1 ... S eeT EX . R. A PP . P. 47. 4. 

## COURT OF APPEALS SECOND DISTRICTOFTEXAS FORT WORTH
NO. 2 - 0 8 - 2 2 1 - CV
I N R E I G N A C I O J A C K B U R C I E , J R . R E L A T O R

----- ----- -- OR I GI NALP R OCE E DI NG

----- ----- -- 

### M E M ORANDU M OP I NI ON 1

----- ----- -- I. I N T R OD U C T I ON Thi s pet i t i on f or w r i t of hab ea s cor pus ar i se s out ofa con t em ptor derf or f ai l ur e t o pay chi l d suppo r t . The t r i al cour tf oun d R el at orI gnaci o Jack B ur ci e, Jr . i n c r i m i nal an d c i vi l co nt em ptf orf ai l ur e t o pa y c hi l d s upport . Rel at or com pl ai ns, am ong ot her t hi ngs, t hat t he contem pt or der i s voi d because i tdoes nots pec i f i ca l l y i den t i f y t he dat es ofnonc om pl i anc e, how m anyvi ol at i ons occ ur r ed, orw het hert he se nt enc es ar e t o r un c on c u rren t l y orco ns ec ut i vel y. Beca us e t he con t em ptor deri s voi d, w e o r derRel at ordi sc har ged .2 II. F ACT UALAND P RO CEDU RA L B ACKGROUND R e la t o r a n d R e a l P a r t yin In t e r e s tC h r is t in a T o r n e r o B u r c ie d iv o r c e d in 2 0 0 4 . I n th e d i v o rc e d e c re e , th e tri a l c o u rt o rd e re d R e l a to r to p a y c h i l d s u p p o rt
o f $ 8 6 5 .1 0 o n th e fi rs t d a yo f e a c h m o n th . O n M a r c h 7 , 2 0 0 8 , M s . B u r c ie f ile d a m o t io n f o r e n f o r c e m e n t o ft h e c h ild
s u p p o r to r d e r . In t h e m o t io n , s h e a lle g e d t h a t R e la t o r h a d f a ile d t o p a y t h e f u ll
a m o u n t o f c h i l d s u p p o rt d u e o n e a c h o f th e p a y m e n t d a te s “ s h o w n b e l o w .” The m ot i on t her ea f t ers etf or t h a ch art i ndi ca t i ng i n c ol um ns a due da t e, t he
am oun tdue, t he dat e pai d, and t he am oun tpai d. The m ot i on r equest ed t hat R e l a to r b e h e l d i n c o n te m p t fo r e a c h v i o l a ti o n a l l e g e d i n h e r c h a rt. O n M ay 20, 200 8, t he t r i al cou r t hel d a hea r i ng on M s. Bur ci e’ s m ot i on f o re n f o r c e m e n ta n d f o u n d R e la t o r in c o n t e m p t . In it s o r d e r h o ld in g R e la t o rin contem pt , t he t r i al cour tf oun d, am ong ot hert hi ngs, t hatRel at or“f ai l ed t o pay c h ild s u p p o r ta s o r d e r e d t o C H R IS T IN A T O R N E R O B U R C IE t h r o u g h T e x a s C h ild Sup po r tDi s bu r s e m e n t U n i t, P. O . Bo x 65979 1, Sa n Ant on i o, Te xa s 7826 5- 97 91 i n t he am oun t s and on t he dat es show n bel ow , ” af t erw hi ch t he t r i al
cou r tpa st ed i nt o th e o rdera cop y oft he cha r tf r om t he m ot i on f or e n fo rce m e n t. T h e o rde r f u rt h e r state d tha t R e l a t o r w a s “ g u i l ty o f a s e p a rate
ac tofco nt em ptf orea ch su ch se par at e f ai l ur e t o pa y c hi l d s upporti n t he
am oun t s or der ed” and t hat t he pun i shm ent “f or each separ at e vi ol at i on” w as2 ... O n M a y 2 9 , 2 0 0 8 , R e l a to r p a i d th e b o n d . 3 a f i ne of$500 . 00 and c onf i nem enti n t he cou nt y j ai l f or a per i od oft hi r t y da ys to b e s e rv e d o n th e w e e k e n d s . O n M a y 2 7 , 2 0 0 8 , R e l a to r f i l e d h i s p e ti ti o n fo r w ri t o f h a b e a s c o rpu s w i th t hi s cou r t . The f ol l ow i ng da y, w e g r ant ed t em por ar y r el i efan d or der ed Rel at or di sc har ged on a $25 0 bond pen di ng our r ul i ng on hi s pet i t i on. W e r equest ed 2
a r esponse f r om M s. Bu r ci e as t he r eal par t y i n i nt er estbut have r ecei ved no ne.

