in Re Andre Clewis
Opinion
Fourth Court of Appeals San Antonio, Texas
MEMORANDUM OPINION No. 04-16-00384-CR
IN RE Andre CLEWIS
Original Mandamus Proceeding 1
PER CURIAM
Sitting: Sandee Bryan Marion, Chief Justice Patricia O. Alvarez, Justice Jason Pulliam, Justice
Delivered and Filed: July 6, 2016
PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS DENIED
On June 20, 2016, Relator filed a pro se petition for writ of mandamus seeking an order
directing the trial court to rule on relator’s “Motion to Clarify Factual Findings of Judgment Art.
42.01 (1); (7), (21) [sic].”
When a motion is properly filed and pending before a trial court, the act of giving
consideration to and ruling upon that motion is a ministerial act and mandamus may issue to
compel the trial judge to act. See Ex parte Ybarra, 149 S.W.3d 147, 148-49 (Tex. Crim. App.
2004); see also Safety-Kleen Corp. v. Garcia, 945 S.W.2d 268, 269 (Tex. App.—San Antonio
1997, orig. proceeding) (holding a trial court is required to consider and rule upon a motion within
a reasonable time). Factors that are considered in determining whether the trial court has
1 This proceeding arises out of Cause No. 2005CR9206C, styled The State of Texas v. Andre Clewis, pending in the 175th Judicial District Court, Bexar County, Texas, the Honorable Mary D. Roman presiding. 04-16-00384-CR
unnecessarily delayed a ruling include: (a) the trial court’s actual knowledge of the motion; (b) the
trial court’s overt refusal to act on it; (c) the state of the court’s docket; and (d) the existence of
other judicial and administrative matters requiring the court’s attention. In re Gallardo, 269
S.W.3d 643, 645 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2008, orig. proceeding).
A relator has the burden of providing this court with a record sufficient to establish a right
to mandamus relief. See TEX. R. APP. P. 52.7(a) (relator must file a certified or sworn copy of
every document material to the relator’s claim for relief that was filed in underlying proceeding”).
In a case such as the one before us, a relator has the burden to provide a court of appeals with a
record showing the trial court was made aware of the motion at issue and that such motion has not
been ruled on by the trial court for an unreasonable period of time. In re Gallardo, 269 S.W.3d at
645; In re Mendoza, 131 S.W.3d 167, 167-68 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2004, orig. proceeding).
Here, Relator did not provide this court with a record sufficient to establish his claim for
relief. Instead, Relator provided only a document entitled “Motion to Clarify Factual Findings of
Judgment Art. 42.01 (1); (7), (21) [sic],” which Relator asserts was filed with the district clerk in
January 2016, but which is not file-marked. Because the record does not establish that the motion
at issue was filed with the district clerk, that the trial court has been made aware of the motion, or
that the trial court has expressly refused to rule on it, we conclude Relator has not shown himself
entitled to mandamus relief on this record. In re Gallardo, 269 S.W.3d at 645. Accordingly, the
petition for writ of mandamus is denied.
DO NOT PUBLISH
-2-
Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI
in Re Andre Clewis (in Re Andre Clewis) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.