Opinion ID: 2379200
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Nunc Pro Tunc Judgment

Text: The law is settled in this state that clerical errors in the entry of a judgment, previously rendered, may be corrected after the end of the court's term by a nunc pro tunc judgment; however, judicial errors in the previously rendered judgment may not be so corrected. Comet Aluminum Co. v. Dibrell, 450 S.W.2d 56 (Tex.Sup.1970); Finlay v. Jones, 435 S.W. 2d 136 (Tex.Sup.1968); Knox v. Long, 152 Tex. 291, 257 S.W.2d 289 (1953); Rule 316, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. Whether the errors in the prior judgment are judicial or clerical is a question of law. Finlay v. Jones, supra. Respondents take the position the granting of the motion to strike Rush's answer was judicial error, but the omission of that action from the original judgment of June 10, 1966 was a clerical error. The argument is the nunc pro tunc order here did not correct the judicial error, in that it did not change anything previously decided, but simply supplied the omission of what the trial court decided when it rendered its judgment on June 10, 1966. Respondent's position is to the effect the nunc pro tunc judgment contained the recitations which reflected the correct rulings and judgment actually rendered by the court on June 10, 1966. The original judgment of June 10, 1966 included one erroneous recitation; to wit: the defendant failed to appear and answer. The judgment also omitted a recitation that the answer had been set aside by the court on motion of the plaintiff, which had the effect of making the defendant in default. The defendant had been duly served, and the fact an answer had been filed before the judgment of June 10, 1966 was rendered was brought to the attention of the court. This is evidenced by the plaintiff's motion to strike the answer and a notation on the court's docket setting a hearing on such motion for June 9, 1966 at 9:00 A.M. Obviously, the recitation that the defendant failed to appear and answer herein was erroneous, as was the rendition of a default judgment. We think this Court's decision in Finlay v. Jones, 435 S.W.2d 136 (Tex.Sup.1969), is directly in point and decisive of this case. In Finlay the trial court rendered the default judgment after determining that defendant had been duly cited and had failed to answer when in fact defendant had been cited but not in the proper cause. However, he answered in the proper cause but the answer had been misplaced in another case. We held that erroneous recitations in the default judgment to the effect that the defendant had been duly served with citation, but had neither appeared nor filed an answer, were judicial and not clerical errors. As such, they could not be corrected after the end of the term at which the judgment became final, that is, after the expiration of thirty days from the date on which the original motion for new trial was overruled by operation of law. Here the default judgment was rendered after granting a motion to strike the answer. Judge Blankenship had a complete record before him and knew everything about the case on June 10, 1966, that he knew on October 23, 1969. He made a mistaken determination that no answer was on file. In Finlay an answer was in fact filed, but misplaced. Here, an answer was in fact filed, but stricken. In Finlay the cause of the mistake was clerical while here it was judicial. However, the cause of the error is not controlling. Finlay v. Jones at 138. After Rush's answer was stricken, the record, legally and effectively, contained no answer. There being no answer, default judgment was rendered and the entry was in accordance with the rendition. Just as in Finlay, Judge Blankenship judicially determined, however erroneously, that defendant was in default. We hold the determination in the original judgment that the defendant failed to appear and answer herein, was a judicial error. Therefore, the nunc pro tunc judgment of October 23, 1969 purporting to correct the erroneous recitations and omissions was void; the order of November 17, 1969 granting the respondent a new trial is likewise void. Writ of mandamus directing respondent Judge Dallas Blankenship or his successor Judge Roll Fair, to set aside the nunc pro tunc judgment of October 23, 1969 and the order of November 17, 1969 granting the motion for new trial will issue only if both of them decline to set them aside voluntarily.