1

In The

Court of Appeals

Ninth District of Texas at Beaumont

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NO. 09-21-00100-CV

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IN RE LONNIE KADE WELSH

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Original Proceeding

435th District Court of Montgomery County, Texas

Trial Cause No. 15-01-0659-CV

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MEMORANDUM OPINION

In a petition asking this Court to grant a petition for mandamus, Lonnie Kade 

Welsh seeks a ruling overturning the results the State obtained in the lawsuit that 

ended in a judgment committing Welsh as a sexually violent predator in trial court 

cause number 15-05-00659-CV.

1 Welsh lists six overlapping claims in the table of 

contents accompanying his petition. His complaints fall within the three categories

and complain: (1) The charge contains error; (2) the evidence is insufficient to

support the jury’s finding that Welsh is a sexually violent predator; and (3) the trial 

1

See generally In re Commitment of Welsh, No. 09-15-00498-CV, 2016 WL 

4483165, at *1 (Tex. App.—Beaumont Aug. 25, 2016, pet. denied) (mem. op.).
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and appellate attorneys assigned to represent Welsh at his trial and in his appeal 

failed to discharge the duties they owed Welsh to provide him with effective 

assistance of counsel.

2 In the petition Welsh filed in this Court, however, he failed 

to include an appendix containing the documents supporting his claims.

3

Under Texas law, a court may grant a petition for mandamus to correct a clear 

abuse of discretion when no adequate remedy exists through an ordinary appeal.4

For that reason, a court may not grant relief on a realtor’s petition for mandamus 

relief to the extent the relator is complaining about matters that could have been 

raised in an ordinary appeal.

5

Two of Welsh’s three claims cannot be considered on their merits, as Welsh 

could have but failed to present them in the regular appeal he filed from the final 

judgment in cause number 15-01-0659-CV. Thus he cannot now complain the record 

2

U.S. CONST. amend. VI (providing that in “all criminal prosecutions, the 

accused shall enjoy the right . . . to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence”); 

see Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984). 

3

See Tex. R. App. P. 52.3(k); see also Tex. R. App. P. 52.7. Welsh’s petition 

is also defective for other reasons, including that he fails to identify information 

about the Respondent judge. See Tex. R. App. P. 52.2. But since Welsh identified 

the trial court cause number, we apply Rule 2 and overlook the fact that his petition 

does not strictly comply with the requirements of Rule 52 to expedite our resolution 

of the arguments he presented to support the petition he filed. See Tex. R. App. P. 2.

4

In re Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., 148 S.W.3d 124, 135-36 (Tex. 2004) (orig. 

proceeding).

5

See In re Luna, No. 07-10-00079-CV, 2010 WL 1050236, at *2 (Tex. App.—

Amarillo Mar. 23, 2010, orig. proceeding) (denying mandamus relief where relator 

failed to show how the complaint could not have been raised in an appeal). 
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is insufficient to support the final judgment in trial court cause number 15-01-0659-

CV and he cannot complain about alleged errors in the charge. Welsh’s remaining 

claim, which alleges he received ineffective assistance of trial and appellate counsel,

are also unavailing because his petition seeking mandamus relief does not show he 

presented these claims in the trial court through a proper pleading that would have 

authorized that court, in the first instance, to address his claims.

6 And assuming 

without deciding that claims of ineffective assistance are cognizable in a civilcommitment proceeding challenged by filing a writ of mandamus—a matter we 

expressly do not decide—Welsh must first present these claims to the trial court and 

before we may reach them when conducting our mandamus review even if they are 

cognizable. Even then, he must show the trial court that his claims of ineffective 

assistance are based on facts “firmly founded in the record.”7 No such evidence is 

before us here.

6

See Tex. R. App. P. 52.7(a). The 435th District Court retains jurisdiction over 

Welsh’s commitment and any modification of the civil commitment order or 

procedure for Welsh’s release from the commitment order. See In re Welsh, No. 09-

18-00126-CV, 2018 WL 1864729, at *1 (Tex. App.—Beaumont Apr. 19, 2018, orig. 

proceeding [mand. denied]) (mem. op.). A person’s civil commitment “continues 

until the person’s behavioral abnormality has changed to the extent that the person 

is no longer likely to engage in a predatory act of sexual violence.” Tex. Health & 

Safety Code Ann. § 841.081(a).

7

See In re Commitment of Garcia, No. 09-13-00235-CV, 2014 WL 5490938, 

at *2 (Tex. App.–Beaumont Oct. 30, 2014, pet. denied) (mem. op.).
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Having reviewed Welsh’s petition, we conclude he has not shown he is 

entitled to relief. Accordingly, Welsh’s petition for writ of mandamus is denied.

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 PETITION DENIED.

PER CURIAM

Submitted on May 12, 2021

Opinion Delivered May 13, 2021

Before Kreger, Horton and Johnson, JJ.

8

See Tex. R. App. P. 52.8(a).