Hazel Richard Savoie v. Alice T. Richard

Opinion

STATE OF LOUISIANA COURT OF APPEAL, THIRD CIRCUIT

CW 13-1422 consolidated with CA 13-1370

HAZEL RICHARD SAVOIE, ET AL.

VERSUS

ALICE T. RICHARD, ET AL.

**********

ON SUPERVISORY WRITS THIRTY-EIGHTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF CAMERON, NO. 10-18078 HONORABLE PENELOPE QUINN RICHARD, DISTRICT JUDGE

**********

BILLY HOWARD EZELL JUDGE

**********

Court composed of Jimmie C. Peters, Billy Howard Ezell, and Phyllis M. Keaty, Judges.

WRIT DENIED. Donald T. Carmouche Victor L. Marcello Diane Adele Owen John Hogarth Carmouche William R. Coenen, III Brian T. Carmouche Ross J. Donnes Todd J. Wimberley Talbot, Carmouche, & Marcello 17405 Perkins Road Baton Rouge, LA 70810 (225) 400-9991 COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFFS/APPLICANTS: Hazel Richard Savoie Kevin Troy Savoie Richard Michael Savoie

Thomas E. Balhoff Judith R.E. Atkinson Roedel Parsons Koch Blache Bulhoff & McCollister 8440 Jefferson Hwy., Ste. 301 Baton Rouge, LA 70809-7652 (225) 929-7033 COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT: State of Louisiana, Department of Natural Resources

Patrick Wise Gray Thomas Martin McNamara Amy Allums Lee Johnson Gray McNamara, LLC P. O. Box 51165 Lafayette, LA 70505 (337) 412-6003 COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS: Shell Oil Company SWEPI LP

Joe Barrelle Norman Kelly B. Becker Liskow & Lewis 701 Poydras St., Ste. 5000 New Orleans, LA 70139-5099 (504) 581-7979 COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANTS/ RESPONDENTS: Shell Oil Company SWEPI LP William T. McCall Guillory & McCall 901 Lake Shore Drive, Ste. 1030 Lake Charles, LA 70601 (337) 433-9996 COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENT: SWEPI LP Shell Oil Company

Michael Keith Prudhomme David Paul Bruchhaus Chad Ellis Mudd Mudd & Bruchhaus, LLC 410 E. College Street Lake Charles, LA 70605 (337) 562-2327 COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFFS/APPLICANTS: Richard Michael Savoie Hazel Richard Savoie Kevin Troy Savoie

Michael J. Mazzone Elizabeth E. Klingensmith Haynes and Boone, LLP 1221 McKinney St., Ste. 2100 Houston, TX 77010-2007 (713) 547-2115 COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS: Shell Oil Company SWEPI LP EZELL, Judge.

Hazel, Kevin, and Richard Savoie (the Savoies) filed the current writ

challenging the action of the trial court in supplementing the trial record at the

request of Shell Oil Company and SWEPI LP (hereinafter collectively referred to

as “Shell”) to include evidence of a settlement of remediation claims between the

Savoies and another defendant, Pioneer Exploration, LLC, who is currently

conducting mineral operations on a portion of the plaintiffs’ property.

The Savoies and Pioneer entered into a settlement agreement in August 2013,

after final judgment was rendered in the original oilfield legacy lawsuit in May

2013. A redacted copy of the settlement agreement between the Savoies and

Pioneer was introduced into evidence at a hearing on a motion for new trial filed

by Shell, along with correspondence to and from the Louisiana Department of

Natural Resources. When the trial court ruled to deny the motion for new trial,

Shell and SWEPI orally requested that the trial court order the record being

prepared for appeal be supplemented with the transcript of and the evidence

introduced at that hearing. The trial court ultimately granted the motion to

supplement the appellate record. The plaintiffs have filed the instant writ

application challenging the trial court’s ruling supplementing the record.

As the reasons expressed in the consolidated case of Hazel Richard Savoie,

et al. v. Alice T. Richard, et al., 13-1370 (La.App. 3 Cir. __/__/14), ___ So.3d ___,

render this writ moot, we deny the writ application of the plaintiffs-relators, Hazel

Savoie, et al.

All costs for this writ are assessed to the plaintiffs.

WRIT DENIED.