus in the county of conviction, and the district clerk forwarded

it to this Court. See TEX . CODE CRIM . PROC. art. 11.07.

Applicant contends that trial counsel failed, among other things, to request that the State elect

which incident it would rely on and to object to the admission of extraneous misconduct evidence

because no notice was provided. Applicant has alleged facts that, if true, might entitle him to relief.

Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984). Accordingly, the record should be developed. The 2

trial court is the appropriate forum for findings of fact. TEX . CODE CRIM . PROC. art. 11.07, § 3(d).

The trial court shall order trial counsel to respond to the above claims. In developing the record, the

trial court may use any means set out in Article 11.07, § 3(d). If the trial court elects to hold a

hearing, it shall determine whether Applicant is indigent. If Applicant is indigent and wants to be

represented by counsel, the trial court shall appoint counsel to represent him at the hearing. See TEX .

CODE CRIM . PROC. art. 26.04. If counsel is appointed or retained, the trial court shall immediately

notify this Court of counsel’s name.

The trial court shall make findings of fact and conclusions of law as to whether trial counsel’s

performance was deficient and Applicant was prejudiced. The trial court may make any other

findings and conclusions that it deems appropriate in response to Applicant’s claims.

The trial court shall make findings of fact and conclusions of law within ninety days from

the date of this order. The district clerk shall then immediately forward to this Court the trial court’s

findings and conclusions and the record developed on remand, including, among other things,

affidavits, motions, objections, proposed findings and conclusions, orders, and transcripts from

hearings and depositions. See TEX . R. APP . P. 73.4(b)(4). Any extensions of time must be requested

by the trial court and obtained from this Court.

Filed: April 15, 2020 Do not publish