Court Opinion

ID: 4644450
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-12-18 07:15:08.82188+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:00:45.463478
License: Public Domain

In The

                               Court of Appeals

                    Ninth District of Texas at Beaumont

                              __________________

                              NO. 09-20-00215-CV
                              __________________

  IN RE GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW YORK

__________________________________________________________________

                           Original Proceeding
           284th District Court of Montgomery County, Texas
                      Trial Cause No. 20-02-02039
__________________________________________________________________

                          MEMORANDUM OPINION

      In this original proceeding for a writ of mandamus, Great American Insurance

Company of New York (“Great American”) contends the trial court abused its

discretion by overruling Great American’s assertion of attorney-client privilege

regarding the production of a document that Great American submitted to the trial

court for in camera inspection. In its response to the mandamus petition, Nationwide

Mutual Insurance Company (“Nationwide”), the real party in interest, informs this

Court that the trial court signed a final judgment on October 2, 2020, disposing of

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all claims and counterclaims in the case, and suggesting the mandamus is moot.

Great American did not respond to Nationwide’s suggestion of mootness.

      Generally, the signing of a final judgment moots a mandamus proceeding that

concerns production of evidence in the underlying case. See In re Jennings, No. 10-

17-00247-CV, 2017 WL 4542994, at *1 (Tex. App.—Waco Oct. 11, 2017, orig.

proceeding) (mem. op.) (final judgment mooted trial court’s denial of motion for

genetic testing). Although provided an adequate opportunity to respond, Great

American does not contest Nationwide’s suggestion of mootness. We therefore

dismiss the mandamus proceeding as moot without reference to the merits.

      PETITION DISMISSED.

                                                         PER CURIAM

Submitted on October 5, 2020
Opinion Delivered December 17, 2020

Before Kreger, Horton and Johnson, JJ.

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