Gray v. State

508 S.W.2d 454, 1974 Tex. App. LEXIS 2292
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 12, 1974
Docket8203
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 508 S.W.2d 454 (Gray v. State) 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
Gray v. State, 508 S.W.2d 454, 1974 Tex. App. LEXIS 2292 (Tex. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

CHADICK, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from a judgment in a dependent child proceeding authorized by Vernon’s Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat.Anno. art. 2330 et seq. For reasons discussed, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

*456 The appeal bond contains the following recitals:

“WHEREAS, on June 27, 1973, the Court, at the close of the evidence herein, entered his Judgment * * *, and
“WHEREAS, the said Lillie Mae Gray, then and there in open court, excepted and gave notice of appeal to the Court of Civil Appeals, for the Sixth Supreme Judicial District of Texas, sitting at Texarkana, Texas, and
“WHEREAS, on June 30 the said Lillie Mae Gray filed and presented her motion for a new trial, which was by said Court then and there refused.”

The recitals are in agreement with the record and confirm that a premature oral notice of appeal was given, that is, that oral notice of appeal preceded the order overruling motion for new trial herein. No written notice of appeal filed with the trial court clerk is to be found in the appeal record.

In Shepherd v. City of Austin, 467 S.W.2d 611 (Tex.Civ.App. Austin 1971, writ ref’d, n. r. e.) it was held that Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, rule 306c permitting notice of appeal to be filed prematurely is an exception to Tex.R.Civ.P. 353 and is applicable only to a written notice of appeal. Shepherd held specifically that Rule 306c does not validate an open court oral notice of appeal given prior to an order overruling motion for new trial. Since it appears, however, that the Shepherd opinion contains findings of fact that render such specific declaration unnecessary and thus account for the Supreme Court’s writ action, it is concluded that this court has jurisdiction of the appeal. Liberality in favor of the right to appeal leads this court, with trepidation in view of Shepherd, to construe Rule 306c as a validation of the premature notice of appeal herein. It is deemed that the notation on the trial court’s docket of notice of appeal is in a liberal sense a filing thereof for appeal purposes.

In the performance of the duty placed upon him by Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat.Anno. art. 2333, the County Attorney of Marion County, Texas, on June 14th, 1973, instituted this proceeding by filing a sworn petition in the 115th Judicial District Court of that county, alleging the five children named therein were under the age of eighteen years and were dependent and neglected in that they were dependent upon the public for support, were destitute, homeless, abandoned, and had no proper parental care or guardianship. It was also alleged that Lillie Mae Gray was the mother of the children and a resident of Jefferson, Texas, but that the name and residence of the father was unknown. On the day suit was filed, the judge of the mentioned court set a hearing on the petition for 10:00 o’clock A.M. on June 22, 1973. Citations issued immediately on the same date, commanding Lillie Mae Gray to appear before the court at 10:00 o’clock A. M., on the 22nd day of June, 1973, and show cause why the named children should not be declared dependent. The return on the citation shows service thereof on Lillie Mae Gray at 3:30 o’clock P.M., on June 18, 1973.

On the last mentioned date, June 18, 1973, the County Attorney filed a motion in the pending case to detain such children in the custody of the Texas Department of Welfare at the facilities of the Bowie County Juvenile Detention Center, pending trial of the dependency suit. The motion alleged the children should be so detained because they were “likely to suffer irreparable injury, lose and damage as a result of destitution, and lack of proper parental care or guardianship.” The motion was granted and order was made the same day authorizing detention as prayed for a period not to exceed ten days pending a hearing, or until other arrangements could be made for the children.

Johnny B. Gray, by legal counsel, filed an intervention on June 22, 1973, alleging, among other things, that he was the father of one of the children named in the County *457 Attorney’s dependency petition and prayed for custody of such child. Leave to intervene was granted. Lillie Mae Gray filed an answer on June 25, 1973, alleging none of the children were dependent or neglected and that she had been and was then caring for and supporting the children. On June 27th, 1973, Lillie Mae Gray filed an answer to the Johnny B. Gray intervention pleadings. The statement of facts and the judgment entered by the court both recite that the case came on for trial on June 27, 1973. The judgment decreed the children to be dependent, terminated parental rights, and placed the children’s care and custody in the Texas Department of Public Welfare.

Johnny B. Gray has not filed a brief but appellant Lillie Mae Gray has briefed four points of error, to-wit:

"POINT ONE: The Court erred in ordering the Sheriff of Marion County to seize and deliver the children herein named to the State Department of Public Welfare, without notice to their mother, who had the legal custody and control of them at such time; and whose whereabouts was well known.
“POINT TWO: The court erred in trying said children as dependent and neglected children without their being present.
“POINT THREE: The court erred in trying these children as dependent and neglected children without appointing a guardian ad litem to represent them.
“POINT FOUR: The seizure of the children and removing them out of the county without a trial was a violation of the Due Process Clause of the Federal Constitution.”

Neither the pleadings nor the sufficiency of the evidence to support the judgment rendered is an issue in the appeal.

For convenience, points One and Four are grouped for discussion. In an earlier paragraph it is mentioned that the Judge of the court in which the proceeding was pending made an ex parte order placing the children in the temporary custody of the Texas Department of Welfare for a period not to exceed ten days, pending trial of the case. Such temporary order, limited to ten days’ duration by its terms, performed its functions and terminated when a final judgment was entered on the merits of the case. It is elementary that a temporary order of this nature is interlocutory in character and not appealable. See 3 Tex. Jur.2d Appeal and Error — -Civil, Sec. 63. The judgment underlying this appeal was rendered after notice to appellant Lillie Mae Gray and after intervention herein by Johnny B. Gray and completion of a trial in which they participated with the aid of the counsel of their choice. The temporary order having expired by its own terms, the present custody of the children in nowise depends upon it. A declaration of the invalidity of the order at this time would not, in reason, authorize an award of relief from the final judgment that is on appeal.

On the possibility that the full import of the two points of error under discussion has not been fully apprehended, additional observations will be made. The Constitution of the State of Texas, Art. V, Sec.

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In the Interest of Stuart
544 S.W.2d 821 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1976)
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521 S.W.2d 357 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1975)

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Bluebook (online)
508 S.W.2d 454, 1974 Tex. App. LEXIS 2292, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gray-v-state-texapp-1974.