IN THE

TENTH COURT OF APPEALS

No. 10-14-00237-CV

MARY ALICE EMANUEL, ERVIN MITCHEL 

EMANUEL, SHIRLEY ANN RIVERS, JAMES 

EDWARD EMANUEL, ROY LEONARD EMANUEL, 

CLAUDIA FAY HASHEMI AND EVELYN M. DUPLESSIS,

Appellants

v.

DARRELL EARL EMANUEL AND CEDRIC 

ROYDELL EMANUEL,

Appellees

And

No. 10-15-00138-CV

IN THE MATTER OF HELEN C. WOOTEN, CSR

From the 87th District Court

Leon County, Texas

Trial Court No. 0-10-465

ORDER

On April 13, 2015, commencing at 10:00 a.m., a hearing was held in the Tenth 

Court of Appeals regarding the delay in filing the reporter’s record in Emanuel v. 
Emanuel v. Emanuel and In the Matter of Wooten Page 2

Emanuel, 10-14-00237-CV. On March 24, 2015 Helen Wooten was served by personal 

service with an Order to Show Cause to explain her delay in filing the reporter’s record 

in the referenced appeal. Helen Wooten appeared in person, Appellants (Mary Alice 

Emanuel, Ervin Mitchel Emanuel, Shirley Ann Rivers, James Edward Emanuel, Roy 

Leonard Emanuel, Claudia Fay Hashemi and Evelyn M. Duplessis) and Appellees 

(Darrell Earl Emanuel and Cedric Roydell Emanuel) appeared by counsel.

The Court reviewed the following history of complaints and orders regarding 

Helen Wooten:

1. Complaint filed by Honorable J.D. Langley regarding the reporter’s 

record for Phillips v. State, 10-09-00260-CR;

2. A Board recommendation for the format of a report required by 

Rule 13.4 for September 2013 received by transmittal letter dated 

October 6, 2013. This report was the most recent TEX. R. APP. PROC.

13.4 report received by the Tenth Court of Appeals from Helen 

Wooten;

3. A commitment order and judgment of contempt in Brewer v. Lowe’s, 

12-14-00155-CV regarding the failure of Helen Wooten to timely file 

a record in that proceeding.

Additionally, the Court reviewed the timelines of records filed by Helen Wooten in 

proceedings pending in the Tenth Court of Appeals for cases filed in calendar years 

2012, 2013, and 2014 as follows:

Style Docket No. Date Due Date 

Rec’d

Delay in Months

Brackens v. Triton Energy 10-12-00079-CV 03/19/12 08/13/12 5

Eggins v. State 10-12-00206-CR 09/21/12 03/07/13 6

Harris v. State 10-12-00254/255-CR 08/20/12 02/26/13 6

Jackson v. State 10-12-00483-CR 02/12/13 08/19/13 8

In the Interest of K.P., a child 10-13-00108-CV 04/11/13 07/16/13 3

Maddux v. Reid 10-13-00174-CV 07/08/13 07/17/14 12

TC&C Real Estate v. Sherrod 10-13-00385-CV 12/02/13 03/31/14 4
Emanuel v. Emanuel and In the Matter of Wooten Page 3

Thibodeaux v. State 10-13-00466-CR 04/21/14 12/04/14 7

Gardner v. State 10-14-00041-CR 04/01/14 01/27/15 10

Big Creek Const. v. Kamp 10-14-00046-CV 03/18/14 07/07/14 4

Salais v. Mexia State School 10-14-00152-CV 06/24/14 10/15/15 4

Emanuel v. Emanuel 10-14-00237-CV 09/15/14 03/06/15 6

 TOTAL 75

After hearing from counsel for appellants and appellees, the Court solicited an 

explanation from Helen Wooten for the late filing of the record in Emanuel v. Emanuel, 

10-14-00237-CV. The justices asked additional questions and received additional 

explanations in an effort to understand Helen Wooten’s explanation for the late-filed 

record in Emanuel v. Emanuel as well as for other late filings generally.

