NO. 07-04-0428-CV
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SEVENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS
AT AMARILLO
PANEL E
DECEMBER 28, 2006
______________________________
IN THE INTEREST OF C.H., C.H. AND C.H., CHILDREN
_______________________________
FROM THE 140TH DISTRICT COURT OF LUBBOCK COUNTY
NO. 2002-518,450; HONORABLE JIM BOB DARNELL, JUDGE
_________________________________
Before CAMPBELL and HANCOCK, JJ.1
CONCURRING OPINION
I concur with the result of the majority opinion. However, my concurrence is the
result of the failure of McCann to either claim surprise at the time the trial court made its
initial ruling to allow the testimony in question or to request a continuance to investigate the
information developed in the late filed discovery. See TEX . R. CIV. P. 193.6(a)(2), 193.6(c).
Without the requisite claims by McCann, I cannot find that the trial court abused its
discretion in allowing the testimony. Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corp. v. Malone, 972
S.W.2d 35, 43 (Tex. 1998).
1
Don H. Reavis, Justice (Ret.), was on the panel that heard oral argument. He did
not participate in the decision. TEX . R. APP. P. 41.1(b).
However, this case is a perfect example of the effect of allowing the exception to the
rule of full disclosure, as required by Rule 193, to become the norm by not enforcing the
language of the rule. TEX . R. CIV. P. 193. In discussing the precursor to Rule 193, Justice
Hecht stated, “To relax the good cause standard in Rule 215(5) would impair its purpose.
Counsel should not be excused from the requirements of the rule without a strict showing
of good cause.” Alvarado v. Farah Mfg. Co., Inc., 830 S.W.2d 911, 915 (Tex. 1992). An
attorney simply stating the fault was all mine does not address the requirements of the rule.
However, the remedy, exclusion of the evidence, more especially in a child custody case
where the “best interest of the children” is paramount, was something the trial court was
not willing to do. As I stated at the outset, I concur with the majority, but only because the
action taken by McCann did nothing to assist the trial judge in addressing the remedy, for
the failure to file answers to discovery, except by exclusion of the evidence.
Mackey K. Hancock
Justice
2