STEPHEN JOEL WILLIAMS v. THE STATE OF TEXAS (2017)

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Appellant, Stephen Joel Williams, pleaded guilty to the offense of forgery of a commercial instrument. See TEX. PENAL CODE § 32.21(d). On April 13, 2016, in accordance with appellant's plea agreement with the State, the trial court entered its judgment sentencing appellant to fifteen months' imprisonment in state jail. The trial court certified that this was a plea-bargain case and that appellant has no right of appeal. See TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(a)(2). On June 9, 2016, appellant filed a pro se notice of appeal. We dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction.

In a criminal case, a defendant's notice of appeal is due within thirty days after sentence is imposed in open court or the trial court enters an appealable order. See TEX. R. APP. P. 26.2(a)(1). The deadline to file a notice of appeal is extended to ninety days after the sentence is imposed if the defendant timely files a motion for new trial. See TEX. R. APP. P. 26.2(a)(2). The time for filing a notice of appeal may be further extended if, within fifteen days of deadline for filing the notice of appeal, appellant files the notice of appeal and a motion complying with Rule 10.5(b). TEX. R. APP. P. 26.3.

The trial court's judgment of conviction was signed on April 13, 2016. Appellant's notice of appeal filed on June 9, 2016, fifty-seven days after the judgment was signed, was untimely. See TEX. R. APP. P. 26.2. This Court has no authority to allow the late filing of a notice of appeal except as provided by Rule 26.3. See Olivo v. State, 918 S.W.2d 519, 522 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996). If an appeal is not timely perfected, a court of appeals does not obtain jurisdiction to address the merits of the appeal and can take no action other than to dismiss the appeal. See Slaton v. State, 981 S.W.2d 208, 210 (Tex. Crim. App. 1998). Because appellant's notice of appeal was untimely, we have no basis for jurisdiction over this appeal. See Slaton, 981 S.W.2d at 210; Olivo, 918 S.W.2d at 522.

Moreover, in a plea-bargain case, a defendant may only appeal those matters that were raised by written motion filed and ruled on before trial or after getting the trial court's permission to appeal. TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. art. 44.02; TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(a)(2). An appeal must be dismissed if a certification showing that the defendant has the right of appeal has not been made part of the record. TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(d); see Dears v. State, 154 S.W.3d 610, 613 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005). Here, the clerk's record supports the trial court's certification that this is a plea-bargain case and that appellant has no right of appeal. See TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(a)(2), (d); Dears, 154 S.W.3d at 615. Because appellant has no right of appeal, we must dismiss this appeal without further action. See Chavez v. State, 183 S.W.3d 675, 680 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006) (“A court of appeals, while having jurisdiction to ascertain whether an appellant who plea-bargained is permitted to appeal by Rule 25.2(a), must dismiss a prohibited appeal without further action, regardless of the basis for the appeal.”).

Accordingly, we dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction. TEX. R. APP. P. 42.3(a), 43.2(f). We dismiss any pending motions as moot.

PER CURIAM