Derrick Gilbert v. the State of Texas
CourtTexas Court of Appeals, 8th District (El Paso)
Date FiledJuly 23, 2026
Docket08-26-00171-CR
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
COURT OF APPEALS
EIGHTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS
EL PASO, TEXAS
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No. 08-26-00171-CR
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Derrick Gilbert, Appellant
v.
The State of Texas, Appellee
On Appeal from the County Court at Law No. 2
Bell County, Texas1
Trial Court No. 25CCR07779
M E MO R A N D UM O P I N I O N
Appellant, Derrick Gilbert, was convicted of failure to identify and was sentenced to
three days imprisonment in the Bell County jail. On July 1, 2026, Gilbert’s counsel filed a
motion to dismiss this appeal. For the following reasons, we grant the motion and dismiss the
appeal.
1
This case was transferred pursuant to the Texas Supreme Court’s docket equalization efforts. Tex. Gov’t Code
§ 73.001. We follow the precedent of the Third Court of Appeals to the extent it might conflict with our own. See
Tex. R. App. P. 41.3.
Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 42.2(a) authorizes the voluntary dismissal of a
criminal appeal when the motion to dismiss is signed by both the appellant and his counsel.
Tex. R. App. P. 42.2(a). Included with Counsel’s motion is a handwritten letter from Gilbert to
Counsel in which Gilbert states that he “would like to stop all proceedings” in this appeal. In the
motion, Counsel explains that he attempted to contact Gilbert and obtain his signature for a
motion to dismiss by writing to Gilbert’s last known address and by contacting the Bell County
Jail, but Gilbert had already been released from jail and did not leave a forwarding address.
We conclude that Gilbert’s letter, together with Counsel’s motion, are sufficient to meet
the requirements of Rule 42.2(a). See, e.g., McGee v. State, No. 10-16-00136-CR, 2016 WL
4691292 at *1 (Tex. App.—Waco June 15, 2016, no pet.). Accordingly, we GRANT the motion
and dismiss the appeal.
GINA M. PALAFOX, Justice
July 23, 2026
Before Salas Mendoza, C.J., Palafox, and Soto, JJ.
(Do Not Publish)
2