Court Opinion

ID: 9662998
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 23:25:37.727299+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:44.691932
License: Public Domain

BAKER, Justice,
joined by CORNYN and SPECTOR, Justices, dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
Once again, the Court ignores previously well-established mandamus standards and awards extraordinary relief because it simply disagrees with the trial court’s ruling. I agree with the Court that the trial court abused its discretion, but ordinary appeal provides Travelers an adequate remedy.
In 1992, this Court specifically disapproved cases allowing mandamus relief absent a showing by the relator that ordinary appeal was not adequate to correct a trial court’s abuse of discretion. See Walker v. Packer, 827 S.W.2d 833, 842 (Tex.1992)(disapproving Barker v. Dunham, 551 S.W.2d 41 (Tex.1977) and Allen v. Humphreys, 559 S.W.2d 798 (Tex.1977) along with “any other authorities to the extent they might be read as abolishing or relaxing this rule.”). In Walker, the Court called the policy allowing mandamus only where there is no adequate remedy by appeal “sound” policy. Walker, 827 S.W.2d at 842. Indeed, it is sound policy. We should uphold the policy, not just recite it.
Here, the Court purports to abide by Walker’s mandate. However, in its rush to remedy the trial court’s wrong, the Court ignores the Walker standard. I find this unfortunate. The Court should adhere to basic principles of stare decisis and hold that Travelers must, as any other party seeking mandamus relief, “demonstrate that the remedy offered by ordinary appeal is inadequate.” Walker, 827 S.W.2d at 842. Travelers has not met this standard. In fact, Travelers “does not dispute that it may challenge the trial court’s order on regular appeal.” 923 S.W.2d at 594. Instead, Travelers, like this Court, simply thinks the trial court acted outside its discretion and that a quick fix is deserved. This is not enough for mandamus. Accordingly, I dissent.