Reese v. State

OPINION

Opinion by

Justice MOSELEY.

I. BACKGROUND

Raymond Lee Reese appeared on the first day of his felony trial for driving while intoxicated (DWI) but after that first day, must have seen the handwriting on the wall 1 because he failed to appear for the second day of the trial, January 18, 2006. Reese’s absence failed to hinder the progress of the trial; the wheels of justice continued to grind and he was tried in absentia 2 on the DWI charge, was found guilty, and was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. 3 The DWI conviction was then not his sole problem because he was charged by…