Opinion
08-24-00155-CR
09-20-2024
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellant, v. MELVIN ISMAEL ZURITA, Appellee.
Appeal from the County Court at Law No. 7 of El Paso County, Texas (TC# 20240C03822)
Before Alley, C.J., Palafox and Soto, JJ.
ORDER
PER CURIAM
This Order is issued in the above-styled case, and in 139 related cases (appellate case numbers 08-24-00156-CR through 08-24-00213-CR; and 08-24-00222-CR through 08-24-00302-CR), which together comprise the 140 total pending appeals stemming from a grand jury indictment that charges each Appellee with misdemeanor riot participation. In total, this Order consolidates the briefing schedule for 81 of the 140 cases so as to align those cases with the other 59 of 140 cases; and it disposes of two pending motions filed by the State in all 140 cases: (1) a motion asking this Court to create a "unified" reporter's record for use in all 140 cases filed on September 11, 2024; and (2) a motion seeking to reset the briefing schedule, or to extend the time for the State to file its brief in each and every one of the 140 cases filed on September 18, 2024.
To begin, the State previously moved to consolidate the briefing schedules for 59 of the 140 cases. In that motion, the State moved to consolidate multiple cases into two groups based on the presence or absence of a reporter's record. This Court granted the motion by Order dated August 27, 2024. That order consolidated 9 cases into a first group and 50 cases into a second group. Because the State did not then move to consolidate the remaining 81 of the 140 cases, those cases remained on individual briefing schedules pursuant to Rule 38.6. See Tex. R. App. P. 38.6 (providing the method for calculating briefing deadlines on appeal).
The State's motion to consolidate the briefing schedule of 59 cases was filed on August 8, 2024. We note the State's pending motion to reset the briefing schedule of all 140 cases incorrectly states that this Court previously consolidated all 140 cases into a single briefing schedule.
On our own motion, the Court finds good cause to sua sponte consolidate 81 additional cases into a third group for the purpose of setting a consolidated briefing deadline for all 140 cases. See Tex. R. App. P. 2 (allowing an appellate court to suspend a rule's operation and order a different procedure "to expedite a decision or for other good cause"). W e therefore invoke Rule 2 and suspend Rule 38.6, which controls the time periods for filing briefs, and ORDER cases 08-24-00222-CR through 08-24-00302-CR consolidated for the purpose of a briefing schedule.
As previously stated, this Court divided the original group of 59 cases into Group One containing 9 cases with reporter's records, and Group Two containing 50 cases with no reporter's records, pursuant to the State's request and its representation that doing so would "reduce unnecessary work for the parties and the Court." We hereby create Group Three to be consistent with the State's prior request and to ensure that a like briefing schedule is provided for the remaining 81 of 140 cases. Though unequal in size, grouping the cases per the State's original request and adding an additional group administratively helps to facilitate the Clerk's workload in processing the motions, orders, and notices of the 140 cases.
The 140 cases are now consolidated into three groups as follows:
| Group One: | 08-24-00158-CR, | 08-24-00162-CR, | 08-24-00181-CR, | 08-24-00182-CR, |
| 08-24-00198-CR, | 08-24-00200-CR, | 08-24-00203-CR, | 08-24-00210-CR, | |
| 08-24-00211-CR; | ||||
| Group Two: | 08-24-00155-CR, | 08-24-00156-CR, | 08-24-00157-CR, | 08-24-00159-CR, |
| 08-24-00160-CR, | 08-24-00161-CR, | 08-24-00163-CR, | 08-24-00164-CR, | |
| 08-24-00165-CR, | 08-24-00166-CR, | 08-24-00167-CR, | 08-24-00168-CR, | |
| 08-24-00169-CR, | 08-24-00170-CR, | 08-24-00171-CR, | 08-24-00172-CR, | |
| 08-24-00173-CR, 08-24-00177-CR, | 08-24-00174-CR, 08-24-00178-CR, | 08-24-00175-CR, 08-24-00179-CR, | 08-24-00176-CR, 08-24-00180-CR, | |
| 08-24-00183-CR, | 08-24-00184-CR, | 08-24-00185-CR, | 08-24-00186-CR, | |
| 08-24-00187-CR, | 08-24-00188-CR, | 08-24-00189-CR, | 08-24-00190-CR, | |
| 08-24-00191-CR, | 08-24-00192-CR, | 08-24-00193-CR, | 08-24-00194-CR, | |
| 08-24-00195-CR, | 08-24-00196-CR, | 08-24-00197-CR, | 08-24-00199-CR, | |
| 08-24-00201-CR, | 08-24-00202-CR, | 08-24-00204-CR, | 08-24-00205-CR, | |
