University of Incarnate Word and Christopher Carter v. Valerie Redus, Individually, and Robert M. Redus, Individually and as Administrator of the Estate of Robert Cameron Redus
ACCEPTED
04-15-00120-CV
FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
8/10/2015 11:02:59 PM
KEITH HOTTLE
CLERK
NO. 04-15-00120-CV
FILED IN
IN THE FOURTH COURT OF APPEALS
4th COURT OF APPEALS
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
AT SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
8/10/2015 11:02:59 PM
KEITH E. HOTTLE
Clerk
UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD,
Defendant--Appellant
v.
VALERIE REDUS, Individually, and ROBERT M. REDUS,
Individually and as Administrator of the Estate of Cameron M. Redus
Plaintiffs—Appellees
_________________________________________________
On appeal from the 150th Judicial District Court
of Bexar County, Texas
APPELLEES’ REPLY TO UIW’S
SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF AND
SUPPLEMENTAL RESPONSE TO MOTION TO DISMISS
Appellees Valerie and Robert M. (“Mickey”) Redus file their reply to UIW’s
Supplemental Brief and Supplemental Response to Motion to Dismiss pursuant to
Local Rule 8.3, but will request leave of Court if necessary.
UIW, in its Supplemental Brief, urges this Court to consider recently passed
Senate Bill 308 when determining whether UIW is a “governmental unit” for
purposes of the Texas Tort Claims Act. The bill, which becomes effective on
September 1, 2015, makes a private university’s campus police department a “law
enforcement agency and a governmental body” for purposes of complying with
Tex. Govt. Code § 552, commonly known as the Texas Public Information Act.
This act, as this Court knows, guarantees access to “public information”
gathered by a “governmental body,” but excepts information held by a “law
enforcement agency” that deals with the detection, investigation, or prosecution of
crime. See, e.g., Tex. Govt. Code §§ 552.002, 021 and 108.
UIW properly does not consider itself bound by the Senate Bill 308 until it
becomes effective next month. When a local television station submitted a request
for UIW’s Use of Force Policies and Procedures, UIW declined to respond:
Thank you for your request. As you know the Texas Public
Information Act is applicable to a “governmental body” as defined in
the Texas Government Code. The Texas legislature has passed a bill
making clear that a private university’s police department is a “law
enforcement agency” and “a governmental body” under the
Government Code “only with respect to information relating solely to
law enforcement activities” with an effective date of September 1,
2015. This legislation, coupled with the recent Supreme Court ruling
in favor of Rice University, clarify that private university police
departments authorized and approved by the Texas Commission on
Law Enforcement are entitled to the same immunities that public
university police departments receive. Therefore, please resubmit
your request for consideration on or after September 1, 2015.
Exhibit 1 (Statement from UIW dated June 5, 2015).
UIW’s statement is correct as to its duty to comply with the Public
Information Act. Beginning in September, the Campus Police Department will
have to respond to requests made under the act. The law regarding the “powers,
privileges, and immunities” accorded campus police at private universities will not
otherwise change. See Tex. Educ. Code § 51.212.
UIW’s statement is less correct with regard to the law governing immunity.
The Supreme Court established in William Marsh Rice v. Refaey, 459 S.W.3d 590,
2
595 (Tex. 2015) that private university police officers are entitled to interlocutory
appeals—under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 51.014(a)(5)—of denials of motions
for summary judgment based on an officer’s assertion of immunity. At the same
time, the Supreme Court confirmed that private universities are not government
agencies under § 51.014: “no applicable statute treats Rice University or its police
force like a state agency….” Id. at 593 (distinguishing the Court’s holding in Klein
v. Hernandez, 315 S.W.3d 1 (Tex.2010)).
Senate Bill 308 may affect how UIW responds to Texas Public Information
Act requests after September 1, 2015, but it has no impact on the law applicable to
the Reduses’ claims, to their Motion to Dismiss this appeal, or to UIW’s claim to
be a “governmental unit” when Campus Police Officer Christopher Carter shot
Cameron Redus on December 6, 2013. Those questions are settled by the law in
effect when the underlying suit was filed. See Robinson v. Crown Cork & Seal Co.,
Inc., 335 S.W.3d 126, 149 (Tex. 2010) (holding that statute passed after suit was
filed which limited defendant’s liability violated the Texas Constitution prohibition
against retroactive laws).
FOR THESE REASONS, appellees Valerie and Robert M. Redus again ask
this Court to dismiss this appeal for want of jurisdiction or, in the alternative,
deny the plea to the jurisdiction and remand this action to the trial court for
further proceedings.
3
Respectfully submitted,
BURFORD PERRY, LLP
____________________
BRENT C. PERRY
STATE BAR NO. 15799650
700 LOUISIANA, SUITE 4545
HOUSTON, TX 77002
TEL: (713) 401-9790
FAX: (713) 993-7739
BPERRY@BURFORDPERRY.COM
HERRING LAW FIRM
S/MASON W. HERRING
MASON W. HERRING
STATE BAR NO. 24071746
2727 ALLEN PARKWAY
SUITE 1150
HOUSTON, TEXAS 77019
(832) 500-3170 – TELEPHONE
(832) 500-3172 – FACSIMILE
MHERRING@HERRINGLAWFIRM.COM
THE HERRERA LAW FIRM
S/JORGE A. HERRERA
FRANK HERRERA, JR.
STATE BAR NO. 09531000
FHERRERA@HERRERALAW.COM
JORGE A. HERRERA
STATE BAR NO. 24044242
JHERRERA@HERRERALAW.COM
111 SOLEDAD, SUITE 1900
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78205
TEL: 210.224.1054
FAX: 210.228.0887
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEES
4
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of the foregoing Reply has been
served on the following counsel of record by electronic service in accordance with
Tex. R. App. P. 9.5(e), on August 10, 2015.
Laurence S. Kurth
Matthew Wymer
Beirne, Maynard & Parsons, LLP
112 East Pecan St., Suite 2750
San Antonio, TX 78205
Counsel for Defendant UIW
Robert A. Valadez
Shelton & Valadez
600 Navarro St., Suite 500
San Antonio, TX 78205
Counsel for Defendant Christopher Carter
____________________
BRENT C. PERRY
5
APPELLEES'
exhibitsticker.com
EXHIBIT
1