Texas Judiciary Online - HTML Opinion

From: Subject: Texas Judiciary Online - HTML Opinion Date: Thu, 31 May 2007 21:26:59 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0077_01C7A3CA.6C26EC80" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0077_01C7A3CA.6C26EC80 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.1stcoa.courts.state.tx.us/opinions/htmlopinion.asp?OpinionId=84323 Texas Judiciary Online - HTML Opinion

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Opinion issued May 31,=20 2007

In=20 The

Court of=20 Appeals

For=20 The

First=20 District of Texas

NO. = 01-06-00854-CV

NO.=20 01-06-00869-CV

IRMA = SAMBRANO,=20 Appellant

V.=20

TEXAS = DEPARTMENT OF=20 PROTECTIVE AND REGULATORY SERVICES,^{=20
(1)} Appellee

On = Appeal from the=20 300th District Court

Brazoria = County,=20 Texas

Trial = Court Nos.=20 29812, 35031

MEMORANDUM=20 OPINION

After a=20 jury trial, the trial court entered judgments on the jury's = findings and=20 terminated the parental rights of appellant, Irma Sambrano, to her = children, B.J.S. and K.A.S.^{=20
(2)} Appellant's court-appointed appellate counsel filed = a brief=20 stating his conclusion that there is no non-frivolous issue that = could be=20 presented on appeal and that any appeal would be without merit. = Appellant=20 counsel's brief includes a motion to withdraw, stating that he = mailed a=20 copy of the brief to appellant, along with a letter advising her = of her=20 right to file a pro se response. We affirm the trial court's = judgments and=20 grant counsel's motion to withdraw. Background = Appellee,=20 Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services ("TDPRS"), = filed=20 its "Original Petition in Suit Affecting the Parent-Child = Relationship"=20 against appellant, seeking to terminate appellant's parental = rights to=20 K.A.S. on September 8, 2005.^{=20
(3)} TDPRS subsequently filed its "Petition to Terminate = the=20 Parent-Child Relationship" against appellant, seeking to terminate = her=20 parental rights to B.J.S. on May 17, 2006.^{=20
(4)} The two causes were tried together to a jury on = August 1,=20 2006 and August 2, 2006.

Appellant = had=20 stipulated in a prior order that she had (1) knowingly placed or = knowingly=20 allowed B.J.S. to remain in conditions or surroundings that = endangered the=20 physical or emotional well-being of B.J.S., pursuant to section=20 161.001(1)(D) of the Texas Family Code, and (2) engaged in conduct = or=20 knowingly placed B.J.S. with persons who engaged in conduct that=20 endangered the physical or emotional well-being of B.J.S., = pursuant to=20 section 161.001(1)(E) of the Texas Family Code. = See Tex.=20 Fam. Code Ann. 161.001(1)(E) (Vernon Supp. 2006). The jury = found by=20 clear and convincing evidence that termination of the parent-child = relationship between appellant and B.J.S. was in the best interest = of the=20 child.

In a=20 separate jury charge, the jury found by clear and convincing = evidence that=20 appellant had (1) knowingly placed or knowingly allowed K.A.S to = remain in=20 conditions or surroundings that endangered the physical or = emotional=20 well-being of K.A.S., pursuant to section 161.001(1)(D) of the = Texas=20 Family Code; (2) engaged in conduct or knowingly placed K.A.S. = with=20 persons who engaged in conduct that endangered the physical or = emotional=20 well-being of K.A.S., pursuant to section 161.001(1)(E) of the = Texas=20 Family Code; and (3) failed to comply with the provisions of a = court order=20 that=20 specifically established the actions necessary for appellant to = obtain the=20 return of K.A.S., who had been in the permanent or temporary = managing=20 conservatorship of TDPRS for not fewer than nine months as a = result of=20 K.A.S's removal from appellant under Chapter 262 of the Texas = Family Code=20 for the abuse or neglect of K.A.S, pursuant to section = 161.001(1)(O) of=20 the Texas Family Code. See Tex. Fam. Code Ann. = 161.001(1)(O)=20 (Vernon Supp. 2006). The jury = also found=20 by clear and convincing evidence that termination of the = parent-child=20 relationship between appellant and K.A.S. was in the best interest = of=20 K.A.S.

The trial = court=20 entered judgments on the jury's findings on September 8, 2006, = terminating=20 appellant's parent-child relationship with K.A.S. and = B.J.S.

Appellant's=20 counsel reviewed the record and concluded that there is no = non-frivolous=20 issue that could be presented on appeal. Appellant's counsel then=20 submitted an Anders brief^{=20
(5)} and a motion to withdraw as counsel on January 8, = 2007. This=20 brief met the minimum Anders requirements by presenting a = professional evaluation of the record and stating why there are = no, in=20 counsel's opinion, arguable grounds for reversal. See Mitchell = v.=20 State, 193 S.W.3d 153, 156 (Tex. App.--Houston [1st Dist.] = 2006, no=20 pet.). TDPRS waived its opportunity to file a brief. Appellant did = not=20 file a response by the deadline set by the Court.=20

Anders Procedure

Anders=20 procedures are appropriate in parental-rights termination cases. = In re=20 K.D., 127 S.W.3d 66, 67 (Tex. App.--Houston [1st Dist.] 2003, = no=20 pet.); see In re D.E.S., 135 S.W.3d 326, 329 (Tex. = App.--Houston=20 [14th Dist.] 2004, no pet.); Porter v. Tex. Dep't of = Protective &=20 Regulatory Servs., 105 S.W.3d 52, 56 (Tex. App.--Corpus = Christi 2003,=20 no pet.); In re K.M., 98 S.W.3d 774, 777 (Tex. App.--Fort = Worth=20 2003, no pet.); In re E.L.Y., 69 S.W.3d 838, 841 (Tex. = App.--Waco=20 2002, no pet.); In re K.S.M., 61 S.W.3d 632, 634 (Tex.=20 App.--Tyler 2001, no pet.).

