Samuel Mark McCann v. the State of Texas
CourtTexas Court of Appeals, 11th District (Eastland)
Date FiledAugust 6, 2026
Docket11-25-00074-CR
StatusPublished
📰 News Coverage: Read the LAWS.com news report on this case
Full Opinion
Opinion filed August 6, 2026
In The
Eleventh Court of Appeals
__________
No. 11-25-00074-CR
__________
SAMUEL MARK MCCANN, Appellant
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the 32nd District Court
Nolan County, Texas
Trial Court Cause Nos. 15285, 15286, 15287, & 15288
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Appellant, Samuel Mark McCann, was charged by separate indictments with
online solicitation of a minor and indecency with a child by exposure, both third-
degree felonies and indecency with a child by contact with two separate victims,
both second-degree felonies. See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 21.11(d) (West 2026),
§ 33.021(f) (West Supp. 2025). In a consolidated proceeding, Appellant entered
open pleas of guilty to the offense of solicitation of a minor and no contest to all
three offenses of indecency with a child. Following a hearing on punishment, the
trial court assessed Appellant’s punishment at ten years’ confinement for the
offense of online solicitation of a minor, fourteen years’ confinement for one of the
indecency-by-contact offenses, and ten years’ confinement for the offense of
indecency with a child by exposure, ordering the sentences to run concurrently.
Regarding the second offense of indecency with a child by contact, the trial court
deferred a finding of guilt and placed Appellant on deferred adjudication
community supervision for a period of ten years. We affirm.
Appellant’s court-appointed counsel has filed a motion to withdraw in this
court. The motion is supported by a brief in which counsel professionally and
conscientiously examines the record and applicable law and concludes that there
are no arguable issues to present on appeal. See Anders v. California, 386 U.S.
738, 744 (1967); In re Schulman, 252 S.W.3d 403, 406–09 (Tex. Crim. App.
2008). Counsel has provided Appellant with a copy of the brief, a copy of the
motion to withdraw, an explanatory letter, and a copy of a form motion to request
the clerk’s record and reporter’s record. Counsel also advised Appellant of his
right to object to counsel’s motion to withdraw, to review the record and file a pro
se response to counsel’s Anders brief, and to file a petition for discretionary
review. See TEX. R. APP. P. 6.5, 68. As such, court-appointed counsel has
complied with the requirements of Anders, 386 U.S. at 742–44; Kelly v. State, 436
S.W.3d 313 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014); Schulman, 252 S.W.3d at 409–12; and
Stafford v. State, 813 S.W.2d 503 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991).
Appellant has not filed a pro se response to counsel’s Anders brief.
Following the procedures outlined in Anders and Schulman, we have
independently reviewed the record and likewise conclude that the appeal is without
merit. See Anders, 386 U.S. at 744; Bledsoe v. State, 178 S.W.3d 824, 826–27
2
(Tex. Crim. App. 2005). We observe that prior to entering open pleas, Appellant
received written and oral admonishments pursuant to Article 26.13. TEX. CODE
CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 26.13 (West Supp. 2025). As part of his signed affidavit of
admonishment, Appellant swore he was pleading guilty freely and voluntarily and
he waived “[a]ny and all preliminary motions” that had been filed.
Although the court did not admonish Appellant regarding the applicable sex
offender registration requirements under Chapter 62, see id. art. 26.13(a)(5), (h),
such failure is harmless, and viewing the record as a whole, no substantial right
involving Appellant’s decision to plead guilty was affected. See Anderson v. State,
182 S.W. 3d 914, 921 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006) (citing TEX. R. APP. P. 44.2(b)); see
also Ex parte Afolabi, No. 11-22-00342-CR, 2024 WL 2061266, at *11 (Tex.
App.—Eastland May 9, 2024, no pet.) (mem. op., not designated for publication)
(“[A] trial court’s failure to comply with the Article 26.13(a)(5) sex offender
registration requirement admonishment does not provide a basis for the defendant
to set aside his plea of guilty.”).
Additionally, though Appellant briefly inquired about the possibility of
withdrawing his pleas of no contest at his punishment hearing before his sentences
were imposed, Appellant ultimately stated he wanted to proceed without changing
his pleas. See Odelugo v. State, 443 S.W.3d 131, 134 n.6 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014)
(providing that a defendant has a right to withdraw a plea in a jury-waived
proceeding without assigning a reason until the judgment has been pronounced or
the case has been taken under advisement); see also Garza v. State, No. 11-14-
00187-CR, 2016 WL 3573490, at *2 (Tex. App.—Eastland June 30, 2016, no pet.)
(mem. op., not designated for publication) (“After a trial court has admonished a
defendant, received the plea and evidence, and passed the case for [a sentencing
hearing], the case has been taken under advisement.”).
3
Accordingly, we agree with counsel that no meritorious arguable grounds for
appeal exist.1 See Garner v. State, 300 S.W.3d 763, 767 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009)
(“[C]ourts of appeals must decide whether the Anders appeal and subsequent pro
se brief raise any meritorious ‘arguable grounds’ for review.”).
We grant counsel’s motion to withdraw, and we affirm the judgments of the
trial court.
W. BRUCE WILLIAMS
JUSTICE
August 6, 2026
Do not publish. See TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).
Panel consists of: Bailey, C.J.,
Trotter, J., and Williams, J.
1
We note that Appellant has the right to file a petition for discretionary review in the Texas Court
of Criminal Appeals pursuant to Rule 68 of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure. See TEX. R.
APP. P. 68.
4