Court of Civil Appeals of Texas, 2023

In Re David Cornett v. the State of Texas

In Re David Cornett v. the State of Texas
Court of Civil Appeals of Texas · Decided October 26, 2023

In Re David Cornett v. the State of Texas

Opinion

IN THE TENTH COURT OF APPEALS Nos. 10-23-00298-CR; 10-23-00299-CR; 10-23-00300-CR; 10-23-00301-CR; 10-23-00302-CR; 10-23-00303-CR; 10-23-00304-CR; 10-23-00305-CR; 10-23- 00306-CR; 10-23-00307-CR; 10-23-00308-CR; 10-23-00309-CR; and 10-23-00310-CR IN RE DAVID CORNETT

Original Proceeding From the 40th District Court Ellis County, Texas Trial Court Nos. 37235CR, 37236CR, 37237CR, 37238CR, 37239CR, 37240CR, 37241CR, 37242CR, 37243CR, 37244CR, 37245CR, 37246CR, and 37247CR

MEMORANDUM OPINION Relator, David Cornett, was convicted of 13 offenses in 2015. In 13 petitions for a writ of mandamus, filed on October 10, 2023, relator requests that we order the respondent, the judge of the 40th District Court in Ellis County, to reform the judgments in all 13 convictions to delete the cumulation orders and render new judgments ordering the 13 sentences to run concurrently.

There are procedural problems with these petitions, such as, respondent and real party in interest, the State, were not served as required by the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure. See TEX. R. APP. P. 9.5. However, to expedite this decision, we use Rule 2 to suspend the operation of these rules. TEX. R. APP. P. 2.

As we have previously informed relator, see In re Cornett, No. 10-22-00191-CR, 2022 Tex. App. LEXIS 4470 (Tex. App.—Waco June 29, 2022, orig. proceeding) (not designated for publication), his complaint is a post-conviction attack on otherwise final judgments of felony convictions. We have no jurisdiction to grant post-conviction relief in an attack on a final felony conviction. See TEX. CRIM. PROC. arts. 11.07; 11.05; Ater v. Eighth Court of Appeals, 802 S.W.2d 241, 243 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991) ("[The Court of Criminal Appeals is] the only court with jurisdiction in final post-conviction felony proceedings."). Relator’s relief, if any can be obtained, is through an article 11.07 writ proceeding which relator asserts he has already attempted without success.

Accordingly, relator’s petitions for a writ of mandamus are denied.

TOM GRAY Chief Justice Before Chief Justice Gray, Justice Johnson, and Justice Smith Petitions denied Opinion delivered and filed October 26, 2023 Do not publish [OT06]

In re Cornett Page 2

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