Texas PreTrial Procedure.docx

Texas PreTrial Procedure.docx

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TexasPreTrialProcedure

Chapter3-TheSubjectMatterJurisdictionoftheTexasTrialCourt

Definitions:

OriginalJurisdiction–YoucanstartthecaseinthatCt.

ExclusiveJurisdiction–OnlythatCt.canhandlethatkindofcase

I.AnOverviewoftheTexasTrialCourts

A.JusticeCourts-§27.031

1.AmountinControversy

a）OriginalLowerLimit–0

b）UpperLimit-$5,000

c）Exclusive–Lessthan$200

2.JusticeCt.sshareconcurrentoriginaljurisdictionwithcountyCt.sincivilcaseswhereamountincontroversyisb/w$200and$5,000.

3.Originaljurisdictionoverforcibleentryanddetainercases.（jurisdictionexistsregardlessofvalueofland）–evictionisthemostcommonexample（doesnotraiseatitleissue–whatyouareseekingispossession）

a）SpecialSubjectMatterJurisdiction

4.Mayissuewritsofattachment,garnishment,andsequestration,butnoauthoritytoissuewritsofmandamusorinjunctions（§27.032）

5.Expresslydeniedsuitsonbehalfofthestatetorecoverpenalties,forfeitures,andescheats,suitsfordivorce,suitstorecoverdamagesforslanderordefamationofcharacter,suitsfortrialoftitleoflandandsuitsfortheenforcementofliensonland-§27.031（b）

B.ConstitutionalCountyCt.s-§26.042

1.TheTexasConstitutionprovidesthat“TheCountyCt.jurisdictionasprovidedbylaw.”（Tex.Const.Art.5,§16）.

2.Theamountincontroversyis$200.01through$5000（concurrentwithJusticeCt.s）.

3.UnlessacauseisspecificallyassignedtoanotherCt.b/cofitssubjectmatter,aconstitutionalCt.hasconcurrentjurisdictionwithjusticeCt.sincivilcasesanddistrictCt.sfor$200-$5,000

4.HascivilappellatejurisdictionovercasesarisinginjusticeCt.sorsmallclaimsCt.whenthejudgmentrenderedis>$20（Reviewisbyatrialdenovo）

a）SpecialSMJ–probate,juvenile,andappealsifmorethan$20

5.Mayissuewritsofinjunction,mandamus,cert.,andallotherwrits

6.ManyoftheseCt.saregrantedadditionaljurisdictionbystatutoryprovisionswhichapplyonlytothoseCt.s

7.ConstitutionalCt.shavenojurisdictionin:

a）Asuittorecoverdamagesforslanderordefamation

b）Suitforenforcingalienonland

c）Suitinbehalfofthestateforescheat

d）SuitforDivorce

e）Suitforforfeitureofacorporatecharter

f）Suitfortrialforpropertyvaluesat$500ormoreandleviedonunderawritofexecution,sequestration,orattachment

g）Aneminentdomaincase

h）Suittorecoverland

C.DistrictCourts-§24.007

1.ThePrimaryTexasTrialCt.s–ConstitutionalCt.sofGeneralJurisdiction

2.Article5,§8–DistrictCt.sofjuris.overallexceptthosereservedexclusivelytootherstates

a）Jurisdictionconsistofexclusive,appellate,andoriginaljuris.ExceptwhereanotherCt.hasthat

3.AmountinControversyismorethan$500

a）DistrictCt.shaveconcurrentamountiscontroversyjuris.WithjusticeCt.s,constitutionalcountyCt.s,andstatutoryCt.sincasesinwhichthea.i.c.exceeds$500,uptotheCt.’smax.juris.Limits

b）Gov’tcodedoesn’tspecifythelowerlimit（someCt.ssay$200,butthereareargumentsforbothways）.

c）Whennoa.i.c.gohere

4.ResidualJurisdiction-TheDistrictCt.’sjuris.isascertainablebytheprocessofelimination

a）§24.007–Exclusivejurisdictionoverwhatisnotgiventoanybodyelse

b）originaljurisdictionaslongasthereisexclusivejurisdictiontosomeoneelse

D.LegislativeCt.s-§25.003（defaultprovision）（statutoryorcountyatlaw）

1.LegislativeCt.sExercisingDistrictJurisdiction

a）Theleg.maynotrestrictthejuris.ofadistrictct.,buttheleg.canchangeastatutoryct.intoaconstitutionaldistrictct.byincreasingitsjurisdictiontoconstitutionalproportions

2.LegislativeCountyCt.s

a）ThebasisjurisdictionalprovisioniscontainedintheGov’tCodeSection25.0003

b）AstatutorycountyCt.hasjurisdictionoverallcausesandproceedings,civilandcriminal,originalandappellate,prescribedbylawforcountyCt.s

c）AstatutoryCt.doesnothavejurisdictionover

∙Roads,bridges,highways

∙Generaladministrationofcountybusinessw/inthejuris.ofthecommissionersofeachcounty

∙Thisdiffersfromcountytocountyandthespecialprovisionstrump§25.0003

d）Astatutoryct.exercisingciviljuris.concurrentw/theconstitutionaljuris.ofthecountyct.hasconcurrentjuris.w/thedistrictct.in:

∙Civilcaseswherea.i.c.isb/w$500and$100,000

∙AppealsoffinalrulingsanddecisionsoftheTx.Worker’sComp

∙Has,concurrentw/theconst.countyct.inprobatemattersunlesstheleg.hascreatedastatutoryprobateCt.

