Case Name: S. B. Burnett v. E. M. Powell
Court: Supreme Court of Texas
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1894-02-01
Citations: 86 Tex. 382
Docket Number: No. 169
Parties: S. B. Burnett v. E. M. Powell.
Judges: 
Reporter: Texas Reports
Volume: 86
Pages: 382–385

Head Matter:
S. B. Burnett v. E. M. Powell.
No. 169.
1. Application for Writ of Error. ¡ The law contemplates and requires that “ the petition (for writ of error) shall be accompanied with a certified copy of the conclusions of law and of fact filed in the cause by the Court of Civil Appeals with the : opinion thereof.” It further requires: “After a cause is decided in ! the Court of Civil Appeals, a conclusion of the facts and law of the case shall he filed in said cause within thirty days after the decision of the same.” Without such exhibit a writ of error will not be allowed. 383
2. Same—Practice. The case was postponed for thirty days to enable the applicant to secure action by the Court of Civil Appeals on his motion to have filed conclusions of law and facts............................................ 383
3. Mandamus to Court of Civil Appeals. On application for mandamus to the Court of Civil Appeals to compel the filing of conclusions of fact and law in case decided by it, the Supreme Court, as in other cases, will examine the application in order i to determine whether it discloses a case which would justify upon the hearing a peremptory writ.......................................... 384
4. Filing Conclusions of Fact and Law. The statute does not impose upon the judges of the Courts of Civil Ap- ' peals the duty of filing conclusions of fact and of law in cases over which their jurisdiction is final; as in a case of boundary............384
5. Same. The opinion of the Court of Civil Appeals that the case is one of boundary is conclusive on the Supreme Court, in absence of facts showing otherwise. If the applicant had accompanied his application with a copy of the statement of facts, certified from the transcript in the Court of Civil Appeals, or with extracts from that statement duly certified, showing that this is not simply a boundary case, the ruling would have been different.......................................... 386'
6. Same—Practice. When application is made to the Court of Civil Appeals to file conclusions of fact and law, and the court declines to accede to the request, upon the ground that no writ of error lies to their judgment, and the nature of the case is not such as to make it apparent that their jurisdiction is final, it is a useful rule to file1 with the petition for writ of error a statement of the character of the controversy, and of the issues involved, with sufficient fulness of detail to enable this court to determine whether it has power to grant a writ of error in the event application should be made.............................................. 385-
Application foe Writ of Error to Court of Civil Appeals for Second District, in an appeal from Wichita County.
W. W. Flood and W. G. Eustis, for application.

Opinion:
STAYTON, Chief Justice.
The application for writ of error shows that this cause was disposed of by a Court of Civil Appeals without a written opinion, and that no conclusions of fact and law have been filed' in that court. It further shows that the failure in this respect was one of the grounds of a motion for rehearing, but it does not show that the court was otherwise requested to make and file such conclusions.
The law contemplates and requires that " the petition shall be accompanied with a certified copy of the conclusions of law and fact filed in the cause by the Court of Civil Appeals with the opinion thereof."
It further requires: "After a cause is decided in the Court of Civil Appeals, a conclusion of the facts and law of the case shall be filed in said cause within thirty days after the decision of the same" in all cases in which writ of error will lie to the Supreme Court.
The application shows such a case as this court would have jurisdiction, over, but as it does not comply with the statutes, the writ of error can not now be granted.
If the cause be in fact one in which writ of error will lie, it is the right of applicant to have conclusions of fact and law made out and filed in the Court of Civil Appeals, and he is not without remedy to enforce this right.
That he may have opportunity to take steps to secure the making and filing of conclusions of law and fact, and thus be enabled to so amend his application as to enable this court to determine, through the means prescribed by law, his right to a writ of error, further action on the application will be postponed for a period of thirty days.
Delivered January 11, 1894.