Valerie Lauren Mata v. the State of Texas

• Court: Texas Court of Appeals, 1st District (Houston)
• Decided: January 29, 2026
• Docket: 01-25-01002-CR
• Status: Published

Opinion

Opinion issued January 29, 2026

In The

Court of Appeals For The

First District of Texas ———————————— NO. 01-25-01002-CR ——————————— VALERIE LAUREN MATA, Appellant V. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

On Appeal from the 228th District Court Harris County, Texas Trial Court Case No. 1866374

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Appellant Valerie Lauren Mata attempted to appeal from a judgment of

conviction for the offense of improper relationship with a student for which appellant

was sentenced to five years’ incarceration in the Correctional Institutions Division

of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. See TEX. PENAL CODE § 21.12(a). Appellant’s appointed counsel has advised the Court that appellant waived the right

of appeal.

The clerk’s record indicates that appellant pleaded guilty and as part of her

plea, she agreed to waive her right to appeal. The trial court’s certification of

defendant’s right of appeal certified that appellant had no right of appeal because

this was a plea-bargain case.

A defendant may waive her appeal as part of a plea even if sentencing is not

agreed upon, if consideration is given for that waiver. See Ex parte Broadway, 301

S.W.3d 694, 699 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009). For a waiver to be valid, the record must

show that the State gave up its right to a jury trial in exchange for the defendant’s

waiver of her right to appeal. See Carson v. State, 559 S.W.3d 489, 494 (Tex. Crim.

App. 2018). The appellate record indicates that appellant agreed to waive her right

of appeal in exchange for the State giving up its right to a jury trial. Because

appellant has no right of appeal, we must dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.

See Chavez v. State, 183 S.W.3d 675, 680 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006).

Accordingly, we dismiss this appeal. Any pending motions are dismissed as

moot.

PER CURIAM

Panel consists of Justices Guerra, Caughey, and Dokupil.

Do not publish. TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).