Court Opinion

ID: 9950043
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-13 10:21:35.332189+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:35:06.119130
License: Public Domain

CHIEF JUSTICE                                                                    RUBEN MORIN
 ROBERT D. BURNS, III                                                        CLERK OF THE COURT
                                                                                 (214) 712-3400
JUSTICES                                                                   theclerk@5th.txcourts.gov
 KEN MOLBERG
 ROBBIE PARTIDA-KIPNESS                                                          MYRNA GASC
 BILL PEDERSEN, III                                                        BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR
 AMANDA L. REICHEK                                                              (214) 712-3417
 ERIN A. NOWELL                                                           myrna.gasc@5th.txcourts.gov
 CORY L. CARLYLE                       Court of Appeals
 BONNIE LEE GOLDSTEIN
 CRAIG SMITH                    Fifth District of Texas at Dallas                 FACSIMILE
                                                                                (214) 745-1083
 DENNISE GARCIA
                                       600 COMMERCE STREET, SUITE 200
 EMILY A. MISKEL                                                                 INTERNET
 NANCY E. KENNEDY                           DALLAS, TEXAS 75202         WWW.TXCOURTS.GOV/5THCOA.ASPX
 MARICELA BREEDLOVE                            (214) 712-3400

                                          February 13, 2024

        Ms. April Smith
        Attorney at Law
        P.O. Box 870550
        Mesquite, Texas 75187

        Ms. Jennifer Goldman
        Dallas County District Attorney’s Office
        2600 Lone Star Dr., LB-22
        Dallas, Texas 75212

        Mr. John Creuzot
        Dallas County District Attorney
        Frank Crowley Courts Bldg.
        133 N. Riverfront Blvd., LB-19
        Dallas, Texas 75207

        Mr. Frank Adler
        Law Office of Frank Adler
        2501 Ave. J, Suite 100
        Arlington, Texas 76006

        RE:      Court of Appeals Number:          05-24-00098-CV
                 Trial Court Case Number:          JC-22-00857

        Style: In the Interest of R.H., a Child
Counsel:

       After reviewing the clerk’s record, the Court questions its jurisdiction over
this appeal. Specifically, there does not appear to be a final judgment. Generally,
this Court has jurisdiction over final judgments and certain interlocutory orders as
permitted by statute. See Lehmann v. Har–Con Corp., 39 S.W.3d 191, 195 (Tex.
2001); TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE ANN. § 51.014(a) (listing appealable
interlocutory orders). A final judgment is one that disposes of all parties and
claims. See Lehmann, 39 S.W.3d at 195.

       The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services filed a petition
seeking to terminate parental rights and to be appointed the managing conservator
of the child. The appealed termination decree terminates the parents’ parental
rights but is silent as to the conservatorship of the child.

        So that this Court can determine its jurisdiction over the appeal, appellant is
requested to file, by February 23, 2024, a jurisdictional letter brief of no more
than 3 pages explaining how this Court has jurisdiction over this appeal. Appellees
may file a responsive letter brief of no more than 3 pages within 10 days of
appellant’s letter brief. If any party will be relying on information not in the record
before this Court, that party must obtain a supplemental clerk’s record from the
trial court containing that information.

       We suspend the current deadline for appellant’s brief on the merits. After it
has received briefs regarding the jurisdictional issue, the Court will either: (1)
dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction; or (2) notify the parties by letter that the
Court appears to have jurisdiction over the appeal and set a new deadline for
appellant’s brief on the merits. We caution appellant that failure to file a
jurisdictional brief by February 23, 2024 may result in dismissal of the appeal
without further notice.

                                  Respectfully,

                                  /s/ Ruben Morin, Clerk of the Court

RM/mz

cc:   The Honorable Cheryl Lee-Shannon, Presiding Judge of the 305th Judicial
      District Court

                                           2
Ms. Mellannise Henderson-Love

                                3