Court Opinion

ID: 9676067
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 05:13:52.309077+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:43.480589
License: Public Domain

LINCOLN, Justice
(dissenting).
This dissent from the action of the majority in overruling the motion for rehearing is confined to one point only. Since our original opinion and judgment of affirmance, I have reached the conclusion that we were in error in overruling appellants’ contention that the trial court had no inherent right to vacate its judgment of dismissal for want of prosecution, which was entered on August 8, 1950. On that date the district judge signed a blanket order of dismissal of 182 cases, this one included, each case being captioned on the blanket order by style and docket number. At the same time there was presented to him the docket sheets from the judge’s trial docket in each of'the 182 cases, and in this case there was stamped on the docket sheet “Dismissed for want of prosecution.” The date, August 8, 1950, was also stamped on the docket sheet in connection with the order, and the order was signed by the district judge. It is clear that he signed the two orders as a judicial act, and it must be assumed that he knew the import of them. He accepted the docket sheet with its notation and thereby adopted it as his own. This, with his signature to it, constituted it as a pronouncement of his judgment.
That this case was active at the time is fully sustained by the record. As such it probably should not have been dismissed. But the court had the power to do so. It appears that when he made the orders he was acting under misinformation of fact inadvertently given him. But in my opinion the orders were validly within the exercise of his discretion, and were validly made. As such they became final upon adjournment of the term, not having been vacated during the term. The court had plenary power during the term to vacate the judgment, with, or without motion or notice, if he concluded that the judgment should not have been rendered and entered. 25 Tex.Jur., p. 520, Sec. 120; Id., p. 544 et seq. But I am unable to support the conclusion that the trial' court had. the inherent right to set aside the order of dismissal and to reinstate the case after the expiration of the term at which the dismissal was *920entered. While many authorities support this conclusion, 25 Tex.Jur., p. 545, Sec. 150, it is directly so ruled in Love v. State Bank & Trust Co., 126 Tex. 591, 90 S.W.2d 819, opinion adopted by the Supreme Court, and Eskridge & Williams v. Merchants State Bank & Trust Co., Tex.Civ.App., 173 S.W.2d 518, writ refused. In each of those cases almost the identical question was presented as in this case. I will not extend this opinion by quoting from them as the decisions are readily available.
The testimony of the district judge shows that the making and entry of the judgment was a mistake. That being true, a judgment was entered when none should have been entered. The recourse allowed, by law in such case, after expiration of the term, is by bill of review unless appeal has been taken. There was neither appeal nor bill of review filed, and, as held in the two cited cases, the motion to reinstate was not Sufficient as a bill of review.
The foregoing opinion of the court on this matter is grounded upon the contention that the entry of the judgment was a clerical error. There is no question but that the court has the inherent right to correct clerical errors when the judgment entered does not speak the truth as to the judgment rendered. But I do not see that this case comes within that purview. According to the contention of appellees no judgment of dismissal should have been rendered at all. If a judgment of some kind was to be entered, but that which was entered did not speak the truth as to the judgment actually rendered, then the rule relied upon would apply. That was the situation in Coleman v. Zapp, 105 Tex. 491, 151 S.W. 1040. What is asserted here amounts to a judicial error, and not merely a clerical error. The contention that the error was upon the part of a deputy clerk in spreading the formal judgment of dismissal upon the minutes, in my opinion, cannot be sustained. It was the duty of the district clerk under the law to enter the judgment in the minutes. It had been, duly signed, the docket sheet and the formal judgment. The instruction of the district judge to the clerk that it be not entered was not a judicial act. He had the inherent power during the term to correct his own erroneous judgment and to completely vacate it and set it aside through another judicial act. But unless and until this was done, it was the duty of the district clerk’s office to spread the orders on the minutes.
It is with considerable reluctance that I have reached these conclusions, but I feel that they are in keeping with the decided cases on the matter under review. It appears to me that it would be a most harmful precedent to hold that when judgments are formally made and entered, and the term of court has expired, the district judge has the inherent power to blot out the judgment previously entered because of a mistake in its rendition and entry. If he has the inherent power to do this he can do it without motion, and even without notice. Judgments would thus lose their verity. I also believe it is not a- good precedent to hold that after a judgment has been rendered by a district court, the judge may, without notice to the parties, and without motion, instruct the district clerk not to spread a formal judgment upon the minutes in keeping with a judicial order made by the court. In either such case, the law affords proper procedure to correct the mistake. Regrettable as would be a reversal and rendition of this judgment, it is my considered.opinion that the trial court did not have jurisdiction at the time this case was tried because of the prior order of dismissal for want of prosecution.