Court Opinion

ID: 9660780
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 22:20:39.798651+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:22.115982
License: Public Domain

ROBERTSON, Justice,
concurring.
I concur in the result reached by the majority because I am of the opinion that the court of appeals decision is moot. It has come to the attention of this court that the Honorable Charles Ben Howell is no longer the judge of the 191st judicial district court of Dallas County, Texas. This court has stated that “[a] writ of mandamus will not lie against a successor judge in the absence of a refusal by him to grant the relief Relator seeks.” State of Texas v. G.C. Olsen, 163 Tex. 449, 360 S.W.2d 402, 403 (1962). Since the judgment of the court of appeals is moot, no purpose would be served by permitting Judge Howell’s mandamus action to vacate that judgment.
The proper action would be for relators in the court of appeals to request Judge Howell’s successor in office to reconsider the decision to refuse approval of the non-suit. See Jampole v. Touchy, 673 S.W.2d 569, 572 (Tex.1984). A mandamus action could be reasserted, should Judge Howell’s successor decline to do so. For this reason, I reserve decision on the substantive questions discussed in the majority opinion for a more appropriate case.