From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Purchase v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas, First District, Houston
Oct 14, 2004
176 S.W.3d 406 (Tex. App. 2004)
Download
PDF
Check
Treatment

Summary

determining court of appeals lacked jurisdiction where record revealed trial court denied writ without hearing evidence or argument regarding applicant's claims and expressed no opinion on merits of claims

Summary of this case from Ex parte Gonzalez
See 6 Summaries

Opinion

No. 01-04-00747-CR.

October 14, 2004.

Appeal from the 337th District Court, Harris County, Debbie Montooth-Stricklin, J.

Samuel Reben Purchase, Seabrook, pro se.

Dan McCrory, Asst. Dist. Atty., Houston, for appellee.

Panel consists of Justices NUCHIA, HANKS, and HIGLEY.

OPINION

LAURA CARTER HIGLEY, Justice.

Appellant, Samuel R. Purchase, appeals the denial of his application for a post-conviction writ of habeas corpus. According to appellant's application, he was convicted of the felony offense of theft and placed on community supervision for four years. In both of his applications to the trial court and in his appeal to this court, appellant bases his right to relief on Code of Criminal Procedure article 11.01 and Texas Constitution article V, section 8. See TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 11.01 (Vernon 1977); TEX. CONST. art. V, § 8.

In its brief, the State contends that this appeal should be dismissed because we lack jurisdiction. We agree.

There is no right of appeal from a refusal to issue the writ of habeas corpus when the trial court did not consider and resolve the merits of the petition. See Ex parte Okere, 56 S.W.3d 846, 850 (Tex.App.-Fort Worth 2001, pet ref'd); Ex parte Gonzales, 12 S.W.3d 913, 914 (Tex.App.-Austin 2000, pet. ref'd); cf. Ex parte Hargett, 819 S.W.2d 866, 869 (Tex.Crim.App. 1991) (holding that if trial court reaches merits of habeas corpus application, its ruling is appealable even if trial court refused to issue writ). The crucial question to be answered is not whether the trial court issued the writ, but whether the court considered and resolved the merits of the petition. See Okere, 56 S.W.3d at 850; Gonzales, 12 S.W.3d at 914. An examination of the record in this appeal reveals that the trial court "denied" the writ without hearing evidence or argument regarding appellant's claims, and without expressing an opinion on the merits of those claims. Because the court did not consider and resolve the merits of appellant's habeas corpus application, we hold that we are without appellate jurisdiction. See Gonzales, 12 S.W.3d at 914.

Accordingly, we dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.

Summaries of

Purchase v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas, First District, Houston
Oct 14, 2004
176 S.W.3d 406 (Tex. App. 2004)

determining court of appeals lacked jurisdiction where record revealed trial court denied writ without hearing evidence or argument regarding applicant's claims and expressed no opinion on merits of claims

Summary of this case from Ex parte Gonzalez

In Purchase v. State, 176 S.W.3d 406 (Tex. App.- Houston [1st Dist.] 2004, no pet.), this Court concluded that the trial court did not reach the merits of the defendant's application for writ of habeas corpus where the trial court (1) denied the writ without hearing evidence or argument regarding the defendant's claims and (2) did not express an opinion on the merits of the defendant's claims.

Summary of this case from Ex parte Eugene

In Purchase, this Court concluded that the trial court did not reach the merits of the defendant's application for writ of habeas corpus where the trial court (1) denied the writ without hearing evidence or argument on the defendant's claims and (2) did not express an opinion on the merits of the defendant's claims.

Summary of this case from Mullinax v. State

In Purchase v. State, 176 S.W.3d 406 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2004, no pet.), this Court concluded that the trial court did not reach the merits of the defendant's application for writ of habeas corpus where the trial court (1) denied the writ without hearing evidence or argument regarding the defendant's claims and (2) did not express an opinion on the merits of the defendant's claims.

Summary of this case from Ex parte Nicholson

In Purchase, the appellate court dismissed the appeal because its examination of the record showed the trial court denied the writ "without hearing evidence or argument regarding appellant's claims, and without expressing an opinion on the merits of those claims."

Summary of this case from Ex parte Blakely

In Purchase v. State, 176 S.W.3d 406 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2004, no pet.), the court concluded that the trial court did not reach the merits of the appellant's habeas application where the trial court (1) denied the writ without hearing evidence or argument regarding the appellant's claims; and (2) did not express an opinion on the merits of the appellant's claims.

Summary of this case from Ex parte Lewis
Case details for

Purchase v. State

Case Details

Full title:Samuel R. PURCHASE, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee

Court:Court of Appeals of Texas, First District, Houston

Date published: Oct 14, 2004

Citations

176 S.W.3d 406 (Tex. App. 2004)

Citing Cases

Mullinax v. State

There is no right of appeal from a refusal to issue a writ of habeas corpus when the trial court did not…

Ex parte Blakely

In the case of a pretrial habeas application, an applicant may not appeal when the trial court refuses to…

123 Citing Cases