In Re William Penn Dixon v. the State of Texas

Court of Appeals
Tenth Appellate District of Texas

10-26-00131-CR

In re William Penn Dixon

Original Proceeding

JUSTICE SMITH delivered the opinion of the Court.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

William Penn Dixon, proceeding pro se, filed a document entitled

“Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus” with this Court. He claims that the

Brazos County District Clerk has refused to file his pro se petition for writ of

habeas corpus and that the trial court has refused to hold a hearing on the

petition, in which Dixon claims that the trial court should dismiss his pending

criminal charges based on an illegal search. He asks that we “order the trial

court to respond to the writ” and “send findings of facts [sic],” and further

requests that we suppress the evidence and dismiss the charges.

Intermediate appellate courts do not have original habeas corpus

jurisdiction in criminal law matters. See TEX. GOV’T CODE ANN. § 22.221(d).

Jurisdiction to grant a writ of habeas corpus in a criminal case vests with the
Court of Criminal Appeals, the district courts, the county courts, or any judge

in those courts. See TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 11.05; Ex parte Braswell,

630 S.W.3d 600, 601-02 (Tex. App.—Waco 2021, orig. proceeding).1

Accordingly, we dismiss Dixon’s petition for writ of habeas corpus for

want of jurisdiction.

STEVE SMITH
Justice

OPINION DELIVERED and FILED: April 23, 2026
Before Chief Justice Johnson,
Justice Smith, and
Justice Harris
Dismissed
Do not publish
OT06

1 We note that Dixon also indicated in his petition that he is represented by court-appointed trial

counsel and that appointed counsel refused to file a motion to suppress on his behalf. Though Dixon
questions his appointed counsel’s qualifications, a defendant represented by counsel is not entitled to
hybrid representation. See Robinson v. State, 240 S.W.3d 919, 922 (Tex. Crim. App. 2007).

In re William Penn Dixon Page 2