Opinion ID: 1463463
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: mandamusadequate remedy by appeal

Text: Mandamus will not issue where there is a clear and adequate remedy at law such as a normal appeal. See Walker v. Packer, 827 S.W.2d 833, 840 (Tex.1992); State v. Walker, 679 S.W.2d 484, 485 (Tex.1984). As this Court has repeatedly stated, mandamus is intended to be an extraordinary remedy, available only in limited circumstances. See Walker, 827 S.W.2d at 840. Mandamus will issue only in situations involving manifest and urgent necessity and not for grievances that may be resolved by other remedies. See Walker, 827 S.W.2d at 840; Holloway v. Fifth Court of Appeals, 767 S.W.2d 680, 684 (Tex.1989). A reviewing court lacks jurisdiction to issue mandamus to supervise or correct a trial court's incidental rulings when there is an adequate appellate remedy. See Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. v. Walker, 787 S.W.2d 954, 955 (Tex.1990); Iley v. Hughes, 158 Tex. 362, 311 S.W.2d 648, 652 (1958). The requirement that persons seeking mandamus establish the lack of an adequate appellate remedy is a fundamental tenet of mandamus practice. See Walker, 827 S.W.2d at 840; Holloway, 767 S.W.2d at 684. This fundamental tenet is well-settled. See Walker, 827 S.W.2d at 840. III. ANALYSIS If the facts of a particular case meet the criteria of Rule 76a(8), the aggrieved party has a remedy at law by appeal. The criteria under Rule 76a(8) are: (1) any order... (2) relating to sealing or unsealing court records ... (3) may be appealed (4) by any party or intervenor (5) who participated in the hearing preceding issuance of such order. See TEX.R. CIV. P. 76a(8). These criteria are met in this case. On June 17, 1998, the trial court held a hearing and both Kaiser and the News participated. That hearing preceded the trial court's order entered on June 24, 1998. That order related to the sealing or unsealing of court records. Under a plain reading of Rule 76a(8), the right of appeal applies to any order that relates to sealing or unsealing. [1] This language does not require that the court's order actually involve sealing or unsealing. Hence, under a plain reading of this Court's own rule, Kaiser's remedy to challenge the trial court's order was an appeal rather than a mandamus. And, Kaiser's appeal of the order, which related to sealing or unsealing, was not premature. When the court of appeals ruled, it had before it both an original proceeding seeking mandamus and an appeal directly attacking the trial court's order. In choosing the original proceeding to remedy the perceived error, the court of appeals ignored a fundamental tenet of writ practice. Issuing mandamus is not authorized when the relator has an adequate remedy by appeal. See Holloway, 767 S.W.2d at 684; Johnson v. Fourth Court of Appeals, 700 S.W.2d 916, 917 (Tex.1985). The court of appeals abused its discretion when it chose the original proceeding instead of the pending appeal as the means for considering the perceived error the trial court committed. See Holloway, 767 S.W.2d at 684. Accordingly, the court of appeals should have decided the controversy under appellate standards of review based on Kaiser's appeal and should have dismissed Kaiser's petition for mandamus for want of jurisdiction. See Bell Helicopter, 787 S.W.2d at 955. [2] IV. CONCLUSION The court of appeals should have dismissed Kaiser's mandamus petition for want of jurisdiction and, instead, it should have decided this case based on Kaiser's appeal of the trial court's order under the standard of review of an appeal. Accordingly, I would set aside the court of appeals' order and remand the cause to the court of appeals to decide the controversy on Kaiser's appeal under appellate standards of review.