Court Opinion

ID: 9748321
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 15:59:52.034453+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:34.372079
License: Public Domain

PAUL W. GREEN, Justice,
concurring and dissenting.
I concur in part and dissent in part. I would affirm the trial court’s order in its entirety, and I would add appellate sanctions against Herring.
I concur with the majority’s decision affirming the trial court’s order dismissing Herring’s lawsuit, but I dissent to the majority’s decision to reform the order into a dismissal without prejudice and deny the Welborn defendants the monetary sanctions they were awarded below.
The majority says Herring’s attempt to litigate the land title issues in Wilson County had some arguable legal basis. I disagree. Although the land was located in Wilson County, once the property came under the jurisdiction of the San Patricio County probate court, any title issue involving the property was properly raised there. It cannot be reasonably argued, however creatively, that title issues foreclosed by a final judgment in one court of competent jurisdiction can be relitigated in another court of equal jurisdiction.
Moreover, the frivolous and harassing character of Herring’s actions are clearly revealed by the fact that he sued the San Patricio County trial judge whose ruling he did not like, and even now appeals the dismissal of his claim against that judge. I believe the record amply supports the trial courts conclusion that Herring brought this groundless lawsuit for improper purposes.
The plaintiff and his attorney evidently thought they might find a friendlier forum in Wilson County. They did not. The trial court made an assessment of the situation and sanctioned them both. I see no abuse of discretion. I would affirm the *147trial court sanctions, and would add appellate sanctions against Herring for frivolously appealing the dismissal of Judge Welborn despite his clear judicial immunity-