Court Opinion

ID: 9382930
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-03-29 06:09:16.151451+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:17:42.564929
License: Public Domain

DENY and Opinion Filed March 21, 2023

                                      S In The
                             Court of Appeals
                      Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
                                No. 05-22-01370-CV

                       IN RE TARA MCDANIEL, Relator

          Original Proceeding from the 160th Judicial District Court
                            Dallas County, Texas
                     Trial Court Cause No. DC-21-07909

                         MEMORANDUM OPINION
                   Before Justices Reichek, Carlyle, and Kennedy
                            Opinion by Justice Reichek
      In her December 28, 2022 petition for writ of mandamus, relator complains

that the trial court abused its discretion by (1) denying her plea in abatement and

(2) disqualifying her attorney Aaron Cartwright. We strike the petition in part and

deny the remainder of the petition.

      At the threshold, we strike the portion of the petition seeking mandamus relief

from the denial of relator’s plea in abatement. Because we questioned whether

Cartwright may represent relator in this original proceeding in light of the trial

court’s disqualification order, we requested letter briefing regarding this issue. After

reviewing the parties’ submissions, we conclude that Cartwright is prohibited from

representing relator in this mandamus proceeding with respect to the abatement issue
because it is part of the underlying matter and the trial court’s disqualification order,

which has not been stayed, remains in effect.

      In any event, relator has failed to show her entitlement to mandamus relief for

both issues. Entitlement to mandamus relief requires relator to show that the trial

court clearly abused its discretion and that she lacks an adequate remedy by appeal.

See In re Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., 148 S.W.3d 124, 135–36 (Tex. 2004) (orig.

proceeding). After reviewing the petition and the record before us, we conclude that

relator has not made this showing for both issues.

      Accordingly, we strike the petition in part and deny the remainder of the

petition. See TEX. R. APP. P. 52.8(a).

                                             /Amanda L. Reichek/
                                             AMANDA L. REICHEK
                                             JUSTICE

221370F.P05

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