Court Opinion

ID: 9664824
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 00:31:01.89174+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:10.587150
License: Public Domain

SUE WALKER, Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. The principle is well settled that appellate courts will not intervene to control incidental trial court rulings when an adequate remedy by appeal exists. Walker v. Packer, 827 S.W.2d 833, 840 (Tex.1992) (orig. proceeding); In re Fort Worth Children’s Hosp., 100 S.W.3d 582, 586-87 (Tex.App.-Fort Worth 2003, orig. proceeding [mand. dism’d]). I fear that is exactly what the majority has done here.
Ben E. Keith filed a petition for writ of mandamus claiming that the trial court had abused its discretion by refusing to grant a severance of certain claims. But after Ben E. Keith filed its petition for writ of mandamus, the trial court signed an “Order Regarding Bifurcation of Trial,” which provided in part that “one jury will hear all issues, but certain issues will be dealt with in a second phase of trial.” The trial court indicated that it intended to enter another order before jury selection on various motions for sanctions and that “together with this bifurcation any prejudice to any party will be resolved.” The trial court understood Ben E. Keith’s prejudice arguments, entered a bifurcation order to address the arguments, and intended to enter an additional order before jury selection. In other words, the trial court implemented a plan to deal with Ben E. Keith’s complaints that it would be prejudiced by a joint trial of all claims against it. Thus, Ben E. Keith’s original petition for writ of mandamus — filed before the trial court signed the bifurcation order and seeking a writ of mandamus compelling the trial court to grant Ben E. Keith’s motion for severance — became moot. Accord In re Metropolitan Lloyds Ins. Co. of Tex., No. 05-06-00023-CV, 2006 WL 279415, at *1, — S.W.3d —, —(Tex.App.-Dallas Feb. 7, 2006, orig. proceeding). At that point, Ben E. Keith’s moot petition *855for writ of mandamus should have been dismissed by this court. Id.
After its mandamus technically became moot, Ben E. Keith attempted to shift gears and to interject complaints concerning the adequacy of the bifurcation order and to seek mandamus relief from that order. Specifically, Ben E. Keith raised arguments in its replies to Texas Chili’s and Town Talk’s mandamus responses that the bifurcation order is vague. Ben E. Keith’s complaints that the bifurcation order is vague were never made to the trial court, and, in any event, entry of a bifurcation order is simply an act incidental to the trial process. Accord In re Castle Tex. Prod. Ltd. P’ship, 189 S.W.8d 400, 403 (Tex.App.-Tyler 2006, orig. proceeding) (recognizing that “[a]n allegedly erroneous ruling such as setting a matter for trial or denying a motion for summary judgment, no matter how it is titled, is an act that is ‘incidental to the normal trial process’ and is not subject to correction by mandamus, because any error may be adequately reviewed on appeal”). Mandamus will not issue to supervise or correct a trial court’s incidental rulings when there is an adequate remedy by appeal. In re Ford Motor Co., 988 S.W.2d 714, 725 (Tex.1998) (orig. proceeding) (Baker, J. dissenting) (citing Canadian Helicopters, Ltd. v. Wittig, 876 S.W.2d 304, 306 (Tex.1994) (orig. proceeding); Holloway v. Fifth Court of Appeals, 767 S.W.2d 680, 684 (Tex.1989) (orig. proceeding)). Here, Ben E. Keith has an adequate remedy at law — an appeal — if, in fact, it suffers prejudice despite the bifurcated trial procedure ordered by the trial court. In re Ford Motor Co., 988 S.W.2d at 722-23 (“An appellate remedy is not inadequate merely because it might involve more delay or cost than [obtaining a writ of] mandamus”); see also Critchfield v. Smith, 151 S.W.3d 225, 235 (Tex.App.-Tyler 2004, pet. denied) (appellant raised alleged bifurcation error in appeal); Jabri v. Alsayyed, 145 S.W.3d 660, 673 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2004, no pet.) (same); Tex. Capital Sec., Inc. v. Sandefer, 58 S.W.3d 760, 774 (Tex.App.Houston [1st Dist.] 2001, pet. denied) (same); Iley v. Hughes, 158 Tex. 362, 311 S.W.2d 648, 652 (1958) (orig. proceeding) (holding writ of mandamus would not issue to correct error of trial court in granting separate trial of damage issues because error could be corrected on appeal). Because I believe the majority has granted extraordinary relief simply to control an incidental ruling of the trial court — bifurcation — 'when Ben E. Keith possesses an adequate remedy at law, I respectfully dissent.