This section lets the appellate court choose among several appeal outcomes and sets required steps for opinions, clerk notices, rehearing motions, and mandates.
Sec. 30.00162. DISPOSITION ON APPEAL; PRESUMPTIONS; DECISION. (a) The appellate court may: (1) affirm the judgment of the municipal court of record; (2) reverse and remand for a new trial; (3) reverse and dismiss the case; (4) reform and correct the judgment; (5) abate the appeal or dismiss the appeal; or (6) enter any other appropriate order, as the law and the nature of the case require. (b) Unless the following matters were made an issue in the trial court or it affirmatively appears to the contrary from the clerk's record or reporter's record, the appellate court shall presume that: (1) venue was proven in the court below; (2) the jury was properly impaneled and sworn; (3) the defendant was arraigned; (4) the defendant pleaded to the complaint; and (5) the court's charge was certified by the municipal court judge before it was read to the jury. (c) In each case decided by the appellate court, the court shall deliver a written opinion or order either sustaining or overruling each assignment of error presented and a judgment shall be entered on the opinion or order. If an assignment of error is overruled, no reason need be given by the appellate court, but cases relied on by the court may be cited. If an assignment of error is sustained, the appellate court shall set forth the reasons for the decision and precedent if it exists. The appellate court clerk shall mail copies of the decision and judgment of the appellate court to the parties and to the municipal court clerk as soon as the decision is rendered by the appellate court. (d) After the decision of the appellate court is delivered, a party desiring a rehearing must present, not later than the 10th day after the date the decision is delivered, to the court a motion for rehearing. The motion must distinctly specify the grounds relied on for rehearing and must be accompanied by written argument in behalf of the motion. Oral argument in support of the motion is not permitted. A reply to a motion for rehearing need not be filed unless requested by the court. If a motion for rehearing is granted, the court may make final disposition of the case without reargument, may order the case resubmitted, with or without oral argument, or may issue other orders appropriate under the circumstances of the particular case. A second motion for rehearing may not be filed by the losing party unless permitted by appellate court rules. (e) Immediately after a decision of the appellate court becomes final, the clerk of that court shall issue a mandate and a bill of costs in the case to the trial court unless directed to withhold the mandate by the appellate court. (f) If a decision of the appellate court is appealed to a court of appeals, the appellate court on receipt of the mandate or other order from the court of appeals shall immediately comply with the order or mandate by issuing its own order or mandate and bill of costs, as the case may be. When a decision of a court of appeals becomes final, the clerk of that court shall issue a mandate in the case to the appellate court. A decision of a court of appeals is final as provided by Article 42.045, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1965. (g) Original papers transmitted as the record on appeal to the court of appeals, on final disposition of the case in the court of appeals or the court of criminal appeals, shall be returned to the court clerk from which they were received. The clerk of each court shall preserve copies of briefs and papers originally filed in that court. (h) The municipal court clerk and the appellate court clerk shall keep a copy of each decision of the appellate court in a volume or volumes with an index so that the public can inspect the decisions of the appellate court without the necessity of inspecting individual records of each case. (i) When the mandate of the appellate court is received by the municipal court clerk, the clerk shall file it with the papers in the case and note it on the docket. If the judgment has been affirmed or the appeal is dismissed, a proceeding is not necessary after filing the appellate court mandate in the municipal court of record to enforce the judgment of the court, except to forfeit the bond of the defendant, to issue a capias for the defendant, or to issue an execution against the defendant's property. (j) If the appellate court awards a new trial to the defendant, the cause stands as if a new trial had been granted by the municipal court of record, and the defendant shall continue on his appeal bond and shall appear for trial on notification mailed to his address on the appeal bond. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 167, Sec. 5.02(3), eff. Sept. 1, 1987. Renumbered from Government Code, Sec. 30.072 by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 8.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 37 (S.B. 1014), Sec. 9, eff. May 9, 2005.