James William Hornsby v. Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Opinion filed August 20, 2009

 

 

Opinion filed August 20, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                        In The

                                                                             

    Eleventh Court of Appeals

                                                                 ____________

 

                                                          No. 11-09-00119-CV

                                                    __________

 

                              JAMES WILLIAM HORNSBY, Appellant

 

                                                             V.

 

         TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE ET AL, Appellees

 

 

                                         On Appeal from the 259th District Court

 

                                                           Jones County, Texas

 

                                                   Trial Court Cause No. 021871

 

 

                                              M E M O R A N D U M   O P I N I O N

James William Hornsby sued the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Executive Director  Brad Livingston, Correctional Officer Frances Odom, and Lieutenant Santos J. Garcia, Jr. for over $9,000 in damages resulting from the alleged seizure of his personal items.  The trial court dismissed Hornsby=s action for failure to comply with Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. '' 14.001-.014 (Vernon 2002).  We affirm.


On appeal, Hornsby briefs three issues.  In his first issue, Hornsby argues that the trial court abused its discretion because his claims are not frivolous.  Next, he argues that the district clerk violated his rights to access the courts.  Finally, Hornsby contends that his claim is Aalmost entirely identical@ to the case of Minix v. Gonzales, 162 S.W.3d 635 (Tex. App.CHouston [14th Dist.] 2005, no pet.).

Hornsby does not address the trial court=s determination that he failed to comply with the mandatory elements in Chapter 14.  The record does not support Hornsby=s claims concerning the actions of the clerk of the trial court.  We find the Minix case to be distinguishable.  In Minix, both the trial court and the appellate court addressed the merits of the claims advanced.  In the present case, the trial court was unable to consider the merits of Hornsby=s claims.  All of Hornsby=s contentions have been considered.  Each is overruled.

The order of the trial court is affirmed.

 

PER CURIAM

 

August 20, 2009

Panel consists of:  Wright, C.J.,

McCall, J., and Strange, J.