Lattimore, Willie James v. The State of Texas--Appeal from 351st District Court of Harris County

Dismissed and Opinion filed March 27, 2003.

In The

Fourteenth Court of Appeals

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NOS. 14-03-00308-CR;

14-03-00309-CR

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WILLIE JAMES LATTIMORE, Appellant

V.

THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

On Appeal from the 351st District Court

Harris  County, Texas

Trial Court Cause Nos. 899,787 & 899,788

M E M O R A N D U M O P I N I O N

After a guilty plea, appellant was convicted of the offenses of kidnaping and robbery. Appellant was sentenced on January 23, 2003, to 25 years= imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division. No motion for new trial was filed. Appellant=s notice of appeal was not filed until March 5, 2003.

A defendant=s notice of appeal must be filed within thirty days after sentence is imposed when the defendant has not filed a motion for new trial. See Tex. R. App. P. 26.2(a)(1). A notice of appeal which complies with the requirements of Rule 26 is essential to vest the court of appeals with jurisdiction. Slaton v. State, 981 S.W.2d 208, 210 (Tex. Crim. App. 1998). If an appeal is not timely perfected, a court of appeals does not obtain jurisdiction to address the merits of the appeal. Under those circumstances it can take no action other than to dismiss the appeal. Id.

Accordingly, the appeal is ordered dismissed.

PER CURIAM

Judgment rendered and Opinion filed March 27, 2003.

Panel consists of Justices Anderson, Seymore, and Guzman.

Do Not Publish C Tex. R. App. P. 47.2(b).