Court Opinion

ID: 9772880
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 17:32:08.827939+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:31:49.026529
License: Public Domain

NYE, Chief Justice,
concurring.
I respectfully concur in the result reached by the majority. It is my opinion, however, that we improvidently granted leave to file the application for writ of mandamus, because the petition and record were incomplete at the time leave was sought.
Rule 121 of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure states that the petition shall include certain information and that it shall be in a form set out by the Rule. See Wright v. Valderas, 575 S.W.2d 405 (Tex.Civ.App.—Fort Worth 1978) (original proceeding); Ratcliff v. Dickson, 495 S.W.2d 35, 36 (Tex.Civ.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1973) (original proceeding). This is so because the Court, in considering the motion for leave to file, must be of the tentative opinion that relator is entitled to the relief sought. Otherwise, the motion should be overruled.
Rule 121(a)(2)(C) and (a)(4) require not only that the petition be accompanied by a *933certified or sworn copy of the order complained of, but also all other relevant exhibits. This was not done. In this proceeding, the relator complains of the propriety of Kelly, Stephenson, and Marr, P.C., the real party in interest, in representing Patrick H. Welder, Jr. when the same law firm (and/or its successors to the original law firm) represented the relator, Katie S. Welder, during their many years of marriage. Respondent complained of specific instances that would amount to a conflict of interest in violation to the Code of Professional Conduct, all of which was supposedly heard before the Honorable Barbara Fritz, the master designated to hear certain portions of the divorce proceedings. No statement of facts of this hearing was included in the record accompanying the petition for leave to file the writ of mandamus in this Court. The statement of facts of this particular hearing before the master was one of the “relevant exhibits” and record that should have accompanied the petition. Although the relator complains of the order issued after the hearing conducted before the master, no statement of facts of that particular hearing was filed with the petition.
Other relevant exhibits were absent at the time the application for leave to file was presented to this Court. No order of referral of the case from the district court to the master was filed. Also, no order adopting the magistrate’s findings and recommendations were filed. The rule says that the petition must state “all facts that are necessary to establish relator’s right to the relief sought.” Tex.R.App.P. 121(a)(2)(C). The petition did not state the underlying facts necessary to establish this court’s jurisdiction to review the master’s report. It was apparent at the outset that the petition of the relator was insufficient to entitle her to the relief requested.
After oral argument was heard, we requested the attorneys to file post-submission briefs. The relator subsequently attempted to update the record with crucial documents to establish our court’s jurisdiction. It is my opinion that any documents necessary to establish this court’s jurisdiction must be filed with the motion and petition and be in the record prior to the granting of leave to file in accordance with Rule 121. Rule 121(f) permits the relator, respondent or any other real party in interest to file “an additional brief of authorities and a verified answer ... five days prior to the date scheduled for oral argument, unless another time is designated by the Court.” I do not interpret this to allow the post-submission filing by relator of a record of the earlier proceedings, exhibits or other information necessary to give this Court jurisdiction. Post-submission supplementation of records necessary to establish relator’s right to relief in this Court changes the tenor of the case and creates uncertainty. Moreover, it is detrimental to the orderly proceedings in an appellate court.
I would not have granted leave to file the writ of mandamus.