Opinion
13-23-00 58 5-CV
02-07-2024
IN THE INTEREST OF A.C.G., A CHILD
On appeal from the 23rd District Court of Matagroda County, Texas.
ORDER TO FILE REPORTER'S RECORD
Before Contreras Chief Justice and Benavides and Tijerina, Justices.
ORDER
PER CURIAM
This cause is before the Court on the reporters' failure to file the reporter's record. On December 15, 2023, appellant E.G.E. filed a notice of appeal from a final order terminating his parental rights.
The intermediate appellate courts are directed to ensure "as far as reasonably possible" that parental termination 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). Accordingly, these cases are governed by the rules of appellate procedure for accelerated appeals, which include expedited deadlines and procedures. See id.; TEX. R. APP. P. 28.4. Under these expedited deadlines, the reporter's record in this case should have been filed on December 27, 2023. See TEX. R. APP. P. 26.1(b), 35.1(b).
On January 11 and January 18, 2024 this Court notified the court reporters that the reporter's record was late, and sua sponte extended the deadline to file the reporter's record to January 29, 2024. The reporter's record in this case is already more than a month overdue from when it should have been filed. To ensure the Court meets its 180-day mandate, we order the court reporters to file the reporter's record by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 9, 2024. See TEX. R. APP. P. 37.3(a)(1) (instructing that intermediate appellate courts must "make whatever order is appropriate to avoid further delay and to preserve the parties' rights"). The failure of the court reporters to file the record by the date set forth in this order shall result in the referral of this matter to the Court and may result in the issuance of an order to show cause.