Court Opinion

ID: 9363424
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-16 00:10:07.355787+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:15:31.860198
License: Public Domain

NUMBERS 13-22-00562-CV & 13-22-00598-CV

                             COURT OF APPEALS

                    THIRTEENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

                      CORPUS CHRISTI – EDINBURG

                    IN RE CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION
                          D/B/A CIRRUS AIRCRAFT

                       On Petition for Writ of Mandamus.

                                        ORDER

    Before Chief Justice Contreras and Justices Longoria and Silva
                          Order Per Curiam

       These causes are before the Court on its own motion. Relator Cirrus Design

Corporation d/b/a Cirrus Aircraft has designated the respondent in these original

proceedings as the Honorable Robert Vargas. See TEX. R. APP. P. 52.2. However, Judge

Vargas’s term of office expired on December 31, 2022, and he was succeeded in office

by the Honorable Todd Robinson.

       Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 7.2 provides that “[w]hen a public officer is a

party in an official capacity to an appeal or original proceeding, and if that person ceases
to hold office before the appeal or original proceeding is finally disposed of, the public

officer’s successor is automatically substituted as a party if appropriate.” TEX. R. APP. P.

7.2(a). But in an original proceeding, this Court “must abate the proceeding to allow the

successor to reconsider the original party’s decision.” Id. R. 7.2(b); see In re Blevins, 480

S.W.3d 542, 543 (Tex. 2013) (orig. proceeding) (per curiam); In re Schmitz, 285 S.W.3d

451, 454 (Tex. 2009) (orig. proceeding); see also State v. Olsen, 360 S.W.2d 402, 403

(Tex. 1962) (orig. proceeding) (per curiam) (“A writ of mandamus will not lie against a

successor judge in the absence of a refusal by him to grant the relief Relator seeks.”).

       In light of the foregoing, this Court concludes that abatement of these petitions for

writ of mandamus is required. Accordingly, these original proceedings are hereby abated,

and the causes are remanded to allow the successor judge the opportunity to reconsider

the predecessor judge’s ruling. See TEX. R. APP. P. 7.2(b). The successor judge shall

issue notice, cause a hearing to be held on these matters, determine what rulings should

issue, and render its own orders accordingly. The successor judge shall cause its orders

on reconsideration, along with any findings of fact and conclusions of law, to be included

in a supplemental clerk’s record. Further, a reporter’s record of any hearing held shall be

included in a supplemental reporter’s record. The supplemental clerk’s and reporter’s

records shall be filed with the Clerk of this Court within thirty days from the date of this

order. These original proceedings will be reinstated upon filing of the supplemental

records and on further order of this Court.

                                                                PER CURIAM

Delivered and filed on the
12th day of January, 2023.

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