Ennis Cole v. Gary R. Baily

• Court: Court of Appeals of Texas
• Decided: June 23, 2005
• Docket: 11-03-00410-CV
• Status: Published

Opinion

                                                             11th Court of Appeals

                                                                  Eastland, Texas

                                                             Memorandum Opinion

Ennis Cole

Appellant

Vs.                   No. 11-03-00410-CV -- Appeal from Martin County

Gary R. Baily   

Appellee

Ennis Cole appeals from a judgment of contempt.  In the judgment, the trial court found that appellant had violated an earlier judgment that prohibited him from interfering with Gary R. Baily=s use of an easement.^[1]  The trial court ordered appellant confined to the Martin County Jail for 30 days, suspended the sentence, and placed appellant on probation for a period of 30 days.  The trial court also ordered appellant to pay appellee=s attorney=s fees.

Contempt orders cannot be attacked by direct appeal.  Norman v. Norman, 692 S.W.2d 655 (Tex.1985); Ex parte Williams, 690 S.W.2d 243 n.1 (Tex.1985)(original proceeding).  The validity of a contempt order must be reviewed by an application for writ of habeas corpus if the contemnor has been confined or by a petition for writ of mandamus if the contemnor has not been confined.  Rosser v. Squier, 902 S.W.2d 962 (Tex.1995)(original proceeding); Ex parte Williams, supra at 243; Ex parte Casillas, 25 S.W.3d 296, 297 n.1 (Tex.App. - San Antonio 2000, orig. proceeding).

We dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction.

TERRY McCALL

JUSTICE

June 23, 2005

Not designated for publication.  See TEX.R.APP.P. 47.2(a).

Panel consists of:  Arnot, C.J., and

Wright, J., and McCall, J.

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     ^[1]Cole v. Baily, No. 08-02-00466-CV, 2004 WL 309295 (Tex.App. B El Paso, Feb. 19, 2004, no pet=n).