Order entered November 8, 2016

In The Court of Appeals Fifth District of Texas at Dallas No. 05-16-00594-CR CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL ALLEN, Appellant V. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee On Appeal from the County Criminal Court No. 11 Dallas County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. MA1540272-N ORDER Appellant’s brief was due July 30, 2016. On September 14, 2016, the Court granted appellant’s motion to extend the time for filing his brief until October 14, 2016. To date, no brief has been filed and appellant has not otherwise communicated with the Court.

Therefore, the Court ORDERS the trial court to conduct a hearing to determine why appellant’s brief has not been filed. In this regard, the trial court shall make appropriate findings and recommendations and determine whether appellant desires to prosecute the appeal, whether appellant is indigent, or if not indigent, whether retained counsel has abandoned the appeal. See TEX. R. APP. P. 38.8(b). If the trial court cannot obtain appellant’s presence at the hearing, the trial court shall conduct the hearing in appellant’s absence. See Meza v. State, 742 S.W.2d 708 (Tex. App.–Corpus Christi 1987, no pet.) (per curiam). If appellant is indigent, the trial court is ORDERED to take such measures as may be necessary to assure effective representation, which may include appointment of new counsel.

We ORDER the trial court to transmit a record of the proceedings, which shall include written findings and recommendations, to this Court within THIRTY DAYS of the date of this order.

This appeal is ABATED to allow the trial court to comply with the above order. The appeal shall be reinstated thirty days from the date of this order or when the findings are received, whichever is earlier.

/s/ ADA BROWN JUSTICE