Skief, Tiwian Laquinn v. State

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TEXAS NO. WR-82,496-01

EX PARTE TIWIAN LAQUINN SKIEF, Applicant

ON APPLICATION FOR A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS CAUSE NO. F-1035936-L IN THE CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT NO. 5 FROM DALLAS COUNTY

Per curiam.

OPINION

Pursuant to the provisions of Article 11.07 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, the

clerk of the trial court transmitted to this Court this application for a writ of habeas corpus. Ex parte

Young, 418 S.W.2d 824, 826 (Tex. Crim. App. 1967). Applicant was convicted of murder and

sentenced to fifty years’ imprisonment. The Fifth Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction. Skief

v. State, No. 05-12-00223-CR (Tex. App. Dallas—May 21, 2013) (not designated for publication).

Applicant contends that his appellate counsel rendered ineffective assistance because counsel

failed to timely notify Applicant that his conviction had been affirmed and failed to advise him of

his right to petition pro se for discretionary review. We remanded this application to the trial court 2

for findings of fact and conclusions of law.

Appellate counsel filed an affidavit with the trial court. Based on that affidavit, the trial court

has entered findings of fact and conclusions of law that appellate counsel failed to timely notify

Applicant that his conviction had been affirmed and failed to advise him of his right to petition for

discretionary review pro se. The trial court recommends that relief be granted. Ex parte Wilson, 956

S.W.2d 25 (Tex. Crim. App. 1997).

We find, therefore, that Applicant is entitled to the opportunity to file an out-of-time petition

for discretionary review of the judgment of the Fifth Court of Appeals in Cause No. 05-12-00223-CR

that affirmed his conviction in Cause No. F10-35936-L from the Criminal District No. 5 of Dallas

County. Applicant shall file his petition for discretionary review with this Court within 30 days of

the date on which this Court’s mandate issues.

Delivered: May 13, 2015 Do not publish