The hearing was recessed for the Court to deliberate. Upon reconvening the 

Court made the following observations:

1. During 2012, 2013, and 2014, the Court did not timely receive a single 

reporter’s record from Helen Wooten. In every appeal the Court sent at 

least one notice that the reporter’s record was past due. 1

2. The cumulative amount of time for all the late records filed with the Tenth 

Court of Appeals by Helen Wooten was approximately 75 months.

3. Much of the delay in timely filing records has been the result of 

communication failures, some of which were the result of contact 

information that was either inaccurate or that were not routinely and 

timely monitored by Helen Wooten.

4. Helen Wooten provided the following current contact information:

a. Mailing address: P.O. Box 990, Fairfield, Texas 75840

b. Cell phone number: 972/489-2698

c. Email address: helenwooten@windstream.net

The Court now renders the following warnings, admonitions, and orders:

 

1 The referenced review and observations did not include reporter’s records for proceedings transferred to other 

courts of appeals pursuant to docket equalization orders for which no reporter’s record was required.
Emanuel v. Emanuel and In the Matter of Wooten Page 4

1. Helen Wooten is ordered to provide the Court copies of every order which 

has been issued against her by the Judicial Branch Certification 

Commission and any of its predecessors during the past 10 years. The 

copies are ordered to be provided to the Court by May 15, 2015;

2. Helen Wooten is ordered to prepare the report required by TEX. R. APP.

PROC. 13.4 no later than the fifth business day of the month for the 

immediately preceding month and is ordered to deliver the report to the 

trial court judge for the 87th Judicial District and file a copy with the Tenth 

Court of Appeals by the 15th day of each month;

3. Helen Wooten is warned that late records will not be tolerated and that 

the timely filing of records is imperative;

4. Helen Wooten is admonished to communicate more effectively, and in 

particular, file a motion requesting an extension of time before the due 

date for a record, whether the due date is set by rules of appellate 

procedure, notice from the clerk of the Court, order of this Court or the 

trial court, or by agreement.

5. Helen Wooten is admonished to seek the assistance of other court 

reporters regarding the equipment, software, and training necessary to 

timely file reporter’s records with this or any other court.

6. Helen Wooten is ordered to use her best efforts to cause the websites for 

Freestone, Limestone, Leon, and Anderson Counties, as well as any 

website for the 87th District Court, to accurately reflect contact information 

for Helen Wooten. 

7. Helen Wooten is ordered to timely respond to communications from this 

Court, the trial court, and parties to any proceeding for which she acted as 

the court reporter. For purposes of this order, “timely respond” means 

within three business days of the date the communication was delivered 

to any of the addresses or numbers she has designated as current contact 

information noted above.

8. The Clerk of this Court is ordered to file a copy of this order with the 

Judicial Branch Certification Commission as a formal complaint.
Emanuel v. Emanuel and In the Matter of Wooten Page 5

The Clerk of this Court is ordered to create a new proceeding styled: In the 

Matter of Helen C. Wooten CSR, and place therein copies of the following documents 

from Emanuel v. Emanuel, 10-14-00237-CV:

1. Notice of appeal;

2. Notice (10/06/14);

3. Letter from Judge Evans (12/18/14);

4. Notice (02/11/15);

5. Letter from Helen Wooten (02/25/15);

6. Order (03/03/15);

7. Show Cause Order and Citation & Notice of Hearing (03/19/15);

8. Letter to Judge Evans (04/01/15);

9. Letter to the parties (04/09/15);

10. Response of Appellant (04/10/15);

11. Letter from Helen Wooten with JBCC Compliance Order (04/13/15); and

12. This Order.

In the Matter of Helen C. Wooten CSR, cause number 10-15-00138-CV is severed 

from Emanuel v. Emanuel, 10-14-00237-CV.

In the Matter of Helen C. Wooten CSR will remain pending until further order of 

this Court.

TOM GRAY

Chief Justice

Before Chief Justice Gray,

Justice Davis, and

Justice Scoggins

Order issued and filed April 16, 2015