Court Opinion

ID: 9857134
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 07:33:52.596007+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:38:03.081372
License: Public Domain

Appellee’s motion to strike granted, appellee’s motion for damages denied,
appeal dismissed, and Memorandum Opinion filed September 19, 2023.

                                       In The

                     Fourteenth Court of Appeals
                                   ____________

                              NO. 14-22-00635-CV
                                   ____________

          IN THE INTEREST OF F.L.W. AND K.B.W., CHILDREN

                    On Appeal from the 310th District Court
                            Harris County, Texas
                      Trial Court Cause No. 2021-01013

                          MEMORANDUM OPINION

      This is an appeal from a judgment signed August 17, 2022. Appellant’s brief
was originally due January 26, 2023, though he was ultimately given until May 18,
2023 to file a brief. When he was given his final extension, he was instructed that
failure to file his brief by that deadline would leave the appeal subject to dismissal
without further notice for want of prosecution. See Tex. R. App. P. 42.3(b).

      On May 18, 2023, appellant, proceeding pro se, tendered a brief but the brief
failed to comply with the briefing requirements set forth in Texas Rule of Appellate
Procedure 38.1. Most significantly, appellant failed to make any legal arguments
to support reversal of the judgment, and the brief contained no citations to the record
or to legal authorities. Tex. R. App. P. 38.1(h). On July 11, 2023, this court ordered
appellant to file a brief complying with Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 38 within
21 days, and further advised appellant that if he did not do so, the court could strike
the brief, prohibit appellant from filing another brief, and proceed as if appellant had
failed to file a brief, thus leaving the appeal subject to dismissal for want of
prosecution without further notice. See Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(a)(1).

      Appellant filed another brief on August 1, 2023. That brief led to appellee
filing a motion to strike the brief due to noncompliance with Rule 38. We conclude
the motion has merit as appellant has failed to file a compliant brief. In particular,
appellant provides no legal reason to set aside the judgment entered by the trial court.
A point of error unsupported by citation of any legal authority presents nothing for
the court to review. See Richard v. Cornerstone Constructors, Inc., 921 S.W.2d
465, 469 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1996, writ denied). Pro se litigants are
held to the same standards as licensed attorneys, and they must therefore comply
with all applicable rules of procedure. Mansfield State Bank v. Cohn, 573 S.W.2d
181, 184-85 (Tex. 1978) (holding that litigants who represent themselves must
comply with procedures established by rules notwithstanding fact that they are not
licensed attorneys); Sedillo v. Campbell, 5 S.W.3d 824, 829 (Tex. App.—Houston
[14th Dist.] 1999, no pet.); Kanow v. Brownshadel, 691 S.W.2d 804, 806 (Tex.
App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1985, no writ).

      If a party files a brief that does not comply with the rules, and that party files
an amended brief that likewise does not comply with the rules, as here, “the court
may strike the brief, prohibit the party from filing another, and proceed as if the party
had failed to file a brief.” Tex. R. App. P. 38.9(a). Where a party fails to file a
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brief, Rule 38.8 allows the appellate court to dismiss the appeal for want of
prosecution. Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(a)(1); Harkins v. Dever Nursing Home, 999
S.W.2d 571, 573 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1999, no pet.).

      Accordingly, we grant appellee’s motion to strike, strike appellant’s non-
conforming brief, and order the appeal dismissed. We further deny appellee’s
motion for damages.

                                     PER CURIAM

Panel Consists of Justices Wise, Zimmerer, and Wilson.

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