COURT OF APPEALS

EIGHTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

EL PASO, TEXAS

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                                                                              )               No.  08-05-00352-CR

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IN RE:  RICARDO ROCHA MORENO              )     AN ORIGINAL PROCEEDING

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                                                                              )                 IN MANDAMUS

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OPINION ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS

Relator Ricardo Rocha Moreno seeks a writ of mandamus directing the trial court to correct an illegal sentence, in which punishment was improperly enhanced under the state jail felony statute.  Relator states that there is no final ruling in the cause and he has not exhausted all remedies.  This Court has authority to issue a writ of mandamus in a criminal law matter if two conditions are met:  (1) there is no adequate remedy at law; and (2) the act sought to be compelled is ministerial.  Ater v. Eighth Court of Appeals, 802 S.W.2d 241, 243 (Tex.Crim.App. 1991).

A sentence that is outside the maximum or minimum range of punishment is unauthorized by law and is therefore illegal.  Mizell v. State, 119 S.W.3d 804, 806 (Tex.Crim.App. 2003).  A defendant may obtain relief from an unauthorized sentence on direct appeal or by a writ of habeas corpus.  Id., citing Ex parte Pena, 71 S.W.3d 336, 337 n.4, 338 (Tex.Crim.App. 2002).  Thus, we conclude that in this case Relator has an adequate remedy at law by direct appeal or by a post-conviction writ of habeas corpus. 

Accordingly, we deny the petition for writ of mandamus.

December 8, 2005

DAVID WELLINGTON CHEW, Justice

Before Barajas, C.J., McClure, and Chew, JJ.

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