NUMBER 13-19-00008-CV
COURT OF APPEALS
THIRTEENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS
CORPUS CHRISTI – EDINBURG
IN THE INTEREST OF C.D.L.R., C.D.L.R., E.M., CHILDREN
On Appellant’s Second Motion for Extension of Time to File Brief.
ORDER
Before Chief Justice Contreras and Justices Longoria and Perkes
Order Per Curiam
This is an appeal of a final order terminating parental rights. Appellant’s brief was
initially due to be filed on February 27, 2019. See TEX. R. APP. P. 38.6(a). Appellant’s
court-appointed counsel filed a motion to extend time to file brief; we granted the motion
and extended the deadline to March 29, 2019. Appellant’s counsel has now filed a
unopposed second motion for extension of time seeking twenty additional days to file the
brief. As a reason for the extension, counsel represents that she has “a heavy work
docket for a solo practitioner.”
Appeals in parental termination and child protection cases are governed by the
rules of appellate procedure for accelerated appeals, but include additional expedited
deadlines and procedures. See TEX. R. APP. P. 28.4; TEX. R. JUD. ADMIN. 6.2(a). The
intermediate appellate courts are directed to ensure “as far as reasonably possible” that
these appeals are brought to final disposition within 180 days of the date the notice of
appeal is filed. See TEX. R. JUD. ADMIN. 6.2(a). Given the nature of these cases and
the shortened appellate deadlines, the Court does not favor extensions of time to file a
brief in such cases.
This Court, having fully examined and considered appellant’s motion, is of the
opinion that, in the interest of justice and given the circumstances, appellant’s unopposed
second motion for extension of time to file brief should be GRANTED IN PART and
DENIED IN PART. Counsel is ORDERED to file appellant’s brief on or before the
expiration of the business day on Monday, April 8, 2019.
Further motions for extension of time by appellant’s counsel will not be entertained.
The failure to file the brief timely in accordance with this order will result in abatement of
the appeal for the appointment of new counsel.
The Clerk of this Court is ORDERED to serve a copy of this order on appellant’s
counsel, the Honorable Sandra Eastwood, by email and by certified mail, return receipt
requested.
PER CURIAM
Delivered and filed the
1st day of April, 2019.
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