Opinion
NO. WR-84,222-01
01-13-2016
EX PARTE ROBERT LEBLANC JR., Applicant
ON APPLICATION FOR A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS CAUSE NO. 69,969-A IN THE 264 DISTRICT COURT FROM BELL COUNTY Per curiam. OPINION
Pursuant to the provisions of Article 11.07 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, the clerk of the trial court transmitted to this Court this application for a writ of habeas corpus. Ex parte Young, 418 S.W.2d 824, 826 (Tex. Crim. App. 1967). Applicant was convicted of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and sentenced to sixty years' imprisonment. The Third Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction. LeBlanc v. State, No. 03-13-00128-CR (Tex. App.—Austin Dec. 10, 2014) (not designated for publication).
Applicant contends that his appellate counsel rendered ineffective assistance because counsel failed to timely notify Applicant that his conviction had been affirmed.
Appellate counsel filed an affidavit with the trial court. Based on that affidavit and evidence from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the trial court has entered findings of fact and conclusions of law that appellate counsel failed to timely notify Applicant that his conviction had been affirmed. The trial court recommends that relief be granted. Ex parte Wilson, 956 S.W.2d 25 (Tex. Crim. App. 1997); TEX. R. APP. P. 48.4.
We find, therefore, that Applicant is entitled to the opportunity to file an out-of-time petition for discretionary review of the judgment of the Third Court of Appeals in Cause No. 03-13-00128-CR that affirmed his conviction in Cause No. 69,969 from the 264 District Court of Bell County. Applicant shall file his petition for discretionary review with this Court within 30 days of the date on which this Court's mandate issues. Delivered: January 13, 2016
Do not publish