Aaron Pantoja Gonzalez v. the State of Texas

Summary

The Thirteenth Court of Appeals of Texas dismissed Aaron Pantoja Gonzalez’s attempted appeal for lack of jurisdiction. The court determined that the record did not reveal a final, appealable order concerning his motion for forensic DNA testing.

Holdings

1. A Texas appellate court generally has jurisdiction over a criminal defendant's appeal only when there is a final judgment of conviction, subject to recognized exceptions; because the record did not reveal an appealable order, the court lacked jurisdiction.
2. The appeal must be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction when no appealable order is shown.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the court of appeals had jurisdiction over an attempted criminal appeal when the record did not reveal a final, appealable order.
2. Whether the appeal should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

Disposition

dismissed