Opinion
NO. 14-20-00430-CV
06-19-2020
IN RE ALLSTATE FIRE AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, Relator
ORIGINAL PROCEEDING WRIT OF MANDAMUS
11th District Court Harris County, Texas
Trial Court Cause No. 2019-18291
ORDER
On June 15, 2020, relator Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company filed a petition for writ of mandamus in this court. See Tex. Gov't Code Ann. § 22.221; see also Tex. R. App. P. 52. In the petition relator asks this court to compel the Honorable Kristen Hawkins, presiding judge of the 11th District Court in Harris County, Texas, to set aside her (1) January 6, 2020 order denying Allstate's motion to quash the notice of deposition of its corporate representative; and (2) April 27, 2020 order granting Reynaldo Arredondo's motion to compel the deposition of Allstate's corporate representative in the underlying case for uninsured/underinsured motorist benefits entered in trial court trial number 2019-18291, styled Reynaldo Arredondo v. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company.
Relator has also filed a motion for temporary stay of proceedings below. See Tex. R. App. P. 52.8(b), 52.10. On June 15, 2020, relator asked this court to stay proceedings in the trial court pending a decision on the petition for writ of mandamus.
It appears from the facts stated in the petition and motion that relator's request for relief requires further consideration and that relator will be prejudiced unless immediate temporary relief is granted. We therefore GRANT relator's motion and issue the following order:
We ORDER the April 27, 2020 order, the hearing scheduled for June 29, 2020, and any subsequent filings and proceedings on this issue in trial court number 2019-18291, styled Reynaldo Arredondo v. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company, STAYED until a final decision by this court on relator's petition for writ of mandamus, or until further order of this court.
In addition, the court requests Reynaldo Arredondo, the real party in interest, to file a response to the petition for writ of mandamus on or before July 3, 2020. See Tex. R. App. P. 52.4.
PER CURIAM Panel consists of Justices Christopher, Jewell, and Hassan.