Background
Rondrael Lamar Rossum was charged with assault family violence by impeding breath or blood circulation with a previous conviction, a second-degree felony. He pleaded guilty, and the trial court placed him on deferred-adjudication community supervision for ten years.
The State later moved to adjudicate Rossum’s guilt, alleging nine violations of his supervision conditions. At the revocation hearing, Rossum signed a stipulation of evidence and pleaded true to the allegations. The trial court found the allegations true, adjudicated him guilty, and sentenced him to twenty-five years in prison. His appellate counsel filed an Anders brief stating that the record presented no genuinely arguable appellate issues.
The Court’s Holding
The Texas Sixth Court of Appeals independently reviewed the entire appellate record, as required in the Anders context, and agreed with counsel that the appeal was wholly frivolous. The court identified no arguable issue supporting an appeal.
Because its review revealed no meritorious appellate issue, the court affirmed the trial court’s judgment. It also granted appellate counsel’s request to withdraw and stated that no substitute counsel would be appointed.
Key Takeaways
- The court independently reviewed the full record after appellate counsel submitted an Anders brief.
- That review disclosed no arguable issue supporting Rossum’s appeal.
- The court affirmed the judgment and granted appellate counsel permission to withdraw.
Why It Matters
The memorandum opinion illustrates the disposition of a criminal appeal under Anders when both appointed counsel and the appellate court’s independent review uncover no nonfrivolous issue. The court did not separately analyze the merits of the alleged community-supervision violations or announce a broader rule concerning pleas of true.