Court Opinion

ID: 9832684
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 22:06:15.455354+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:43:50.139253
License: Public Domain

On Appellants’ Motion for Rehearing.
We think the conclusion reached that the trial court did not err when he overruled the plea of privilege was in conformity to law established in this state by cases cited in the opinion, but have concluded after further consideration that said court did not have a right to try the case on its merits pending the appeal from the judgment overruling said plea. We were wrong in assuming that the question as to the court’s right to try the case on the merits had been decided contrary to appellants’ contention in Halliday v. Crews (Tex. Civ. App.) 237 S. W. 600. The judgment against, the defendants in that case on the merits was not by default, as here, but was rendered after a trial ip which the defendants participated. This court has to-day held in an opinion by Judge Hodges that the effect of an appeal from an order overruling a plea of privilege prosecuted as provided by law is to suspend the power of the court to proceed further in the trial of the case until the issue as to venue has been finally determined, and to render void a judgment by default on the merits of the case taken by the plaintiff after notice of the appeal was given and before the appeal was disposed of. Wallace v. Adams, 243 S. W.-, yet to be reported. The Galveston Court of Civil Appeals made the same ruling, in effect, in Hill v. Wood, 238 S. W. 309. The reasons for construing that to be the effeet of the statute (article 1903) are stated in the opinion of Judge Hodges refer-: red to, and need not be restated here. ' The motion will be overruled in so far as it is to set aside the ordér of this court affirming the judgment of the court below overruling appellants’ plea of privilege, but it will be granted in so far as it is to set aside the order of this court affirming the judgment of the court below on the merits of the case, and said judgment on the merits will be reversed, and the cause will be remanded for a new trial.