Full Opinion

Opinion filed October 8, 2026 In The Eleventh Court of Appeals ___________ Nos. 11-26-00225-CR, 11-26-00226-CR, & 11-26-00227-CR ___________ EL KEITHTRYCK ROBERT MASON, JR., Appellant V. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee On Appeal from the 350th District Court Taylor County, Texas Trial Court Cause Nos. 16184-D, 15595-D, & 15604-D MEMORANDUM OPINION Appellant, El Keithtryck Robert Mason, Jr., pleaded guilty to three felony offenses: the first-degree felony offense of aggravated kidnapping; the second- degree felony offense of aggravated assault; and the state jail felony offense of publishing or threatening to publish intimate material. See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. §§ 20.04(c), 21.16(g), 22.02(b) (West 2026). Pursuant to a negotiated plea bargain agreement between Appellant and the State, the trial court sentenced Appellant to imprisonment in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) for thirty-five years for the offense of aggravated kidnapping and for seven years for the offense of aggravated assault. In addition, the trial court, pursuant to the parties’ agreement, sentenced Appellant to confinement in the State Jail Division of TDCJ for two years for the offense of publishing or threatening to publish intimate material. The trial court ordered that Appellant’s sentences be served concurrently and signed a judgment in each case. Appellant later filed a pro se notice of appeal from each judgment. We dismiss the appeals. When the appeals were docketed, we notified Appellant that the trial court had certified, in each case, that (1) the case was a plea bargain case in which Appellant had no right of appeal, and (2) Appellant waived his right of appeal. See TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 44.02 (West 2018); TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(a)(2). In our letters, we requested a response showing grounds to continue the appeals and informed Appellant that the appeals were subject to dismissal. Appellant’s counsel filed a response in our cause nos. 11-26-00226-CR and 11-26-00227-CR, confirming that Appellant does not have a right to appeal and that “he clearly waived any right to appeal.” He further states that Appellant “affirmatively waived any rights to appeal on the record and signed plea papers on all three cases,” and he describes the terms of the plea bargain agreement, which are consistent with the trial court’s sentences in each case. Appellant filed a response in our cause no. 11-26-00225-CR but does not show grounds to continue the appeal. Rule 25.2(a)(2) provides that, in a plea bargain case in which the punishment imposed does not exceed the punishment agreed to by the parties, “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); see also CRIM. PROC. art. 44.02. Subsections (A), (B), and (C) are not applicable here. Further, Rule 25.2 does not permit a plea-bargaining defendant to appeal matters related to the voluntariness of his plea unless the defendant has obtained the trial 2 court’s permission to appeal. See Ex parte Castillo, 664 S.W.3d 833, 834 (Tex. Crim. App. 2022); Harper v. State, 567 S.W.3d 450, 455–56 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2019, no pet.) (collecting cases). As noted above, in each case, the trial court certified that the case was a plea bargain case, that Appellant had no right of appeal, and that Appellant waived his right of appeal. The trial court’s certifications were signed by Appellant, Appellant’s counsel, and the presiding judge. The documents on file in this court support the trial court’s certifications. See Dears v. State, 154 S.W.3d 610, 613–14 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005). Accordingly, we must dismiss these appeals without further action. TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2(d); Chavez v. State, 183 S.W.3d 675, 680 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006). These appeals are dismissed. W. STACY TROTTER JUSTICE October 8, 2026 Do not publish. See TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b). Panel consists of: Bailey, C.J., Trotter, J., and Williams, J. 3