Christine Raines Villalta Claros v. the State of Texas
CourtTexas Court of Appeals, 11th District (Eastland)
Date FiledAugust 13, 2026
Docket11-25-00216-CR
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
Opinion filed August 13, 2026
In The
Eleventh Court of Appeals
__________
No. 11-25-00216-CR
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CHRISTINE RAINES VILLALTA CLAROS, Appellant
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from 70th District Court
Ector County, Texas
Trial Court Cause No. A-22-1221-CR
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Appellant, Christine Raines Villalta Claros, was charged in a multi-count
indictment with the offenses of injury to a disabled individual (Count One), murder
(Count Two), tampering with a human corpse (Count Three), and tampering with
physical evidence (Count Four). See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. §§ 22.04(a), (e),
19.02(b), (c), 37.09(c), (d) (West Supp. 2025). A jury convicted Appellant of all
offenses and assessed her punishment at imprisonment in the Correctional
Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as follows:
(1) fifty years for Count One; (2) life for Count Two; (3) fifteen years for Count
Three; and (4) ten years for Count Four. The trial court sentenced Appellant
accordingly and ordered that the sentences imposed be served concurrently. We
affirm.
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 a copy of the brief, a copy of the motion to withdraw,
an explanatory letter, copies of the clerk’s and reporter’s records, and a pro se form
in which to request and access the appellate record. Counsel also advised Appellant
of her right to (1) object to counsel’s motion, (2) review the record, (3) file a pro se
response to counsel’s Anders brief, and (4) 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 did not file a pro se response to counsel’s Anders brief. Following
the procedures outlined in Anders and Schulman, we have independently reviewed
the brief and the record, and we likewise conclude that this appeal is without merit.
See Anders, 386 U.S. at 744; Bledsoe v. State, 178 S.W.3d 824, 826–27 (Tex. Crim.
App. 2005). Therefore, we agree with counsel that no meritorious or arguable
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grounds for appeal exist. 1 See Anders, 386 U.S. at 744; Bledsoe, 178 S.W.3d at 826–
27.
Accordingly, we grant counsel’s motion to withdraw, and we affirm the
judgments of the trial court.
W. STACY TROTTER
JUSTICE
August 13, 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 Court of
Criminal Appeals pursuant to Rule 68 of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure. See TEX. R. APP. P. 68.
3