Court Opinion

ID: 9777777
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 20:24:10.372483+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:33:01.616061
License: Public Domain

MeCRAW, Justice,
dissenting.
I must dissent. I would hold that the trial court had no jurisdiction to hear the Times Herald’s case. Inasmuch as our jurisdiction is by way of appeal, we are likewise without jurisdiction. In a memorandum opinion the trial court made the following finding:
It is not necessary in this case to resolve the significant jurisdictional issue raised but not fully addressed by the parties. Because the Court concludes that the Times Herald’s motion must be denied on the merits, the Court does not decide the difficult and significant issue of its jurisdiction to consider the motion.
The court then proceeded to deny the Times Herald’s motion styled, “Motion to Unseal Court Records and to Remove Restrictions on the Press.” I would hold that the trial court does not have the luxury of avoiding the “difficult and significant issue of its jurisdiction,” but must, upon proper motion, determine the issue of jurisdiction before ruling on the merits. This clearly did not occur in this case.
I adhere to the majority’s statement that generally nonparties of record have no standing to appeal a trial court’s judgment and that the trial court lost plenary power to alter or change the judgment. I cannot, however, agree with the majority that the Times Herald’s motion in this cause was the equivalent to a new petition in a new cause of action. The Times Herald is not a party to the original proceeding; neither did it petition to intervene. TEX.R.CIV.P. 60. Consequentially, it has no standing to appeal a final judgment entered in a proceeding to which its the Times Herald, was not a party. California and Hawaiian Sugar Co. v. Bunge Corp., 593 S.W.2d 739, 740-41 (Tex.Civ.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1979, no writ).
The general rule in Texas is that the remedy by appeal in the usual form, or by writ of error, is available only to parties to the litigation which resulted in entry of the challenged judgment. Gunn v. Cavanaugh, 301 S.W.2d 723, 724 (Tex.1965); Bunge, 593 S.W.2d at 740. The Times Herald attempts to portray itself as a party to this cause of action for the first time upon appeal in it’s brief filed with this court.1 The record does not demonstrate that the Times Herald was ever a party to the cause of action presented at the trial court; or an intervenor, TEX.R.CIV.P. 60; or an additional party as provided for in Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 37 and 41, therefore, the appeal must be dismissed. The Times Herald was not properly before the trial court and, therefore, is not properly before this court. See Bilbo Freight Lines, Inc. v. State, 645 S.W.2d 925, 926-27 (Tex.1983). I would vacate the order of the trial court and dismiss all proceedings brought by the Times Herald.
AKIN, SCALES and HOWELL, JJ., join in this dissenting opinion.

. The appeal is styled: The Times Herald Printing Co. v. Jones, M.D.; Wayne C. Jones, a Professional Corp.; and Carolyn Tuttle. The appeal bond and all other documents, including the Times Herald’s motion to unseal the court records are brought under the style: Carolyn Tuttle v. Wayne C. Jones, M.D.; and Wayne C. Jones, a Professional Corp. Trial court cause number 82-10626D.