∙Inacountythathasastatutoryprobatect.,astatutoryprobatect.istheonlycountyct.createdbystatutew/probatejuris.

e）AmountinControversy

∙LowerLimit–200.01

∙UpperLimit-5,000（excludesinterestandattorney’sfees）

E.SharedJurisdictionandJurisdictionVaryingFromCountytoCounty:

EffectsonFilingandTransfer

1.AdjudicativeResponsibility&TransferB/wDistrictCt.sandLeg.Cts.ExercisingConcurrentJuris.w/DistrictCt.s（Tex.R.Civ.P.330（e））.

a）Thedistrictct.judgesmayexchangebenchesordistrictsandmaytransferproceedings

b）Ct.AdministrativeAct

∙Stateisdividedinto9administrativejudicialregionsandisgovernedbylocalrules

c）RulesofJudicialAdministration

∙Rule3–Createsa“councilofpresidingjudges”tooverseedocketsandcaseloadstopromoteuniformity

∙Rule4–Createsa“councilofjudges”tomonitorcaseloads

∙Rile6–Establishesthestandardsforthedispositionofvariouscategoriesofcases（i.e.civiljurycasesshouldbefinalizedw/in18months）

2.AdjudicativeResponsibilityandTransferinCasesInvolvingEminentdomain,Probate,andDivorce

a）Districtcts.havejuris.concurrentw/thecountyctsatlawineminentdomaincases

b）Constitutionalcountyctsdonothavejurisdiction

c）ProbateJurisdictioncanbeheardina1）const.countyCt.,2）statutoryprobatect.,or3）districtCt.（p.125）（dependsonparticularcounty）

∙countyct.atlawmusttransfercaseifdistrictct.hasacasespecifictoit

d）Alldistrictcts.andsomestatutoryCt.shavesmjtolitigatedivorcecasesandrelatedmatters

e）§21.001ofpropertyct.–EminentDomainCases–countyct.atlawhasconcurrentjurisdictionwiththedistrictCt.

F.OtherCt.s

1.Thereareprovisioncreatingmunicipalcts.,someofwhicharectsofrecord

2.“Smallclaims”juris.allowsjusticects.tousesimplifiedprocedureswhena.i.c.islessthan$5,000

3.FamilyDistrictCt.s

II.AppellateCasesConcerningTrialCt.Jurisdiction

A.CompetingJurisdictionalGrants

1.OrangeLaundryCo.v.Stark（1944）

a）Facts:

StarkinstitutedthissuitagainstOrangeforforcibledetaineranddamagesinaJusticeCt..ItwasappealedfromthejusticeCt.tocountyCt..Appellantswrittenleasewasnotrenewedwhenitexpired,buttheystayedonthepropertyanyway,neverpayingrent.Starkonlywantedrestitutionofthepremises,damages,andcostofsuit.

b）RuleofLaw–Inaforcibledetainersuitthemeritsofthetitletolandshallnotbeinquiredinto.Ifasalemadebythebanktoappelleeistobeattackedasbeinginvalid,itmustbedoneinasuitfiledinthedistrictCt.forthatpurposeandsuchisnotpermissibleisasuitforforcibledetainer.

∙Notnecessarilyanissueoftitlehere–Inaf.e.d.action,titleisnotanissue

∙Iftheywantedtoattacktitle–gotodistrictCt.

2.Rodriguezv.Sullivan（1972）

a）Facts:

TheDistrictCt.deniedatemporaryinjunctionagainsttheSherifftopreventhimfromexecutingawritofpossessioninaForcibleEntryandDetainerCase

b）RuleofLaw–ForcibleentrysuitanddetainerisanactionforpossessionandthequestionofrightofpossessionistheonlyissueforaJusticeCt..JusticeCt.shavenojurisdictionofsuitsoftitle,andhencehavenojurisdictiontotryacaseinforcibledetainer,whichnecessarilyinvolvestrialoftitletoland,ortorenderjudgmenttherein.

∙Thiscasenecessarilyinvolvedtitlestoproperty,therefore,justiceCt.can’thearit（Test–Doesitnecessarilyinvolvetitletoproperty?

）

III.AmountinControversy

A.Definitions

1）A.I.C.–Unlessotherwiseprovidedbystatute,exemplarydamages,attorney’sfees,penalties,andlikerecoveriesarecountedaspartofthea.i.c.

a）Bystatute,statutorycountyCt.sexercisingciviljurisdictionmustnotinclude“interest,statutoryorpunitivedamagesandpenalties,andattorney’sfeesandcosts”

2）Interesteonominee–Includesconventionalinterestprovidedbyagreementaswellascertainkindsfixedbystatute.Thisisthekindofinterestthatisgivenunderawrittenkx,getinterestbasedonstatutethatcoversthis.Thisisexcludedfroma.i.c.

3）Interestasdamages–Existswhenthedollarvalueofthelossisfixedbytheconditionsasofthetimeoftheinjurygivingrisetothecauseofaction

4）Pre-JudgmentInterest–WrongfulDeath,PersonalInjury,andpropertydamageactionsfiledorretriedafterSeptember1,1987mustincludestatutoryprejudgmentinterest

a）CommonLawPrejudgmentInterest–ispartofdamages

B.Cases:

1）Peekv.EquipmentService（1989）

a）Facts:

PseekingdamagesunderawrongfuldeathandsurvivalactionsuitindistrictCt..P.filedapetitionthatfailedtospecifyamountofdamages:

b）RuleofLaw–Unlessitisclearfromthepleadingsthatthect.lacksjurisdictionofthea.i.c.,itshouldretainthecaseandgiveachanceforamendment.ThefailurefortheP.tostatea.i.c.willnotdeprivejurisdictionb/citisaspecialexception.

∙Claimsnotforamonetaryamountcanbeconvertedtoanamount

∙Evenifpldgisneverclarified,ct.willmaintainitbys