Stephen Dewayne Watkins v. the State of Texas

Court of Appeals
Tenth Appellate District of Texas

10-25-00403-CR

Stephen Dewayne Watkins,
Appellant

v.

The State of Texas,
Appellee

On appeal from the
19th District Court of McLennan County, Texas
Judge Thomas C. West, presiding
Trial Court Cause No. 2019-1041-C1

JUSTICE SMITH delivered the opinion of the Court.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Stephen Dewayne Watkins, acting pro se, filed a notice of appeal with

the trial court clerk attempting to have this Court address errors from his

convictions and sentences imposed in the trial court on January 18, 2023. The

trial court clerk forwarded the appeal to this Court. Although somewhat

unclear, it appears that in this appeal, which is entitled “Notice of (Restricted)

Appeal See Rule 26.2(a)(1) T.R.A.P.,” Watkins has attempted to file what he
refers to as a “restricted appeal” pursuant to Rule of Appellate Procedure

26.2(a)(1) in which he challenges this Court’s dismissal of his prior notice of

appeal in this Court’s Cause Number 10-25-00252-CR on October 16, 2025, and

the denial of his petition for a writ of mandamus in this Court’s Cause Number

10-25-00347-CR, also denied on October 16, 2025. Watkins does not indicate

that he is attempting to file a petition for discretionary review in the Court of

Criminal Appeals.1

By letter from the Clerk of this Court dated November 7, 2025, a letter

requesting a response showing grounds for continuing the appeal was sent to

Watkins. Watkins has filed a response; however, he has not established that

this Court has jurisdiction to review his complaints. We find that this Court

does not have jurisdiction to address Watkins’s issues relating to his

convictions and sentences imposed on January 18, 2023. Accordingly, this

appeal is dismissed for want of jurisdiction.

STEVE SMITH
Justice

1 We note that a restricted appeal is not available in a criminal appeal pursuant to the specific
language of Rule of Appellate Procedure 26.2(a)(1). See TEX. R. APP. P. 26.2.

Watkins v. State Page 2
OPINION DELIVERED and FILED: December 18, 2025
Before Chief Justice Johnson,
Justice Smith, and
Justice Harris
Appeal dismissed
Do not publish
CRPM

Watkins v. State Page 3