Jeffrey D. Westbrook v. David F. Fondren, Frank D. Hoke, Gary L. Johnson, John Patrick, Rodney Cooper, Gary West, Deborah Ford, James Mooneyham, Jimmy Webb, Priscilla Morales, Jimmy Bowman, Vickie Barrow, Kelli Ward, Patsy Bell, Danny Horton, Roy Monroe, and Sherilyn Trent
COURT OF APPEALS
SECOND DISTRICT OF TEXAS
FORT WORTH
NO. 02-10-00265-CV
JEFFREY D. WESTBROOK APPELLANT
V.
DAVID F. FONDREN, FRANK D. APPELLEES
HOKE, GARY L. JOHNSON, JOHN
PATRICK, RODNEY COOPER,
GARY WEST, DEBORAH FORD,
JAMES MOONEYHAM, JIMMY
WEBB, PRISCILLA MORALES,
JIMMY BOWMAN, VICKIE
BARROW, KELLI WARD, PATSY
BELL, DANNY HORTON, ROY
MONROE, AND SHERILYN TRENT
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FROM THE 30TH DISTRICT COURT OF WICHITA COUNTY
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MEMORANDUM OPINION1 AND JUDGMENT
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1
See Tex. R. App. P. 47.4.
This appeal has a convoluted history, which we will not recite here.
Appellant Jeffrey D. Westbrook’s brief in this portion of his appeal was due on
January 24, 2011. Subsequently, Westbrook filed a motion to hold the appeal in
abeyance; the motion was denied, and Westbrook’s brief was ordered to be filed
on March 28, 2011. On March 29, 2011, this court partially granted Westbrook’s
request for an extension of time to file his brief, extending the briefing deadline
from March 28, 2011 to May 12, 2011.
On May 24, 2011, we notified Westbrook that his brief had not been filed
as required by Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 38.6(a). See Tex. R. App. P.
38.6(a). We stated that we could dismiss the appeal for want of prosecution
unless Westbrook or any party desiring to continue this appeal filed with the court
within ten days a response showing grounds for continuing the appeal. See Tex.
R. App. P. 42.3.
On June 2, 2011, we received a response from Westbrook. Westbrook
attached a copy of a May 25, 2011 letter to the trial court in which he requested
injunctive relief because his law books and legal documents had been
confiscated on May 19, 2011, and because he was placed on “legal material
suspension” for one year. The confiscation of his law books on May 19 does not,
however, explain why he could not comply with the May 12 deadline for filing his
appellate brief. See Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(a)(1).
2
Because Westbrook’s brief was originally due on January 24, 2011, and
has not been filed and because no reasonable explanation has been provided for
the failure to file the brief by May 12, 2011, we dismiss the appeal for want of
prosecution. See Tex. R. App. P. 38.8(a)(1), 42.3(b), 43.2(f).
PER CURIAM
PANEL: WALKER, MCCOY, and MEIER, JJ.
DELIVERED: June 23, 2011
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