Court Opinion

ID: 9395138
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-17 08:09:53.576129+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:05.611047
License: Public Domain

In the
              Court of Appeals
Sixth Appellate District of Texas at Texarkana

                   No. 06-23-00098-CR

                 IN RE JUAN COUNCIL

             Original Mandamus Proceeding

      Before Stevens, C.J., van Cleef and Rambin, JJ.
       Memorandum Opinion by Justice van Cleef
                                MEMORANDUM OPINION

       Juan Council, pro se, filed a petition seeking a writ of mandamus against the Honorable

Wes Tidwell, presiding judge of the 6th Judicial District Court of Lamar County, Texas. Council

asks this Court to order the trial court to rule on various motions he filed with the court. Because

Council failed to provide us with a sufficient record to support his entitlement to mandamus

relief, we deny the petition.

       “Mandamus issues only when the mandamus record establishes (1) a clear abuse of

discretion . . . , and (2) the absence of a clear and adequate remedy at law.” In re Blakeney, 254

S.W.3d 659, 661 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2008, orig. proceeding); see Walker v. Packer, 827

S.W.2d 833, 840 (Tex. 1992) (orig. proceeding). “It is the relator’s burden to provide this Court

with a sufficient record to establish his or her right to mandamus relief.” Id. (citing Walker, 827

S.W.2d at 839–40; In re Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., 187 S.W.3d 197, 198–99 (Tex. App.—

Texarkana 2006, orig. proceeding)); see TEX. R. APP. P. 52.3, 52.7(a).

       Council’s petition states that he filed several motions with the trial court including a

motion for bond reduction, a motion to quash and dismiss indictment, a motion to dismiss, and a

motion for a speedy trial. Council contends that the trial court failed to rule on these motions in

a timely manner. Even so, Council has not met his burden to provide a record sufficient to show

himself entitled to mandamus relief.

       Rule 52.3 of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure requires the person filing the

petition for a writ of mandamus to “certify that he or she has reviewed the petition and concluded

that every factual statement in the petition is supported by competent evidence included in the

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appendix or record.” TEX. R. APP. P. 52.3(j). Additionally, the appellate rules require that the

appendix contain “a certified or sworn copy of any order complained of, or any other document

showing the matter complained of,” TEX. R. APP. P. 52.3(k)(1)(A), and that the record contain “a

certified or sworn copy of every document that is material to the relator’s claim for relief and

that was filed in any underlying proceeding,” TEX. R. APP. P. 52.7(a)(1).

       Here, although the appendix contains copies of Council’s motions, as well as other

documents, they are neither certified nor sworn to be true and correct copies. Moreover, they do

not demonstrate that his motions were presented to the trial court and do not show how long the

motions have been pending since presentment.

       “Because the record in a mandamus proceeding is assembled by the parties,” we must

“strictly enforce[] the authentication requirements of rule 52 to ensure the integrity of the

mandamus record.” In re Smith, No. 05-19-00268-CV, 2019 WL 1305970, at *1 (Tex. App.—

Dallas Mar. 22, 2019, orig. proceeding) (mem. op.) (quoting In re McKinney, No. 05-14-01513-

CV, 2014 WL 7399301, at *1 (Tex. App.—Dallas Dec. 15, 2014, orig. proceeding) (mem. op.)).

We may deny a petition for a writ of mandamus for an inadequate record alone. See In re

Blakeney, 254 S.W.3d at 662.

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       Because Council has not shown himself entitled to the extraordinary remedy of

mandamus, we deny his petition.

                                       Charles van Cleef
                                       Justice

Date Submitted:      May 11, 2023
Date Decided:        May 12, 2023

Do Not Publish

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