§ 22-10. Appeal; appeal bond; fees.  


Latest version.
  • (a)

    A defendant has the right of appeal from a judgment or conviction in the municipal court of record. The state has the right to an appeal as provided by Article 44.01, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, as amended.

    (b)

    The appellate court shall determine each appeal from the court on the basis of the errors that are set forth in the appellant's motion and that are presented in the clerk's record and reporter's record, if any, prepared from the proceedings leading to the appeal. An appeal from the court shall not be by trial de novo.

    (c)

    To perfect an appeal, the defendant must file a motion for new trial not later than the 10th after the date on which the judgment and sentence are rendered. The motion must set forth the points of error of which the appellant complains. The motion or an amended motion may be amended by leave of court at any time before action on the motion is taken, but not later than the 20th day after the date on which the original or amended motion is filed. The court may for good cause extend the time for filing or amending, but the extension may not exceed ninety (90) days from the original deadline. If the court does not act on the motion before the expiration of the thirty (30) days allowed for determination of the motion the original or amended motion is overruled by operation of law.

    (d)

    To perfect an appeal, the appellant must also give notice of the appeal. If the appellant requests a hearing on the motion for new trial, the appellant may give the notice of appeal orally in open court on the overruling of the motion. If there is no hearing, the appellant must give a written notice of appeal and must file the notice with the court not later than the 10th day after the date on which the motion is overruled. The court may for good cause extend that time period, but the extension may not exceed ninety (90) days from the original filing date.

    (e)

    If the defendant is not in custody, the defendant may not take an appeal until the defendant files an appeal bond with the municipal court of record. The bond must be approved by the court and must be filed not later than the 10th day after the date on which the motion for new trial is overruled. If the defendant is in custody, the defendant shall be committed to jail unless the defendant posts the appeal bond.

    (f)

    The appeal bond must be in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00) or double the amount of the fines and costs adjudged against the defendant, whichever is greater.

    (g)

    The bond must:

    (1)

    state that the defendant was convicted in the case and has appealed; and

    (2)

    be conditioned on the defendant's immediate and daily personal appearance in the court to which the appeal is taken.

    (h)

    After an order overruling a motion for new trial, the defendant shall give written notice of appeal and pay a fee for the preparation of the clerk's record of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) not later than ten (10) days after the date on which the motion is overruled. The court shall note the payment of the fee on the docket of the court. If the case is reversed on appeal, the fee shall be refunded to the defendant. The defendant shall pay the fee for the preparation of the clerk's record and the fee for an actual transcription of the proceedings.

    (i)

    The appellant shall pay for any reporter's record containing a transcription of the proceedings unless the court finds, after a hearing in response to an affidavit by the defendant, that the defendant is unable to pay or provide security for the reporter's record. If the court so finds, the court shall order the reporter to prepare the record without charge to the defendant. Before the recorded proceedings are transcribed, the defendant shall, unless found by the court to be unable to pay for the reporter's record, post a cash deposit with the municipal court for the estimated cost of the record. The cash deposit shall be based on an estimate provided by the court reporter or the length of proceedings as indicated by the amount of tape used to electronically record the proceedings, if any, the cost of the court reporter. typing, and other incidental services. The municipal court may post a current schedule of the charges for transcription fees, including deposits. If the cash deposit exceeds the actual cost of the reporter's record, the court reporter shall refund the difference to the defendant. If the cash deposit is insufficient to cover the actual cost of the transcription, the defendant must pay the additional amount to the court reporter before the transcription may be submitted. If a case is reversed on appeal, the court shall promptly refund to the defendant any amounts paid for the reporter's record.

    (j)

    The record on appeal must substantially conform to the provisions relating to the preparation of a record on appeal in the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure and the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, as amended.

( Ord. No. 13-064, § 2, 11-21-13 )