Opinion
05-22-01337-CV
05-09-2023
IN THE INTEREST OF Z.E., A CHILD
On Appeal from the 304th Judicial District Court Dallas County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. JC-22-00703-W
ORDER
KEN MOLBERG, PRESIDING JUSTICE.
On May 4, 2023, we ordered Martha Grant, Official Court Reporter for the 304th Judicial District Court, to file a corrected reporter's record that included an exhibit volume that could be opened and either (1) the record of a proceeding both the docket sheet and decree of termination reflect was held August 29, 2022 or (2) written verification no record was taken of that proceeding. Our order directed Ms. Grant to comply by 12:00 p.m. (noon) on May 8, 2023 and cautioned that failure to comply would result in the Court taking whatever action it deemed necessary to ensure compliance, including ordering that she not sit as a reporter until she complied.
The following day, Ms. Grant attempted to file the exhibit volume, but it was not text-searchable or bookmarked and was rejected. Ms. Grant attempted again to file the exhibit volume twice on May 8, but neither time could the volume be opened and neither time did it include an index.
As our May 4th order noted, this is an accelerated appeal in a parental termination case, and we first ordered Ms. Grant to file the corrected exhibit volume and either the record of the August 29th proceeding or written verification no record was taken of that proceeding on April 12, 2023. The appeal has an expedited disposition deadline and can be delayed no further. Accordingly, we ORDER Ms. Grant to file the corrected exhibit volume and either the record of the August 29th proceeding or written verification no record was taken no later than 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. The record shall comply with all applicable provisions of section 8 of the Uniform Format Manual for Texas Reporters' Records. We further ORDER Ms. Grant not sit as a reporter until she has complied with this order.
We DIRECT the Clerk of the Court to send a copy of this order to the Honorable Andrea Martin Lane, Presiding Judge of the 304th Judicial District Court; Ms. Grant; the Dallas County Auditor; and, the parties.