Alfred Fabian Farias v. the State of Texas
Court
Court of Appeals of Texas
Decided
August 6, 2025
Jurisdiction
SA
Importance
44%
Practice Areas
Case Summary
Fourth Court of Appeals San Antonio, Texas MEMORANDUM OPINION No. 04-24-00525-CR Alfred Fabian FARIAS, Appellant v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee From the County Court at Law No. 8, Bexar County, Texas Trial Court No. 731783 Honorable Mary D. Roman, Judge Presiding Opinion by: Lori I. Valenzuela, Justice Sitting: Lori I. Valenzuela, Justice Lori Massey Brissette, Justice H. Todd McCray, Justice Delivered and Filed: August 6, 2025 AFFIRMED AS MODIFIED In two issues, appellant Alfred Fabian Farias challenges the trial court’s judgment of conviction in cause number 731783. We modify the judgment to reflect Farias’s plea of not guilty and affirm the judgment as modified. BACKGROUND In April 2024, Farias was charged with the misdemeanor offense of making terroristic threats against Monica Ramirez. That charge was docketed under cause number 731782. In May 04-24-00525-CR 2024, Farias was again charged with making terroristic threats—this time against Daniel Ramirez—and that charge was docketed under cause number 731783. The trial court consolidated the two causes. In a single trial, a jury found Farias guilty as charged in both cases, and the trial court sentenced him to 86 days’ incarceration. Farias timely filed this appeal from the judgment in cause number 731783. 1 ANALYSIS Consolidation In his first issue, Farias argues the trial court erred by consolidating the charge at issue in this appeal with the separate charge that was pending in cause number 731782. The State responds that Farias consented to the consolidation by failing to object below. “A defendant may be prosecuted in a single criminal action for all offenses arising out of the same criminal episode.” TEX. PENAL CODE § 3.02(a). “When a single criminal action is based on more than one charging instrument,” the charged offenses may be tried in a single action if the State files “written notice of the action not less than 30 days prior to the trial.” Id. § 3.02(b); Garza v. State, 687 S.W.2d 325, 330 (Tex. Crim. App. 1985). Here, Farias correctly notes that although he was prosecuted on two separate charging instruments in a single trial, the appellate record does not contain any pre-trial written notice of consolidation. “It has long been held that pending indictments may be consolidated in a single trial with the consent [of] or absent an objection by and with the implied consent of the defendant.” Garza, 687 S.W.2d at 330; see also Milligan v. State, 764 S.W.2d 802, 803 (Tex. Crim. App. 1989). The State’s failure to give proper notice of consolidation is a procedural error that the defendant can 1 Farias also appealed his conviction in cause number 731782. By separate opinion issued July 16, 2025, we affirmed that conviction. See Farias v. State, No. 04-24-00526-CR, 2025 WL 1949572, at *1 (Tex. App.—San Antonio July 16, 2025, no pet. h.) (mem. op., not designated for publication). -2- 04-24-00525-CR waive by failing to object at trial. TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. art. 1.14(a); LaPorte v. State, 840 S.W.2d 412, 414–15 (Tex. Crim. App. 1992), overruled in part on other grounds by Ex parte Carter, 521 S.W.3d 344, 347 (Tex. Crim. App. 2017); York v. State, 848 S.W.2d 341, 343 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 1993, pet. ref’d). Here, immediately before jury selection, the trial court called both cases and told the venire panel that “those two cases have been consolidated.” The record does not show that Farias argued below that he had not received proper notice of consolidation. Nor did he otherwise object to consolidation or move to sever the two causes. Because Farias did not object to either the consolidation itself or to his purported lack of notice, he waived any complaint about that issue. Milligan, 764 S.W.2d at 803; York, 848 S.W.2d at 343. But even if we assume he preserved this error for our review, we see nothing in the record to support a conclusion that the consolidation affected his substantial rights. See TEX. R. APP. P. 44.2(b); Tovar v. State, 165 S.W.3d 785, 795 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2005, no pet.).
Case Details
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Status
Decided
Date Decided
August 6, 2025
Jurisdiction
SA
Court Type
federal
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Case Summary
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Case Overview
Case Name: Alfred Fabian Farias v. The State of Texas
Court: Court of Appeals of Texas
Date: August 6, 2025
Citation: Unknown
Jurisdiction: San Antonio, Texas
In this case, Alfred Fabian Farias appealed his conviction for making terroristic threats against two individuals, Monica and Daniel Ramirez. The trial court had consolidated two separate charges against him, leading to a single trial where he was found guilty and sentenced to 86 days of incarceration.
Key Legal Issues
Farias raised two primary issues on appeal:
- Consolidation of Charges: Farias argued that the trial court erred in consolidating the two separate charges without proper notice.
- Clerical Error in Judgment: He contended that the judgment incorrectly stated that he pleaded guilty instead of not guilty.
Court's Decision
The Court of Appeals of Texas affirmed the judgment as modified. The court modified the judgment to accurately reflect Farias’s plea of not guilty while upholding the conviction.
Legal Reasoning
Consolidation of Charges
The court analyzed the Texas Penal Code § 3.02, which allows for the prosecution of multiple offenses arising from the same criminal episode in a single action. The court noted that:
- Farias did not object to the consolidation during the trial, which implied consent.
- The absence of written notice of consolidation was a procedural error that could be waived by failing to object.
The court concluded that Farias’s failure to raise an objection during trial meant he waived his right to contest the consolidation on appeal. Furthermore, even if the error was preserved, it did not affect his substantial rights.
Clerical Error in Judgment
The court acknowledged that the judgment incorrectly stated Farias pleaded guilty. The State conceded this point, and the court modified the judgment to reflect that Farias pleaded not guilty, adhering to TEX. R. APP. P. 43.2(b).
Key Holdings
- The trial court did not err in consolidating the charges against Farias, as he failed to object, thereby waiving his right to contest this issue.
- The judgment was modified to accurately reflect Farias’s plea of not guilty, correcting a clerical error.
Precedents and Citations
- TEX. PENAL CODE § 3.02: Addresses the prosecution of multiple offenses in a single action.
- Garza v. State, 687 S.W.2d 325 (Tex. Crim. App. 1985): Discusses the requirements for consolidation and consent.
- TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. art. 1.14(a): Addresses waiver of procedural errors.
Practical Implications
This case underscores the importance of timely objections in criminal proceedings, particularly regarding procedural issues like consolidation. Legal practitioners should ensure that defendants are aware of their rights to contest such procedural matters during trial to avoid waiving those rights on appeal. Additionally, the case highlights the necessity of accurate record-keeping and judgment documentation to prevent clerical errors that could misrepresent a defendant's plea.
Overall, the Farias case serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in criminal appeals and the critical nature of procedural compliance in the judicial process.
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Case Details
Legal case information
Status
Decided
Date Decided
August 6, 2025
Jurisdiction
SA
Court Type
federal
Legal Significance
Case importance metrics
Metadata
Additional information
Quick Actions
Case management tools