Joe Angel Hernandez v. the State of Texas
CourtTexas Court of Appeals, 11th District (Eastland)
Date FiledAugust 20, 2026
Docket11-25-00294-CR
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
Opinion filed August 20, 2026
In The
Eleventh Court of Appeals
__________
Nos. 11-25-00291-CR, 11-25-00292-CR, 11-25-00293-CR
& 11-25-00294-CR
__________
JOE ANGEL HERNANDEZ, Appellant
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the 106th District Court
Dawson County, Texas
Trial Court Cause Nos. 22-9029, 22-8736, 22-8739 & 22-8964
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Appellant, Joe Angel Hernandez, pled guilty in separate causes to (1) theft of
a firearm in trial court cause nos. 22-9029 and 22-8964, state-jail felonies,
(2) tampering with physical evidence in trial court cause no. 22-8736, a third-
degree felony, and (3) aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in trial court cause
no. 22-8739, a second-degree felony. See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. §§ 31.03(a),
(e)(4)(C), 37.09(a), (c) (West Supp. 2025), § 22.02(a)(2), (b) (West 2026). Pursuant
to the terms of negotiated plea agreements between Appellant and the State, the trial
court sentenced Appellant to two years’ confinement in the State Jail Division of the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice in trial court cause nos. 22-9029 and 22-8964,
but suspended the imposition of these sentences, and placed Appellant on
community supervision for five years in each cause, and placed Appellant on ten
years’ deferred adjudication community supervision in trial court cause nos. 22-8736
and 22-8739.
The State subsequently moved to revoke Appellant’s community supervision
in trial court cause nos. 22-9029 and 22-8964 and to adjudicate his guilt in trial court
cause nos. 22-8736 and 22-8739, alleging in each cause that Appellant had
committed numerous violations of the terms and conditions of his community
supervision. The trial court held a hearing on the State’s motions, during which
Appellant pled “not true” to all allegations. Upon the conclusion of the hearing, the
trial court found the following allegations in the State’s motions to be “true”: that
Appellant (1) committed subsequent offenses, namely, evading arrest or detention
and twice driving while intoxicated, to which he pled guilty to each offense,
(2) submitted a hair follicle sample which tested positive for THC, (3) consumed
alcohol on various occasions, (4) failed to complete the drug awareness and anger
management classes as ordered, and (5) violated his designated curfew. The trial
court thereafter revoked Appellant’s community supervision, and sentenced him to
two years’ confinement in the State Jail Division of the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice in trial court cause nos. 22-9029 and 22-8964, and adjudicated
Appellant’s guilt, revoked his community supervision, and sentenced him to ten
years’ and twenty years’ imprisonment, respectively, in the Institutional Division
of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in trial court cause nos. 22-8736 and
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22-8739. The trial court further ordered that the sentences imposed be served
concurrently.
In each appeal, Appellant’s court-appointed counsel has filed a motion to
withdraw in this court, supported by a brief in which counsel professionally and
conscientiously examines the record and applicable law and concludes that there are
no meritorious or 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 copies of the briefs, copies of the
motions to withdraw, an explanatory letter, and copies of the clerk’s and reporter’s
records. Counsel also advised Appellant of his right to (1) object to counsel’s
motions, (2) review the record, (3) file pro se responses to counsel’s Anders briefs,
and (4) file a petition for discretionary review in each appeal. 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 409–12; and Stafford v. State, 813 S.W.2d
503 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991).
Appellant did not file a response to counsel’s Anders briefs in the appeals.
Following the procedures outlined in Anders and Schulman, we have independently
reviewed the record and the briefs, and we conclude that these appeals are without
merit. In an adjudication/revocation proceeding, the State need only prove a
violation of a term or condition of community supervision by a preponderance of the
evidence—the greater weight of credible evidence that would create a reasonable
belief that the probationer has violated a term or condition of his community
supervision. Cardona v. State, 665 S.W.2d 492, 493 (Tex. Crim. App. 1984);
Scamardo v. State, 517 S.W.2d 293, 298 (Tex. Crim. App. 1974); Guillory v. State,
652 S.W.3d 923, 928 (Tex. App.—Eastland 2022, pet. ref’d). In this setting, the trial
court, as the trier of the facts, is the sole judge of the credibility of the witnesses, and
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the weight to be afforded their testimony, and may resolve any inconsistencies in
their testimony. Hacker v. State, 389 S.W.3d 860, 865 (Tex. Crim. App. 2013);
Naquin v. State, 607 S.W.2d 583, 586 (Tex. Crim. App. 1980).
