Reynaldo Cuevas Jr. a/k/a Reynaldo Cuevas, Appellant, v. The State of Texas, Appellee. (2015)

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Appellant, Reynaldo Cuevas Jr. a/k/a Reynaldo Cuevas, attempted to perfect an appeal from a conviction for possession of a controlled substance.   We dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction.

Sentence in this matter was imposed on December 11, 2014, a motion for new trial was filed on December 22, 2014, and notice of appeal was filed on March 27, 2015.   On March 30, 2015, the Clerk of this Court notified appellant that it appeared that the appeal was not timely perfected and that the appeal would be dismissed if the defect was not corrected within ten days from the date of receipt of the Court's directive.   Appellant has not filed a response to the Court's directive.

Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 26.2 provides that an appeal is perfected when notice of appeal is filed within thirty days after the day sentence is imposed or suspended in open court unless a motion for new trial is timely filed.  Tex.R.App. P. 26.2(a)(1).   Where a timely motion for new trial has been filed, notice of appeal shall be filed within ninety days after the sentence is imposed or suspended in open court.  Tex.R.App. P. 26.2(a)(2).   The time within which to file the notice may be enlarged if, within fifteen days after the deadline for filing the notice, the party files the notice of appeal and a motion complying with Rule 10.5(b) of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure.   See Tex.R.App. P. 26.3.

Appellant timely filed a motion for new trial.   Therefore, his notice of appeal was due to have been filed on or before March 11, 2015.   See Tex.R.App. P. 26.2(a)(2).   Within the fifteen day time period, appellant did not file a motion for extension of time to file his notice of appeal and did not file his notice of appeal.

This Court's appellate jurisdiction in a criminal case is invoked by a timely filed notice of appeal.  Olivo v. State, 918 S.W.2d 519, 522 (Tex.Crim.App.1996).   Absent a timely filed notice of appeal, a court of appeals does not obtain jurisdiction to address the merits of the appeal in a criminal case and can take no action other than to dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction.  Slaton v. State, 981 S.W.2d 208, 210 (Tex.Crim.App.1998).   Appellant may be entitled to an out-of-time appeal by filing a post-conviction writ of habeas corpus returnable to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals;  however, the availability of that remedy is beyond the jurisdiction of this Court.   See Tex.Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 11.07, § 3(a) (Vernon 2005);  see also Ex parte Garcia, 988 S.W.2d 240 (Tex.Crim.App.1999).

The appeal is DISMISSED FOR WANT OF JURISDICTION.

Memorandum Opinion Per Curiam