LOPEZ, EX PARTE LUIS GUSTAVO GARCIA v. the State of Texas
LOPEZ, EX PARTE LUIS GUSTAVO GARCIA v. the State of Texas
Opinion
IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TEXAS
NO. PD-0515-24 EX PARTE LUIS GUSTAVO GARCIA LOPEZ, Appellant
ON APPELLANT’S PETITION FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW FROM THE DALLAS COURT OF APPEALS KINNEY COUNTY
Per curiam. YEARY, J., dissented.
OPINION
Appellant was arrested for trespassing on private property. See TEX. PENAL CODE § 30.05(a). He filed a pretrial application for a writ of habeas corpus, arguing that the State was selectively prosecuting him in violation of his equal protection rights. The trial court denied relief, Appellant appealed, and the court of appeals affirmed the trial court’s ruling denying relief.1
Ex parte Lopez, No. 05-24-00082-CR (Tex. App.—Dallas March 27, 2024).
Appellant has filed a petition for discretionary review, arguing that the court of appeals applied the wrong standard when reviewing his equal protection claim. We recently handed down our opinion in Ex parte Aparicio, No. PD-0461-23, ___ S.W.3d ___ (Tex. Crim. App. October 9, 2024), in which we held that Aparicio’s selective prosecution claim was cognizable in a pretrial habeas application. We also held that Aparicio did not make a prima facie showing that he was arrested and prosecuted because of his gender.
Consistent with our opinion in Aparicio, we grant review on our own motion of the following ground: Did Appellant make a prima facie showing that he was arrested and prosecuted because of his gender?
Accordingly, we vacate the judgment of the court of appeals and remand the case to that court in light of our opinion in Aparicio. Appellant’s petition is refused. No motion for rehearing will be entertained, and the Clerk is instructed to immediately issue mandate.
DATE DELIVERED: DECEMBER 11, 2024 DO NOT PUBLISH
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