| 08-24-00206-CR, | 08-24-00207-CR, | 08-24-00208-CR, | 08-24-00209-CR, | |
| 08-24-00212-CR, | 08-24-00213-CR; | |||
| Group Three: | 08-24-00222-CR, | 08-24-00223-CR, | 08-24-00224-CR, | 08-24-00225-CR, |
| 08-24-00226-CR, | 08-24-00227-CR, | 08-24-00228-CR, | 08-24-00229-CR, | |
| 08-24-00230-CR, | 08-24-00231-CR, | 08-24-00232-CR, | 08-24-00233-CR, | |
| 08-24-00234-CR, | 08-24-00235-CR, | 08-24-00236-CR, | 08-24-00237-CR, | |
| 08-24-00238-CR, | 08-24-00239-CR, | 08-24-00240-CR, | 08-24-00241-CR, | |
| 08-24-00242-CR, | 08-24-00243-CR, | 08-24-00244-CR, | 08-24-00245-CR, | |
| 08-24-00246-CR, | 08-24-00247-CR, | 08-24-00248-CR, | 08-24-00249-CR, | |
| 08-24-00250-CR, | 08-24-00251-CR, | 08-24-00252-CR, | 08-24-00253-CR, | |
| 08-24-00254-CR, | 08-24-00255-CR, | 08-24-00256-CR, | 08-24-00257-CR, | |
| 08-24-00258-CR, | 08-24-00259-CR, | 08-24-00260-CR, | 08-24-00261-CR, | |
| 08-24-00262-CR, | 08-24-00263-CR, | 08-24-00264-CR, | 08-24-00265-CR, | |
| 08-24-00266-CR, | 08-24-00267-CR, | 08-24-00268-CR, | 08-24-00269-CR, | |
| 08-24-00270-CR, | 08-24-00271-CR, | 08-24-00272-CR, | 08-24-00273-CR, | |
| 08-24-00274-CR, | 08-24-00275-CR, | 08-24-00276-CR, | 08-24-00277-CR, | |
| 08-24-00278-CR, | 08-24-00279-CR, | 08-24-00280-CR, | 08-24-00281-CR, | |
| 08-24-00282-CR, | 08-24-00283-CR, | 08-24-00284-CR, | 08-24-00285-CR, | |
| 08-24-00286-CR, | 08-24-00287-CR, | 08-24-00288-CR, | 08-24-00289-CR, | |
| 08-24-00290-CR, | 08-24-00291-CR, | 08-24-00292-CR, | 08-24-00293-CR, | |
| 08-24-00294-CR, | 08-24-00295-CR, | 08-24-00296-CR, | 08-24-00297-CR, | |
| 08-24-00298-CR, | 08-24-00299-CR, | 08-24-00300-CR, | 08-24-00301-CR, | |
| 08-24-00302-CR. |
The State's motion refers to the entire group of indicted cases as "the 141 cases," however, one of the indicted cases, trial court cause No. 20240C02986 was not dismissed and remains pending in the trial court. Thus, only the 140 cases currently on appeal are implicated by the State's motion in this Court.
The Public Defender's Office responded in all 140 cases stating: "Defense has no objection to a Unified Reporter's Record in the cases referenced above."
Rule 34.6 defines the contents of and provides a procedure for requesting, filing, supplementing, and correcting a reporter's record. Tex.R.App.P. 34.6. But the State did not cite to this rule, nor to any other authority in support of its motion seeking the creation of a unified record for these 140 appeals. We are not aware of authority permitting us to prepare or compile an appellate record for use in multiple appeals. Because we abide by the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, we decline the State's request for this Court to prepare a unified reporter's record.
For the benefit of the parties, however, we note that Rule 34.2 provides for an agreed record. Specifically, Rule 34.2 allows parties, by written stipulation filed with the trial court clerk, to agree on the contents of the appellate record. See Tex. R. App. P. 34.2. Nothing in this Order should be construed as preventing the parties from filing such an agreed record, fully compliant with Rule 34.2, for use as the appellate record in these 140 cases. If the parties pursue this option, they should promptly do so in light of the brief-filing deadline as ordered below.
Finally, the State has also filed a motion titled, "Motion to Reset the Briefing Schedule or for Extension of Time to File State's Brief." This motion is filed in all 140 cases. The State moves to reset the consolidated briefing schedule and order the State's brief due "on a date tied to the approval or designation of a unified reporter's record." In the alternative, the State asks this Court to grant a 30-day extension until October 22, 2024. Because we deny the State's request for a unified reporter's record, we GRANT the State's first extension request as pleaded in the alternative.
Rule 10.3(a)(1) authorizes an appellate court to determine a motion for extension of time to file a brief without waiting 10 days for a response. Tex.R.App.P. 10.3 ("Determining Motions"). Per Rule 10.3(b), the Court may similarly entertain a motion for reconsideration of the decision to grant a 30-day extension by any party adversely affected by this decision. Id. 10.3(b).
It is therefore ORDERED that all briefs in Groups One, Two, and Three listed above are now due to be filed on or before October 22, 2024.
IT IS SO ORDERED.