In The
Court of Appeals
Ninth District of Texas at Beaumont
____________________
NO. 09-13-00579-CR
____________________
IN RE STEPHEN LOUIS HARTMAN
_______________________________________________________ ______________
On Appeal from the County Court at Law No. 2
Orange County, Texas
Trial Cause No. E-105897
________________________________________________________ _____________
ORDER
Relator Stephen Louis Hartman filed a petition seeking a writ of mandamus
to compel the trial court (a) to permit Hartman’s attorney to listen to a portion of
an audio recording which is the subject of this mandamus, (b) to tender the
contested portion of the audio recording for this Court to review in consideration of
his petition for writ of mandamus, or (c) to order the audio recording produced to
Relator’s attorney. This Court has reviewed the petition, responses filed thereto,
the audio recording, and the record.
The trial court’s ruling at issue in this mandamus was not reduced to writing,
and the basis for the trial court’s ruling is unclear from the record. Consequently,
we abate the mandamus proceeding and direct the trial court to review the entire
audio recording of May 28, 2013 from the 252nd District Court as reflected on the
jump drive provided to this Court. The trial court shall then reduce its ruling to a
written order. With respect to its ruling, we direct the trial court to enter findings
and conclusions that explain the legal basis for its rulings, including, but not
limited to, whether the withheld portion of the audio recording contains or does not
contain exculpatory or impeachment evidence.
ORDER ENTERED February 6, 2014.
PER CURIAM
Before McKeithen, C.J., Horton and Johnson, JJ.