Opinion
14-24-00481-CR
07-18-2024
IN RE DAKOTA SEMMLER, Relator
ORIGINAL PROCEEDING WRIT OF MANDAMUS 155th District Court Austin County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. 2019R-0162
Panel Consists of Justices Bourliot, Zimmerer, and Spain.
ORDER
PER CURIAM
On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, relator Dakota Semmler, filed a petition for writ of mandamus in this court. Relator asks this court to order the Honorable Jeff R. Steinhauser, Judge of the 155th District Court, in Austin County, Texas, to vacate three of the trial court's orders: the September 5, 2023 "Order for Withdrawal of Defense Counsel"; the October 25, 2023 "Order on Defense Motion to
Reconsider"; and the May 21, 2024 "Order Disqualifying Counsel with Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law," entered in trial court number 2019R-0162. Relator claims the trial court abused its discretion by disqualifying relator's attorney, John Anderson.
Relator has also filed a motion for temporary stay of proceedings below. See Tex. R. App. P. 52.8(b), 52.10. On July 2, 2024, relator asks 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 all proceedings in trial court cause number 2019R-0162, 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 the real parties in interest, Austin County District Attorney Travis Koehn and Marshall Weaver file responses to the petition for writ of mandamus August 1, 2024. See Tex. R. App. P. 52.4.