When=20 we receive an Anders brief from an appellant's = court-appointed=20 attorney who asserts that no arguable grounds for appeal exist, we = must=20 determine that issue independently by conducting our own review of = the=20 entire record. See Anders v. Calif., 386 U.S. 738, 744, = 87 S. Ct.=20 1396, 1400 (1967) (emphasizing that reviewing court--and = not=20 counsel--determines, after full examination of proceedings, = whether case=20 is "wholly frivolous"); Stafford v. State, 813 S.W.2d = 503,=20 5109-10 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991) (quoting same passage from=20 Anders).

Our role in this = Anders appeal=20 is limited to determining whether arguable grounds for appeal = exist.=20 See Bledsoe v. State, 178 S.W.3d 824, 827 (Tex. = Crim.=20 App. 2005). If we = determine that=20 arguable grounds for appeal exist, we must abate the appeal and = remand the=20 case to the trial court to allow the court-appointed attorney to = withdraw.=20 See id. The trial court must then either appoint another = attorney=20 to present all arguable grounds for appeal or, if the defendant = wishes,=20 allow the defendant to proceed pro se. See id. If we = determine=20 that there are arguable grounds for appeal, appellant is entitled = to have=20 new counsel address the merits of the issues raised. Id. = "Only=20 after the issues have been briefed by new counsel may [we] address = the=20 merits of the issues raised." Id. If, on the other hand, = we=20 determine, from our independent review of the entire record, that = the=20 appeal is wholly frivolous, we may affirm the trial court's = judgment by=20 issuing an opinion in which we explain that we have reviewed the = record=20 and have found no reversible error. See id. at 826-28. = The=20 holding that there are no arguable grounds for appeal is subject = to=20 challenge by an appellant by a petition for review filed in the = Texas=20 Supreme Court. Cf. id. at 827 & n.6 (stating that = appellate=20 court's conclusion that there are no arguable grounds for appeal = is=20 subject to challenge by an appellant by a petition for = discretionary=20 review filed in the Court of Criminal Appeals).

In=20 accordance with Anders and Bledsoe, we have = reviewed the=20 record and appellant's appointed counsel's Anders brief = and=20 conclude that no reversible error = exists.

Conclusion=20 We affirm the judgment of = the trial=20 court. We grant counsel's motion to withdraw.^{=20
(6)} Cf. Stephens v. State, 35 = S.W.3d 770,=20 771 (Tex. App.--Houston [1st Dist.] 2000, no pet.).

Tim Taft

Justice =

Panel consists of Justices = Taft,=20 Jennings, and Alcala.=20

1. The clerk's record and appellant's brief = lists=20 appellee as "Brazoria County Protective Services." The judgments = of the=20 trial court list petitioner as "Brazoria County Children's = Protective=20 Services, a unit of the Texas Department of Protective and = Regulatory=20 Services." We refer to appellee as Texas Department of Protective = and=20 Regulatory Services ("TDPRS").

Effective Sept. 1, = 2003, the=20 legislature renamed the Texas Department of Protective and = Regulatory=20 Services as the Department of Family and Protective Services. = See=20 Act of June 2, 2003, 78th Leg., R.S., ch. 198, =A7=A7 1.27, = 1.29, 2003=20 Tex. Gen. Laws 641, 642 (stating that reference in law to TDPRS = also means=20 DFPS and providing effective date of name change).=20

2. The judgment in cause number 35031 also = terminated=20 the parent-child relationship between K.A.S. and her father, who = does not=20 appeal. The identity of K.A.S's father was unknown; however, an = attorney=20 ad litem was appointed for the father at trial. The parental = rights of=20 B.J.S.'s father had been terminated in the "Agreed Final Decree of = Permanent Managing Conservatorship in Suit Affecting the = Parent-Child=20 Relationship," signed July 25, 2005.=20

3. At that time, the child K.A.S. was seven = days old.=20 K.A.S. was born September 1, 2005 in trial court cause number = 29812.=20

4. At that time, the child B.J.S. was two = years old.=20 B.J.S. was born February 29, 2004.=20

5. "Anders brief" refers to a brief = filed in=20 accordance with Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, = 741-44, 87 S.=20 Ct. 1396, 1400 (1967). In Anders, the United States = Supreme Court=20 held that a court-appointed defense attorney in a criminal case = who=20 determines, after fully examining the record, that an appeal is = wholly=20 frivolous and without merit must so advise the appellate court and = then=20 set forth any potential points of error and applicable law that = might=20 arguably support the appellant's position. See Anders, = 386 U.S.=20 at 741-44, 87 S. Ct. at 1400.

6. Counsel has a=20 duty to inform appellant of the result of her appeal and also to = inform=20 her that she may, on her own, pursue review in the Texas Supreme = Court.=20 Cf. Ex parte Wilson, 956 S.W.2d 25, 27 (Tex. Crim. App.=20 1997).

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