Opinion
01-24-00225-CV
03-22-2024
In re State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
133rd District Court of Harris County No. 2023-33122
ORDER
AMPARO MONIQUE GUERRA JUDGE
On March 21, 2024, relator, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company ("State Farm"), filed a petition for writ of mandamus challenging the trial court's February 19, 2024 order granting real party in interest, Jennifer Coleman's, motion to compel the deposition of a State Farm corporate representative. State Farm contends that the trial court abused its discretion by compelling State Farm to present a corporate representative for deposition when the deposition "fails the proportionality requirements of Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 192.4." State Farm requests that the Court issue a writ of mandamus "instructing the trial court to vacate its order compelling the deposition of State Farm's corporate representative."
In connection with its mandamus petition, and also on March 21, 2024, State Farm filed an "Emergency Motion for Temporary Relief." In its emergency motion, State Farm notes that the trial court's February 19, 2024 order required the corporate representative deposition to "occur no later than" March 25, 2024. State Farm therefore requested that the Court "grant a temporary stay of the deposition . . . until this Court has an opportunity to decide the merits of State Farm's request for mandamus relief."
State Farm's Emergency Motion for Temporary Relief is granted. The deposition of a State Farm Corporate representative, as compelled by the trial court's February 19, 2024 order, is stayed. This stay shall remain in effect until further order of this Court or disposition of State Farm's petition for writ of mandamus. This order does not stay, or otherwise alter, any other proceedings or deadlines in trial court case number 2023-33122.
The Court further requests a response to the petition for a writ of mandamus from real party in interest, Jennifer Coleman. The response, if any, is due no later than twenty days from the date of this order.
It is so ORDERED.