Gabriel Alexander Vela v. the State of Texas
CourtTexas Court of Appeals, 4th District (San Antonio)
Date FiledJuly 22, 2026
Docket04-26-00365-CR
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
Fourth Court of Appeals
San Antonio, Texas
MEMORANDUM OPINION
No. 04-26-00365-CR
Gabriel Alexander VELA,
Appellant
v.
The STATE of Texas,
Appellee
From the 290th Judicial District Court, Bexar County, Texas
Trial Court No. 2026-CR-001651
Honorable Jennifer Peña, Judge Presiding
PER CURIAM
Sitting: Lori I. Valenzuela, Justice
Lori Massey Brissette, Justice
Adrian A. Spears II, Justice
Delivered and Filed: July 22, 2026
DISMISSED
Appellant pleaded nolo contendere to assault of a public servant and was sentenced within
the terms of a plea bargain. Appellant then filed a pro se notice of appeal.
The trial court’s Certification of Defendant’s Right of Appeal states this “is a plea-bargain
case, and the defendant has NO right of appeal.” See TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(a)(2). The clerk’s record
contains a written plea bargain and a written waiver of appeal, and the punishment assessed did
not exceed the punishment recommended by the prosecutor and agreed to by appellant; therefore,
04-26-00365-CR
the trial court’s certification accurately reflects that appellant’s case is a plea bargain case and
appellant does not have a right of appeal. See id.
“In a plea bargain case . . . in which a defendant’s plea was guilty or nolo contendere and
the punishment did not exceed the punishment recommended by the prosecutor and agreed to by
the defendant[,] a defendant may appeal only: (A) those matters that were raised by written motion
filed and ruled on before trial, (B) after getting the trial court’s permission to appeal, or (C) where
the specific appeal is expressly authorized by statute.” TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(a)(2). The clerk’s
record does not contain a written motion ruled on before trial nor does it indicate the trial court
granted appellant permission to appeal. Additionally, nothing in the record establishes that this
appeal is expressly authorized by statute.
This court must dismiss an appeal “if a certification that shows the defendant has the right
of appeal has not been made a part of the record.” TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(d). Accordingly, on May
28, 2026, we notified appellant that this appeal would be dismissed pursuant to Texas Rule of
Appellate Procedure 25.2(d) unless an amended trial court certification that showed appellant had
the right of appeal had been made part of the appellate record by June 29, 2026. See TEX. R. APP.
P. 25.2(d), 37.1; see also Dears v. State, 154 S.W.3d 610 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005); Daniels v. State,
110 S.W.3d 174 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2003, no pet.). Appellant requested an extension of
time to allow the trial court to rule on his motion for an amended certification, and we granted the
extension.
On July 1, 2026, the district clerk filed a supplemental clerk’s record that contained a
written order denying appellant’s motion for an amended certification of his right to appeal. On
July 6, 2026, appellant filed a response confirming that the trial court had denied his motion for an
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amended certification of his right to appeal. In his response, appellant conceded that “this court of
appeals has little choice but to dismiss the instant attempted appeal.”
Because the record does not contain a certification showing that appellant has the right of
appeal, we dismiss this appeal. See TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(d).
PER CURIAM
DO NOT PUBLISH
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