III. G EN ER AL L AW A P P L I C AB L ET O H ABEAS C ORP US P ROC EE DI NG S A n or i gi nal ha bea s cor pus pr oce edi ng i s a c ol l at er al at t ac k o n a co nt em pt j u d g m e n t. E

x p arte Ro hleder, 424 S . W . 2d 891, 892 ( Tex. 1967 ) ( or i g. p ro c e e d i n g ); I

n re Nesevitch , 9 3 S .W .3 d 5 1 0 , 5 1 2 ( T e x . A p p .— H o u sto n [ 1 4 th D i st . ] 2002 , or i g. pr oce edi ng) . The pur pos e of a w r i t of hab ea s cor pus i s not t o det er m i ne t he gui l toft he contem norbutonl y t o det er m i ne w het her he w as a ffo rd e d d u e p ro c e s s o f l a w o r i f th e o rd e r o f c o n te m p t i s v o i d . E xp a rte G ordon , 5 8 4 S .W .2 d 6 8 6 , 6 8 8 (T e x . 1 9 7 9 ) (o ri g . p ro c e e d i n g ); Nesevitch , 93 S . W . 3d at51 2. A c o u rt w i l l i ssue a w r i tofhabeas cor pus i ft he or der
u n d e rl y i n g th e c o n te m p t i s v o i d , Ex parte Sh af f er, 649 S. W . 2d 300, 302 ( Tex. 1 9 8 3 ) (o ri g . p ro c e e d i n g ), o r i f th e c o n te m p t o rd e r i ts e l f i s v o i d . G ordon , 584 S . W . 2d at68 8. A n or deri s voi d i f i t i s beyon d t he pow er of t he cour t t o ent er4

i t, o r i f i t d e p ri v e s th e re l a to r o f l i b e rty w i th o u t d u e p ro c e s s o f l a w . Nesevitch , 93 S. W . 3d a t512.

I V. V OID C O NTEM PT O RD ER ; N O D UE P ROCESS OF L AW I n h i s p e ti ti o n fo r w ri t of h a b e a s c o rpu s, R e l a to r r a i se s s e v e ral co m p l a i n ts
a tta c k i n g b o t h t h e m o ti o n fo r e n fo rc e m e n t a n d th e c o n te m p t o rd e r. S p e c i f i c a l l y , R e la t o rc o m p la in s t h a tt h e o r d e ro fc o n t e m p tis v o id b e c a u s e it doe s noti den t i f y t he dat es of nonc om pl i anc e, how m anyvi ol at i ons oc cur r ed,
o r w h e th e r th e s e n te n c e s ru n c o n c u rre n tl y o r c o n s e c u ti v e l y . D ue pr ocess r equi r es a cour t , bef or e i m pr i soni ng a per son f orvi ol at i ng an ear l i eror der , t o s ig n a w r i t t en j udg m entoror derofcont em ptand a w r i t t en c o m m i t m e n t o rd e r. S e e, e .g., E xp a rteBa rne tt , 600 S . W . 2d 252, 256 ( Tex. 19 80 ) ( or i g. pr oceedi ng) . Sect i on 15 7. 16 6 o ft he T exas Fam i l y C ode pr ovi des t hatan enf or ce m entor derm us ti ncl ude ( 1) t he ac t s orom i ss i ons t hatar e t he
su b je ctoft he or derand ( 2) t he m anneroft he r espond ent ’ s noncom pl i ance. T EX . F AM . C ODE A NN . § 1 57 . 16 6( a) ( 2) , ( 3) ( V er non 20 02 ) . The con t em ptor der
m ust“cl ear l y st at e i n w hatr espectt he co u rt ’ s [ ear l i er ] or derhas been vi ol at ed. ” Ex parte Sh aklee , 939 S . W . 2d 144, 1 4 5 (Tex. 1997 ) ( or i g. pr oce edi ng) ( quot i ng E xp a rtePro c to r, 398 S. W . 2d 917 , 918 ( Tex. 196 6) ( or i g. pr oceedi ng) ) . I tf ol l ow s al so t hat , t o sat i sf y due pr ocess, t he contem ptor der
m u s t c l e a rl ys p e c i fy th e p u n i s h m e n t i m p o s e d b yth e c o u rt. C f. T EX . F AM . C ODE5

