A Texas Notice of Appeal (Criminal) is a document that is filed in the appellate court by a defendant in a criminal case to appeal a conviction or sentence handed down by a lower court. Depending on the circumstances, there are two different types of Texas Notice of Appeal (Criminal): direct appeal and discretionary appeal. A direct appeal is an appeal from a conviction or sentence that was entered after a jury trial or a trial without a jury (bench trial). The defendant must file a Notice of Appeal within 30 days after the sentencing hearing. A discretionary appeal is an appeal of certain orders or judgments of the trial court that were not the subject of a jury trial or bench trial. These types of appeals must be filed within 15 days of the order or judgment. The Notice of Appeal (Criminal) must include the name of the court, the name of the case, and the name of the defendant. It must also include a statement of the relief sought by the defendant and the basis for the appeal. After the Notice of Appeal is filed, the defendant will receive a briefing schedule from the appellate court setting forth the deadlines for filing the appellate briefs.