Although we review a trial court’s adjudication/revocation decision(s) under
an abuse of discretion standard, see Rickels v. State, 202 S.W.3d 759, 763 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2006); Cardona, 665 S.W.2d at 493, we review the evidence presented
at an adjudication/revocation proceeding in the light most favorable to the trial
court’s rulings. Hacker, 389 S.W.3d at 865; Garrett v. State, 619 S.W.2d 172, 174
(Tex. Crim. App. 1981). Here, the evidence presented at the hearing is sufficient to
support each finding of “true” made by the trial court. See Rickels, 202 S.W.3d at
764. In this regard, it is well-settled that proof of only a single violation of the terms
and conditions of a probationer’s community supervision is sufficient to support the
trial court’s adjudication/revocation order. Bryant v. State, 391 S.W.3d 86, 93 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2012); Garcia v. State, 387 S.W.3d 20, 26 (Tex. Crim. App. 2012);
Smith v. State, 286 S.W.3d 333, 342 (Tex. Crim. App. 2009); Sanchez v. State, 603
S.W.2d 869, 871 (Tex. Crim. App. [Panel Op.] 1980); Jones v. State, 472 S.W.3d
322, 324 (Tex. App.—Eastland 2015, pet. ref’d); Hart v. State, 264 S.W.3d 364, 367
(Tex. App.—Eastland 2008, pet. ref’d). Therefore, based on our review of the
record, we agree with counsel that no meritorious or arguable grounds for appeal
exist in these causes. 1 See Anders, 386 U.S. at 744; Bledsoe v. State, 178 S.W.3d
824, 826–27 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005).
Though not specifically raised as a point of error, counsel does mention, and
we note, that the trial court’s judgment in trial court cause no. 22-9029 contains a
nonreversible error. This judgment erroneously ordered that “the original attorney’s
fees of $600” be assessed against Appellant as reimbursement fees in the parallel
We note that Appellant has the right to file a petition for discretionary review with the Court of
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Criminal Appeals pursuant to Rule 68 of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure. See TEX. R. APP. P. 68.
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revocation proceeding. However, the fees were not assessed against Appellant when
he was originally sentenced and placed on community supervision, as reflected in
the trial court’s judgment from Appellant’s original guilty plea.
Moreover, prior to the revocation hearing, and throughout the duration of this
case, Appellant was found to be indigent, and the same counsel was appointed by
the trial court to represent Appellant’s interest in all proceedings. A trial court may
order an indigent defendant to pay court-appointed attorney reimbursement fees only
if the defendant has the financial resources to repay or offset, in whole or in part, the
costs of the legal services provided. TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. arts. 26.05(g),
42A.301(b)(10) (discretionary conditions of community supervision) (West Supp.
2025); see Mayer v. State, 309 S.W.3d 552, 556–57 (Tex. Crim. App. 2010).
Further, a defendant who has been determined by the trial court to be indigent is
presumed to remain indigent for the remainder of the proceedings in the case unless
a material change in the defendant’s financial circumstances occurs. CRIM. PROC.
art. 26.04(p); see Cates v. State, 402 S.W.3d 250, 251–52 (Tex. Crim. App. 2013);
Smith v. State, 631 S.W.3d 484, 501 (Tex. App.—Eastland 2021, no pet.). In this
instance, because the trial court had determined that Appellant was indigent and
nothing in the record indicates that Appellant’s financial circumstances materially
changed for his revocation proceeding, no basis existed to order the assessment of
court-appointed attorney reimbursement fees against Appellant. CRIM. PROC.
art. 26.04(p); see Cates, 402 S.W.3d at 251–52; Smith, 631 S.W.3d at 501.
We have the authority to modify and reform the trial court’s judgment so that
it speaks the truth. See TEX. R. APP. P. 43.2(b); Bigley v. State, 865 S.W.2d 26, 27–
28 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993); French v. State, 830 S.W.2d 607, 609 (Tex. Crim.
App. 1992). Therefore, we modify the trial court’s judgment in trial court cause
no. 22-9029 to delete the assessment of the $600 court-appointed attorney
reimbursement fees.
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Accordingly, we grant counsel’s motions to withdraw. We affirm the trial
court’s judgments in trial court cause nos. 22-8736, 22-8739, and 22-8964, and, as
modified, we affirm the trial court’s judgment in trial court cause no. 22-9029.
W. STACY TROTTER
JUSTICE
August 20, 2026
Do not publish. See TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).
Panel consists of: Bailey, C.J.,
Trotter, J., and Williams, J.
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