In The Court of Appeals Sixth Appellate District of Texas at Texarkana
No. 06-15-00201-CR
SERGIO FONZA-CAREY, Appellant
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the 188th District Court Gregg County, Texas Trial Court No. 43866-A
Before Morriss, C.J., Moseley and Burgess, JJ. Memorandum Opinion by Justice Moseley
MEMORANDUM OPINION Pursuant to an open plea, the trial court found Sergio Fonza-Carey guilty of unlawful
possession of a firearm by a felon.1 After a trial to the bench, the trial court imposed the minimum sentence of two years’ imprisonment.2 On appeal, Fonza-Carey complains that the punishment imposed violates the prohibition against disproportionate sentences under the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
To preserve a complaint for appellate review, Fonza-Carey must have presented to the trial court a timely request, objection, or motion that stated the specific grounds for his desired ruling, or the complaint must be apparent from the context. See TEX. R. APP. P. 33.1(a)(1); Hookie v. State, 136 S.W.3d 671, 679–80 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2004, no pet.). We have previously held that to preserve a disproportionate sentence complaint on appeal, a defendant must either object at the time the sentence is imposed, or assert the complaint in a timely filed motion for new trial. See Mullins v. State, 208 S.W.3d 469, 470 n.2 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2006, no pet.); Hookie, 136 S.W.3d at 680; Jackson v. State, 989 S.W.2d 842, 845 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 1999, no pet.). Our review of the record shows that this complaint was not presented to the trial court.3 Therefore, Fonza-Carey’s sole complaint on appeal has not been preserved for our review.
1 See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 46.04(a), (c) (West 2011). 2 See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. §§ 12.34(a) (West 2011). 3 Fonza-Carey made no objection when his sentence was imposed. Although he filed a generalized motion for new trial, the motion did not raise the issue of a grossly disproportionate sentence or assert a violation of the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution.
We affirm the judgment.
Bailey C. Moseley Justice
Date Submitted: August 19, 2016 Date Decided: August 22, 2016
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