STATE v. AUSTIN (2019)

On 15 August 2018, Defendant was charged with aggravated felony serious injury by vehicle. Pursuant to a written plea arrangement, he entered an Alford ¹ plea to the charge and was sentenced within the applicable mitigated range to an active prison term of 30 to 48 months. Defendant filed timely notice of appeal from the trial court's judgment.

Counsel appointed to represent Defendant is unable to identify any issue with sufficient merit to support a meaningful argument for relief on appeal and asks this Court to conduct its own review of the record for possible prejudicial error. Counsel shows to the satisfaction of this Court that he complied with the requirements of Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), and State v. Kinch, 314 N.C. 99, 331 S.E.2d 665 (1985) by advising Defendant of his right to file written arguments with this Court and providing him with the documents necessary to do so. Defendant has not filed any pro se arguments with this Court, and a reasonable time for him to do so has passed.

In accordance with Anders, we have fully examined the record to determine whether any issues of arguable merit appear therefrom. We have been unable to find any possible prejudicial error and conclude that the appeal is wholly frivolous. Thus, the trial court's judgment is affirmed.

AFFIRMED.

Report per Rule 30(e).

FOOTNOTES

1.   See North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25 (1970).

DILLON, Judge.

Judges DIETZ and MURPHY concur.