A NN . § 1 5 7 .1 6 6 (a) ( sta ti n g th a t c h i l d su p p o rt e n fo rce m e n t o rde r m u st sp e c i fy
re l i e f g ra n te d b y th e c o u rt); Shaklee , 939 S. W . 2d a t145. A s pr evi ousl y m ent i oned , t he conte m ptor deri n t hi s case st at es t hat R e la to r “ fa il e d to p a yc h il d s u p p o rt a s o rd e re d to C H R IS T IN A T O R N E R O B U R C IE t hr oug h T exas C hi l d S upp or tD i sbur sem entU n i t , P. O . Bo x 65 97 91 , San A n to n i o , T e x a s 7 8 2 6 5 -9 7 9 1 i n th e a m o u n ts a n d o n th e d a te s s h o w n b e l o w ,” af t erw hi ch t he t r i al co ur tpa st ed i nt o t h e o r dera cop y oft he cha r tf r om t he
m o ti o n fo r e n fo rc e m e n t. T h e fi rs t fe w l i n e s o f th e a l m o s t th re e -p a g e c h a rt a re as f ol l ow s: D a t e D u e A m o u n tD u e D a t e P a id A m o u n tP a id 12/ 01/ 04 $865. 10 12/ 01/ 04 $504. 30 12/ 10/ 04 $504. 30 01/ 01/ 05 $865. 10 01/ 07/ 05 $865. 10 02/ 01/ 05 $865. 10 02/ 25/ 05 $300. 00 T h e or der r ef l ec t s t hat Rel at or t i m el y pai d so m e pay m ent s i n f ul l , pai d m o re t han due on s om e o cc as i ons , pa i d l es s t han due on s om e o cc as i ons , an d m ade
m ul t i pl e paym ent s i n t he sam e m onth on som e occasi ons. I n t ot al , t he or der set s f or t h si xt y- ni ne dat es on w hi ch paym ent s w er e m ade, despi t e t he f actt hat onl y f or t y m ont hl y pa ym ent s w er e d ue dur i ng t he i d e n ti f i ed t i m e p er i od. A l t hough t he or der f ur t her st at es t hat Rel at or w as “g ui l t y of a s epa r at e a ctof6

c o n tem p t f o r ea c h su c h se p a rate fai l u re to p a y ch i l d s u p p o r t in th e am o u n ts
or der ed” an d t hatt he puni s hm ent“ f orea ch se par at e v i ol at i on” w as a f i ne of $50 0. 0 0 and co nf i nem enti n t he cou nt y j ai l f ora per i od oft hi r t y da ys t o be
se r ved on t he w ee ke nds , i tdoe s nots pec i f y ho w m anys epa r at e v i ol at i ons t h e r e w e r e o r w h e t h e r t h e s e p a r a t e t h ir t y -d a y s e n t e n c e s a r e t o ru n c o n c u r r e n t ly
orconsecut i vel y. C onsequ ent l y, t he contem pt or der f ai l s t o m eet t he r equi si t es of se ct i on 157 . 166 ( a) and vi ol at es due p ro c e s s . S ee T EX . F AM . C ODE A NN . § 1 5 7 .1 6 6 (a ); Shaklee , 9 3 9 S .W .2 d a t 1 4 5 ; Nesevitch , 93 S. W . 3d a t512– 13. B e c a u s e th e o rd e r d o e s n o t s p e c i fy h o w m a n y s e p a ra te v i o l a ti o n s th e re w e re orw het hert he t hi r t y- days ent enc es ar e t o r un c onc ur r ent l y orco ns ec ut i vel y, a s her i f fr el yi ng on t he con t e m p t o r derha s no w ay t o de t er m i ne how l ong R e la t o r is t o r e m a in in ja il. U n d e r t h e s e c ir c u m s t a n c e s , t h e c o n t e m p t o r d e ris
v o i d . S ee Shaklee , 9 3 9 S .W .2 d a t1 4 5 (h o ld in g t h a tc o n t e m p to r d e rw a s v o id because i t f ai l ed t o speci f y how m any separ at e vi ol at i ons occur r ed and w het her th e th i rty -d a ys e n te n c e s a re to ru n c o n c u rre n tl y o r c o n s e c u ti v e l y ); Nesevitch , 9 3 S .W .3 d a t5 1 2

– 1 3 (h o ld in g c o n t e m p to r d e r v o id b e c a u s e itd id n o tlis tc h ild suppo r tpaym ent s t hatr el at orf ai l ed t o pay no rt he dat es he f ai l e d to m ake t hose paym ent s) . W e t her ef or e sust ai n R el at or ’ s t hi r d and f i f t h i ssues and need
n o t re a c h h i s re m a i n i n g i s s u e s . S eeT EX . R. A PP . P. 47. 1.7 V. C ON C L U S I ON H avi ng s us t ai ned Rel at or ’ s t hi r d a nd f i f t h i ss ues , w e g r anthi s pet i t i on f or
w r i tofhabeas cor pus and orderRel at orr e le a s e d fr om bond and di schar ged f r om cu st ody. SU E W A LKER J U S T I C E PA N EL A : C A YC E, C. J. ; G A RD N ER and W A LKER, JJ. DEL I VERE D: J un e 30, 2008