Juan Jesus Valenzuela v. the State of Texas
CourtTexas Court of Appeals, 11th District (Eastland)
Date FiledAugust 13, 2026
Docket11-25-00100-CR
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
Opinion filed August 13, 2026
In The
Eleventh Court of Appeals
__________
No. 11-25-00100-CR
__________
JUAN JESUS VALENZUELA, Appellant
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the 70th District Court
Ector County, Texas
Trial Court Cause No. A-22-0987-CR
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Appellant, Juan Jesus Valenzuela, pled guilty to aggravated assault with a
deadly weapon, a second-degree felony. See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 22.02(a)(2)
(West 2026). Pursuant to the terms of a negotiated plea agreement between
Appellant and the State, the trial court placed Appellant on deferred adjudication
community supervision for a period of five years.
The State subsequently moved to adjudicate Appellant’s guilt. The State
alleged in its motion that on or about February 27, 2025, Appellant had committed
an offense, namely, reckless driving, in violation of Rule (a) of the rules of
community supervision. Appellant pled “not true” to the allegation. Upon the
conclusion of the hearing, and having considered the evidence presented, the trial
court found the single allegation in the State’s motion to be “true,” adjudicated
Appellant guilty, and imposed a sentence of eighteen years’ imprisonment in the
Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
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 grounds 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 copies of the clerk’s and reporter’s record.
Counsel also advised Appellant of his 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
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 brief. Following the
procedures outlined in Anders and Schulman, we have independently reviewed the
brief and the record, and we conclude that this appeal is without merit. In a
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
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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 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 revocation decision 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 a
revocation proceeding in the light most favorable to the trial court’s ruling. 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, though contested, is sufficient to support
the trial court’s finding of “true.” See Rickels, 202 S.W.3d at 764. Namely, the
arresting officer testified he observed Appellant “cutting people off, driving down
the center lane,” and operating his vehicle in excess of ninety-nine miles per hour in
a forty miles-per-hour zone on the evening of February 27, 2025. See TEX. TRANSP.
CODE ANN. § 545.401 (West 2022) (“A person commits an offense [of reckless
driving] if the person drives a vehicle in wilful or wanton disregard for the safety of
persons or property.”). Appellant denied speeding over ninety miles per hour but
conceded that it had been “[a]bout 70 miles an hour” and that he had driven on the
median to maneuver around traffic. 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 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.
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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 arguable grounds for appeal exist.1 See
Anders, 386 U.S. at 744; Bledsoe v. State, 178 S.W.3d 824, 826–27 (Tex. Crim. App.
2005).
Accordingly, we grant counsel’s motion to withdraw, and we affirm the
judgment of the trial court.
JOHN M. BAILEY
CHIEF 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
Appellant has the right to file a petition for discretionary review pursuant to Rule 68 of the Texas
Rules of Appellate Procedure.
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