Johnny E. Webb, III v. Alex Rodriguez

ACCEPTED 06-14-00102-CV SIXTH COURT OF APPEALS TEXARKANA, TEXAS 2/2/2015 4:48:55 PM DEBBIE AUTREY CLERK No. 06-14-00102-CV FILED IN JOHNNY E. WEBB § 6th COURT OF APPEALS TEXARKANA, TEXAS § 2/2/2015 4:48:55 PM APPELLANT, § DEBBIE AUTREY § Clerk VS. § Appeal from Cause No. DC-14-09393 § 95th Judicial District Court ALEX RODRIGUEZ, ET AL § Dallas County, Texas § Hon. Judge Kenneth Molberg, III APPELLEES. § RESPONSE REGARDING SHOW CAUSE TO THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF THE SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT: Pursuant to the Court’s January 23, 2015 letter noticing what appeared to be a defect in the record, Appellant submits this response. The final appealable order, dated September 23, 2014 has been filed with the Court in the supplemental record submitted by the trial court clerk on January 26, 2015. Appellant submits that this Court has jurisdiction because he timely filed his notice of appeal within the time required from the date of the final order granting the appellee’s motion to transfer venue or, in the alternative, to dismiss. In support of this response, Appellant submits the following: I. If a motion for new trial or other specified post-judgment motion is timely filed, the notice of appeal is due within ninety (90) days after the judgment is signed. See TEX. R. APP. P. 26.1(a)(1)–(4). A motion for reconsideration is a post-judgment motion that extends the appellate deadlines if timely filed. See TEX. R. CIV. P. 392b(g) (stating that motions to modify, correct, or reform a judgment extend the trial court’s plenary power); Lane Bank Equip. Co. v. Smith S. Equip., Inc., 10 S.W.3d 308, 310 (Tex. 2000) (holding that any post-judgment motion, no matter what it is called, will extend plenary power if it seeks a substantive change in the judgment and is filed within the time limits for a motion for new trial). A motion that extends the appellate deadlines must be filed within thirty days after the judgment or other order complained of is signed. TEX. R. CIV. P. 329b(a) (providing a thirty day deadline to file a motion for new trial). In the instant case, the trial court entered a final appealable order on September 23, 2014. Appellant timely filed a motion for reconsideration on October 8, 2014. Because appellant filed a motion for reconsideration, his notice of appeal was due 90 days after the judgment was signed. See Tex. R. App. P. 26.1. Thus, appellant’s notice of appeal was due on December 22, 2014. Appellant timely filed his notice of appeal on December 2, 2014. II. Because there is now a final appealable order in the record, and Appellant timely filed his notice of appeal, Appellant submits that this Court has jurisdiction over this appeal. Respectfully submitted, /s/Darrell J. O’Neal DARRELL J. O’NEAL TN State Bar No. 20927 2129 Winchester Road Memphis, Tennessee 38116 (901) 345-8009 office (901) 345-8014 fax domemphislaw@aol.com /s/Melvin Houston MELVIN HOUSTON MELVIN HOUSTON & ASSOCIATES TX State Bar No. 00793987 1776 Yorktown St., Ste. 350 Houston, Texas 77056 (713) 212-0600 office (713) 212-0290 fax mhouston@gotellmelcom Attorneys for the Appellant CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing was served upon the following counsel of record via the court system’s electronic filing manager and system on this the 2nd day of February, 2014: Andrew K. York Gray Reed & McGraw 1601 Elm Street, Suite 4600 Dallas, Texas 75201 (214) 954-4135 (214) 953-1332 (Fax) dyork@grayreed.com Attorney for Defendants Lucien Tujague, Jr., and Dominion Gas Holdings, LP Bryan Stevens Hallett & Perrin, PC 1445 Ross Avenue, Ste 2400 Dallas, TX 75202 BStevens@hallettperrin.com Attorney for Defendants Shuk Holdings, LLC and IDT Energy, Inc. Mark L. Johansen Rafael C. Rodriguez Gruber Hurst Johansen Hail Shank LLP 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 2500 Dallas, TX 75202 mjohansen@ghjhlaw.com rrodriguez@ghjhlaw.com Attorneys for Defendant Alex Rodriguez /s/Darrell J. O’Neal DARRELL J. O'NEAL