Adust Video v. Nueces County

996 S.W.2d 245, 1999 Tex. App. LEXIS 3790, 1999 WL 318399
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 20, 1999
Docket13-95-239-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 996 S.W.2d 245 (Adust Video v. Nueces County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adust Video v. Nueces County, 996 S.W.2d 245, 1999 Tex. App. LEXIS 3790, 1999 WL 318399 (Tex. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion by Justice DORSEY.

This action was initiated by the Nueces County Attorney at the behest of the Nueces County Public Health Department against Adust Video, appellant, for violations of the Texas Health and Safety Code. 1 Following the issuance of a temporary restraining order and an agreed temporary injunction, the County sought and received a permanent injunction. The trial court found a public health' nuisance existed and issued an injunction which, among other things, prohibits “sexual activity” on the Adust Video premises. Adust appeals by three points of error, challenging the lack of specificity of the findings of fact, the injunction’s failure to afford notice of what specific acts it prohibits, and violation of appellant’s First Amendment right to free speech.

As there is no statement of facts, we rely on the parties’ briefs for the applicable facts. Adust Video owns and operates an adult book and video store in Nueces County. In addition to displays of adult literature and video tapes for sale and rent, the store also offered its patrons eight private, coin-operated viewing booths and a sixteen-seat theater for on-site screening of adult movies. During December 1994, Nina Sisley, an inspector for the county heath agency, twice inspected appellant’s business premises and, on both occasions, discovered conditions she described as “unsanitary.” Specifically, Sis-ley found urine and seminal fluid on the seats, floor, and walls of the restroom, booths, and theater. The County asserts these conditions create a high risk for the transmission of diseases, including sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and AIDS.

The health department notified Adust of its findings and afforded Adust an opportunity to clean up the premises. The County concluded Adust made no effort to correct these conditions so, pursuant to health and safety code sections 341.012 and 343.013, sought and obtained a temporary restraining- order,' followed by a tem *249 porary injunction, and finally, after a trial before the court, a permanent injunction.

The trial court’s order, in the name of abating a public health nuisance, enjoined “sexual activity” on Adust’s premises. In addition to provisions requiring a general increase in lighting throughout the establishment, the order required verbal and written notices and posted signs warning all who entered that sexual activity was strictly forbidden within. The trial court ordered that any person desiring entry into a booth or the theater must sign an individualized written warning which must include their printed name, phone number, address, and driver’s license number. Adust is required to maintain the original of these receipts for random, warrantless inspection by the County. The management must refuse entry to the booths or theater to any person refusing to sign and, if they enter anyway, must call the police to report the trespass. “Sexual activity,” when discovered, must be halted and reported to the police. Adust was also required to modify the building so that the staff would “have a clear view at all times of all events occurring within the premises.” If the court’s intentions were in any way unclear, the order went on to permanently enjoin Adust from permitting sexual activity within its premises by any person; from maintaining an unsanitary condition; from tolerating a nuisance; from refusing to comply with the injunction; or from refusing to consent to random warrantless inspections by the State.

Our review of appellant’s arguments is seriously limited because there is no statement of facts. See Brockette v. Sosa, 675 S.W.2d 807, 809 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1984, no writ). The party who seeks appellate review of a particular point is responsible for presenting a complete record on that point because it has the burden of proving error. Simon v. York Crane & Rigging Co., Inc., 739 S.W.2d 793, 795 (Tex.1987); Brockette, 675 S.W.2d at 809. We presume the evidence supports injunctive relief.

I. THE RULES GOVERNING INJUNCTIONS

In its first point of error, Adust contends the trial court’s order violates the rules of civil procedure because it does not define what unsanitary conditions exist on appellant’s premises.

Rule of civil procedure 683 provides:

Every order granting an injunction and every restraining order shall set forth the reasons for its issuance; shall be specific in terms; shall describe in reasonable detail and not by reference to the complaint or other document, the act or acts sought to be restrained....

Tex.R. Civ. P. 683.

Though the rule on its face applies to every order granting an injunction, the provision compelling a detailed explanation of the reason for the injunction’s issuance has been held only to apply to temporary injunctions or suits requesting ancillary injunctive relief. City of Houston v. Morgan Guar. Intern. Bank, 666 S.W.2d 524, 536 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1983, writ ref'd n.r.e.); Gasperson v. Madill Nat’l Bank, 455 S.W.2d 381, 398 (Tex.Civ.App.—Fort Worth 1970, writ ref'd n.r.e.); Texas Liquor Control Bd. v. Bacon, 443 S.W.2d 312, 317 (Tex.Civ.App.—Austin 1969), rev’d on other grounds, 456 S.W.2d 891 (Tex.1970); Alexander Schroeder Lumber Co. v. Corona, 288 S.W.2d 829, 835 (Tex.Civ.App.—Galveston 1956, writ refd n.r.e.). We are persuaded that rule 683’s requirement for detailed explanations of reasons for the issuance of the injunction does not apply to a permanent injunction that is the sole relief sought by the action. The rule does apply to injunctive relief that is ancillary to other relief sought in the action. In Schroeder, the Galveston court expressly held: “[W]e reach the conclusion that [rule 683] applies only to ancillary injunctive relief and not to final judgments in suits, the sole object of which is to obtain a perpetual injunction.” Schroeder, 288 S.W.2d at 835.

*250 The Schroeder rule was applied in Gas-person: “such rule [683] only applies to ancillary injunctive relief and not to final judgments.” Gasperson, 455 S.W.2d at 398. The rule was also applied, although modified, in Bacon (in affirming the issuance of a permanent injunction) where the court said, “[I]t has been held that Rule 683 ... does not apply to permanent injunctions insofar as it provides that the order shall state reasons for its issuance.” Bacon, 443 S.W.2d at 317. We likewise hold that where the injunction is not ancillary to other relief sought, rule 683’s provision requiring the injunction to state the reasons for its issuance in specific terms does not apply. 2

However, even should that provision of rule 683 apply, we hold that the order sufficiently apprized Adust of the reason for its issuance. The order prohibits appellant from permitting itself to operate as a public health nuisance.

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Bluebook (online)
996 S.W.2d 245, 1999 Tex. App. LEXIS 3790, 1999 WL 318399, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adust-video-v-nueces-county-texapp-1999.