Unreported / Non-Citable
Background
Christopher Michael Jackson appealed from a proceeding in the 248th District Court of Harris County, Texas, under trial court case number 1763151.
Acting without counsel, Jackson moved to voluntarily dismiss the appeal on April 15, 2026. The Court of Appeals asked him to clarify whether he intended to dismiss this particular appeal, and Jackson responded on July 13, 2026, that he wanted to dismiss appeal number 01-24-00970-CR.
The Court’s Holding
The Texas First Court of Appeals granted Jackson’s motion and dismissed the appeal under Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure 42.2(a) and 43.2(f). His written clarification established that the dismissal request applied to this specific appellate case.
The court also dismissed all other pending motions as moot. The memorandum opinion was issued per curiam and designated “Do not publish.”
Key Takeaways
- A criminal appellant may voluntarily seek dismissal of an appeal under Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 42.2(a).
- After the court requested clarification, Jackson expressly confirmed that he wanted this specific appeal dismissed.
- The appeal was dismissed, and all remaining pending motions were dismissed as moot.
Why It Matters
The decision illustrates that an appellate court may require an unambiguous confirmation before acting on a pro se request to dismiss a particular criminal appeal. Once Jackson supplied that confirmation, the court ended the appeal without addressing its merits.