Court of Civil Appeals of Texas, 2008

in Re Sterling Shepard

in Re Sterling Shepard
Court of Civil Appeals of Texas · Decided March 12, 2008

in Re Sterling Shepard

Opinion

TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT, AT AUSTIN

NO. 03-07-00528-CR

In re Sterling Shepard

FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF TRAVIS COUNTY, 147TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT NO. 9034124, HONORABLE WILFORD FLOWERS, JUDGE PRESIDING

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Appellant Sterling Shepard was convicted for possessing more than four grams of cocaine. This conviction was affirmed. See Shepard v. State, No. 03-04-00038-CR, 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 2793 (Tex. App.—Austin, Apr. 6, 2006, pet. ref’d) (mem. op., not designated for publication). On June 22, 2007, Shepard filed a pro se motion for forensic DNA testing of the bag in which the cocaine was found. See Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 64.01 (West Supp. 2007). The district court denied the motion in a written order dated August 10, 2007, and this appeal followed.

Shepard represents himself on appeal. On December 10, 2007, Shepard was notified that his brief was overdue and advised that if he did not respond by January 11, 2008, the appeal would be submitted for decision without briefs. See Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(b). Shepard has not filed a brief or otherwise responded to the Court’s notice.

The district court concluded that Shepard had not established by a preponderance of the evidence that he would not have been convicted if exculpatory results had been obtained through DNA testing. See Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 64.03(a)(2)(A) (West Supp. 2007).

This conclusion is supported by the record. We find no error that should be considered in the interest of justice.

The order denying forensic DNA testing is affirmed.

__________________________________________ Bob Pemberton, Justice Before Chief Justice Law, Justices Pemberton and Waldrop Affirmed Filed: March 12, 2008 Do Not Publish

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