Opinion ID: 1353943
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Docket Sheet Entry

Text: Garza argues alternatively that the 268th District Court did, in fact, render judgment within the ten-day period, as evidenced by the court's January 28, 1998 recitation that judgment was rendered on January 20, 1998. [2] The TABC disputes the order's recitation, arguing that the record establishes that the district court did not render judgment within the ten-day period. We agree with the TABC. Generally, a judgment is rendered when the decision is officially announced orally in open court, by memorandum filed with the clerk, or otherwise announced publicly. Comet Aluminum Co. v. Dibrell, 450 S.W.2d 56, 58 (Tex.1970); Knox v. Long, 152 Tex. 291, 257 S.W.2d 289, 292 (1953), Overruled in part on other grounds by, Jackson v. Hernandez, 155 Tex. 249, 285 S.W.2d 184 (1955); Coleman v. Zapp, 105 Tex. 491, 151 S.W. 1040, 1041 (1912). Despite the order's pronouncement that the court took this matter under advisement and rendered its decision on January 20, 1998, nothing in the record shows that the district court rendered judgment orally in open court, or otherwise publicly announced its decision, before the ten-day deadline expired. Thus, we must determine whether the record reflects a memorandum of decision filed on or before January 20, 1998. In an effort to resolve this question, the court of appeals ordered the Fort Bend County District Clerk to file a supplemental clerk's record containing any memorandum of decision or other document memorializing the rendition of judgment filed by the 268th District Court in connection with this case. In response, the district clerk prepared a supplemental record that contained an affidavit by the deputy clerk and a docket sheet containing two hand-written entries pertaining to January 16, 1998 and January 20, 1998. Both entries are preceded by a hand-written reference date and followed by the judge's initials. The January 16th entry indicates that the appellant and the appellee appeared for trial and that the court took the matter under advisement. The January 20th entry states: It is the determination & Judgment of this Court that the hearing Court's limitation to 5 witnesses deprived Tropicana of due process & therefore sets aside the Judgment and remands for further hearing. Garza contends that because the docket sheet contains the district court's initialed, hand-written entry reciting the substance of the court's final order before the ten-day deadline expired, the court timely rendered judgment. We disagree. Ordinarily, when there is a question concerning the date judgment was rendered, the date the judgment was signed prevails over a conflicting docket sheet entry. See N-S-W Corp. v. Snell, 561 S.W.2d 798, 799 (1997); Knox, 257 S.W.2d at 292-93; Grant v. American Nat'l Ins. Co., 808 S.W.2d 181, 183-84 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th dist.] 1991, no writ). In this case, the judgment was signed January 28, 1998. Because the signed judgment takes precedence over the docket sheet entry, we do not consider the docket sheet to be a timely rendition. Moreover, there is no indication that the court issued a memorandum of decision on January 20, 1998 or otherwise publicly announced rendition on that date. We conclude that neither the recital in the court's written judgment regarding an earlier rendition nor the January 20, 1998 docket sheet entry is sufficient to effectuate rendition of judgment on a date earlier than January 28, 1998, the date the court actually signed the judgment. We hold that the 268th District Court did not render judgment within the ten-day period section 11.67 mandates.