in Re Commitment of Thomas Ray Pilgrim

• Court: Court of Appeals of Texas
• Decided: December 17, 2020
• Docket: 09-20-00265-CV
• Status: Published

Opinion

In The

Court of Appeals

Ninth District of Texas at Beaumont

__________________

NO. 09-20-00265-CV __________________

IN RE COMMITMENT OF THOMAS RAY PILGRIM __________________________________________________________________

On Appeal from the 435th District Court Montgomery County, Texas Trial Cause No. 14-05-04994-CV __________________________________________________________________

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Appellant Thomas Ray Pilgrim was civilly committed for sex offender

treatment as a sexually violent predator. See In re Commitment of Pilgrim, No. 09-

14-00528-CV, 2015 WL 3897877 (Tex. App.—Beaumont June 25, 2015, no pet.)

(mem. op.). On November 12, 2020, Pilgrim filed a pro se notice of appeal with the

Montgomery County District Clerk appealing an order signed on October 7, 2020,

that denied his request for removal to less restrictive housing and supervision. We

questioned our jurisdiction over this appeal, and both parties filed responses.

Generally, the trial court retains jurisdiction while the commitment order

remains in effect, and we lack appellate jurisdiction when a committed person is still

1 under the trial court’s supervision and when the trial court does not make an

otherwise interlocutory order appealable. See In re Commitment of Cortez, 405

S.W.3d 929, 932 (Tex. App.—Beaumont 2013, no pet.). Pilgrim has not identified a

signed order by the trial court that is appealable at this time. Accordingly, we dismiss

the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. See Tex. R. App. P. 42.3(a), 43.2(f).

APPEAL DISMISSED.

PER CURIAM

Submitted on December 16, 2020 Opinion Delivered December 17, 2020

Before McKeithen, C.J., Horton and Johnson, JJ.