Court Opinion

ID: 9640556
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 17:08:21.141959+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:03:39.296082
License: Public Domain

OPINION
UTTER, Justice.
Appellant has filed a motion for extension of time to file the statement of facts. For the following reasons, we deny the motion and will consider the appeal without a statement of facts.
Appellant pled guilty to the offense of criminal mischief and the trial court assessed punishment at five years imprisonment plus a fine. Sentence was suspended and appellant was placed on probation on August 12, 1988. No motion for new trial was filed.
Tex.R.App.P. 54(b) provides that the statement of facts “shall be filed in the appellate court within sixty days after the day sentence is imposed or suspended in open court or the order appealed from has been signed, if a motion for new trial is not filed.” By application of Rule 54(b), appellant’s statement of facts was due in this Court by October 11, 1988. The statement of facts was not filed by that date.
A party who has not complied with the filing timetable may obtain an extension of time for the late filing of the statement of facts. Tex.R.App.P. 54(c) addresses the requisites for extensions. It provides:
(c) Extension of Time. An extension of time may be granted for late filing in a court of appeals of a transcript or statement of facts, if a motion reasonably explaining the need therefor is filed by appellant with the court of appeals not later than fifteen days after the last date for filing the record. Such motion shall also reasonably explain any delay in *831the request required by Rule 53(a). (emphasis ours)
On October 12, 1988, appellant’s counsel tendered to this Court a statement of facts. Although the statement of facts was tendered only one day late, a proper Rule 54(c) motion was required.
On the same date that the statement of facts was received in this Court, October 12, the Clerk of this Court sent a notice to appellant’s counsel. It read:
The statement of facts in the above cause was this day marked “received” in this Court. Mr. INamel, it will be necessary to file a motion for leave, if you wish for this Court to consider the statement of facts.
This notice was sent well within the fifteen day period required by Rule 54(c) for filing an extension. The fifteen day period for filing an extension motion expired on October 26,1988. No response was heard from appellant’s counsel within this time.
On November 28, 1988, this Court received appellant’s motion for extension of time to file the statement of facts. This motion was filed 48 days after the statement of facts had been due, and 33 days after the expiration of the period allowed for the motion for extension of time under Rule 54(c).
In his motion, appellant’s counsel explained that he had not received the statement of facts until the afternoon of October 11,1988, when “it was too late to send” it to this Court for same day delivery. Counsel requested a one-day extension. Appellant’s counsel has, within the meaning of Rule 54(c), reasonably explained the need for an extension of time to file the statement of facts.
However, appellant’s counsel did not explain, nor attempt to explain, in his late motion for extension of time to file the statement of facts why the motion for extension of time failed to comply with the timetable set forth in Rule 54(c). This Court is at a loss to understand why a party would file a document late, wait almost 50 more days before filing a motion for extension of time, then fail to explain why he has failed to comply with Rule 54(c). The situation is further aggravated where the party has been specifically informed that the statement of facts would not be considered without a motion. In the absence of any explanation, we refuse to grant appellant’s request.
Notices issued by the Clerk of this Court to counsel should not be ignored. These notices are sent to notify parties of a potential error, defect or omission and to enable the parties to comply with the applicable rules. Although the Clerk did not state that a motion had to be filed by October 26, the Clerk did promptly notify counsel that a motion would be required for this Court to consider the statement of facts.
Appellant’s counsel failed to comply with Rule 54(c) and he failed to explain why he failed to comply. Under these circumstances, we find that Tex.R.App.P. 2 and Tex.R. App.P. 83 should not be invoked to allow the late filing of the statement of facts.
Recently, in De La Garza v. State, 763 S.W.2d 62 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi, 1988) and Gomez v. State, 763 S.W.2d 583 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi, 1988) we addressed similar problems. Together, these cases show that the rules concerning extensions of time should be faithfully complied with by parties appearing before the Court. While Rules 2 and 83 authorize this Court to use a certain amount of discretion in allowing documents to be filed when a party has failed to comply with Rule 54(c), Rules 2 and 83 will not be applied so broadly that they obliterate the specific requirements of Rule 54(c).
Appellant’s motion for extension of time to file the statement of facts is denied. The appeal will be considered without a statement of facts.
DORSEY, J., files a dissenting opinion in which SEERDEN, J., joins.