TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT, AT AUSTIN
NO. 03-20-00118-CV
B. D. and S. D., Appellants
v.
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Appellee
FROM THE 453RD DISTRICT COURT OF HAYS COUNTY,
NO. 19-0743, THE HONORABLE DAVID JUNKIN, JUDGE PRESIDING
ORDER
PER CURIAM
Appellant B. D. has filed an “Unopposed Motion to Abate, Enter Orders to the
Court Reporter, and Recalculate Due Date for Appellant B.D.’s Brief and/or Other Relief.”
Appellant requests that the Court: (1) abate the case until his counsel obtains a complete record,
including certain sealed exhibits from the court reporter; (2) order the court reporter to provide
those sealed exhibits to counsel; (3) recalculate the due date of his brief from the date he receives
the records; and (4) enter whatever other orders the Court deems just and appropriate. We grant
the motion in part.
The Court orders the Clerk of this Court to provide appellant’s counsel with a
copy of the Court’s sealed documents acknowledgement form and to produce a complete
reporter’s record, including copies of the sealed exhibits, to appellant’s counsel upon receipt of
the completed acknowledgment form. We further order appellant’s counsel to return the copy of
the reporter’s record to the Court when briefing in the appeal is complete. We dismiss as moot
appellant’s motion to abate and to order the court reporter to provide the sealed exhibits.
The rules of judicial administration accelerate the final disposition of appeals
from suits for termination of parental rights. See Tex. R. Jud. Admin. 6.2(a) (providing 180 days
for court’s final disposition). The accelerated schedule constrains this Court’s leeway in granting
extensions. In this instance, we will grant the motion and order Terry “Ty” Wesley Barker and
Amanda Wilhelm to file appellants’ briefs no later than May 11, 2020. If the brief is not filed by
that date, counsel may be required to show cause why they should not be held in contempt of
court.
It is so ordered on April 13, 2020.
Before Chief Justice Rose, Justices Baker and Triana
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