Opinion
Appellate case number: 01-20-00673-CVAppellate case number: 01-20-00689-CVAppellate case number: 01-20-00690-CVAppellate case number: 01-20-00691-CVAppellate case number: 01-20-00692-CVAppellate case number: 01-20-00693-CVAppellate case number: 01-20-00694-CVAppellate case number: 01-20-00695-CV
10-22-2020
Houston Community College v. The Hall Law Group, PLLC and Dolcefino Consulting and Scott Laha Houston Community College v. Dolcefino Consulting and Scott Laha Houston Community College v. The Hall Law Group, PLLC
ORDER Trial court case number: 2020-31380 Trial court: 334th District Court of Harris County and Trial court case number: 2020-31380A Trial court: 334th District Court of Harris County and Trial court case number: 2020-31380B Trial court: 334th District Court of Harris County and Trial court case number: 2020-31380C Trial court: 334th District Court of Harris County and Trial court case number: 2020-31380D Trial court: 334th District Court of Harris County and Trial court case number: 2020-31380E Trial court: 334th District Court of Harris County and Trial court case number: 2020-31380F Trial court: 334th District Court of Harris County and Trial court case number: 2020-31380G Trial court: 334th District Court of Harris County
Each of the eight appeals referenced above arise out of trial court cause number 2020-31380, initiated by appellee, The Hall Law Group, PLLC, which filed five petitions for a writ of mandamus, seeking to compel appellant, Houston Community College, to comply with requests for information filed by appellee pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act (the "PIA"). Separately, appellees, Dolcefino Consulting and Scott Laha, intervened in the trial court case, filing four additional petitions for writ of mandamus related to the same PIA requests to appellant.
Appellant filed a plea to the jurisdiction with the trial court in the original cause number, 2020-31380. On September 25, 2020, the trial court entered an order, dated September 24, 2020, denying appellant's plea to the jurisdiction (the "Plea Order"). The Plea Order also states that the trial court "grants [The Hall Law Group, PLLC's] and [i]ntervenors' Motions for Summary Judgment and Writs of Mandamus" regarding the PIA requests, and that writs would issue separately. On September 28, 2020, appellant filed a notice of interlocutory appeal, challenging the Plea Order. Appellant's September 28, 2020 appeal was assigned appellate cause number 01-20-00673-CV by the Clerk of this Court.
On September 29, 2020, the trial court entered seven separate orders, dated September 24, 2020, issuing writs of mandamus on behalf of appellees. The trial court further ordered that each issued writ of mandamus was severed from the original trial court cause number and assigned a new trial court cause number. The severed writs were assigned trial court cause numbers 2020-31380A, 2020-31380B, 2020-31380C, 2020-31380D, 2020-31380E, 2020-31380F, and 2020-31380G. On October 7, 2020, appellant filed seven notices of interlocutory appeal, one for each of the severed trial court cause numbers. The Clerk of this Court assigned cause numbers 01-20-00689-CV, 01-20-00690-CV, 01-20-00691-CV, 01-20-00692-CV, 01-20-00693-CV, 01-20-00694-CV, and 01-20-00695-CV, respectively, to appellant's October 7, 2020 notices of interlocutory appeal.
On October 9, 2020, appellant filed an "Unopposed Motion to Consolidate Related Appeals." Appellant's motion notes that each of these appeals are inextricably intertwined in that they involve the same parties, issues, and facts, with the only differences between each appeal being the date of the specific PIA request and the party making the request. Appellant further notes that consolidation would lead to judicial efficiency, as each of the appeals are made up of records from the original trial court proceeding, and "briefing of all eight appeals would involve duplicate filings."
We deny the motion to consolidate. However, we order that the parties may file a single brief regarding all eight appeals in accordance with the following schedule.
Appellant's brief is due no later than twenty days after the completion of the appellate record in appellate cause number 01-20-00673-CV.See TEX. R. APP. P. 38.6(a). Appellees' brief(s), if any, will be due no later than twenty days after appellant's brief is filed.See TEX. R. APP. P. 38.6(b).
To the extent necessary, appellant is permitted to file a single appellant's brief listing all eight appellate cause numbers and addressing the facts and issues related to all eight appeals.
To the extent necessary, each appellee is permitted to file a single appellee's brief listing all eight appellate cause numbers and addressing the facts and issues related to all eight appeals, or each appeal relevant to each appellee.
It is so ORDERED. Judge's signature: /s/ Evelyn V. Keyes
[v] Acting individually [ ] Acting for the Court Date: October 22, 2020