in Re Kenneth A. Bitgood and Frank O. Carroll III

• Court: Court of Appeals of Texas
• Decided: April 28, 2021
• Docket: 09-21-00092-CV
• Status: Published

Opinion

In The

Court of Appeals

Ninth District of Texas at Beaumont

__________________

NO. 09-21-00092-CV __________________

IN RE KENNETH A. BITGOOD AND FRANK O. CARROLL III

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Original Proceeding 457th District Court of Montgomery County, Texas Trial Cause No. 20-05-05682-CV __________________________________________________________________

ORDER

Kenneth A. Bitgood and Frank O. Carroll III, Relators, filed a petition for a

writ of mandamus and a motion for temporary relief. See Tex. R. App. P. 52. Relators

are the plaintiff and his counsel of record in Trial Cause Number 20-05-05682-CV,

Kenneth A. Bitgood v. Stephen S. Harkness and Anna M. Harkness. Relators seek a

writ compelling the Honorable Vince Santini, Judge of the 457th District Court of

Montgomery County, Texas, to vacate a March 31, 2021 Order Imposing Sanctions.

See Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. § 22.221.

1 Relators request that the trial court’s order imposing sanctions be stayed while

this Court considers the mandamus petition. The Court finds temporary relief is

necessary to prevent undue prejudice. It is ORDERED that the trial court’s March

31, 2021 Order Imposing Sanctions in Trial Cause Number 20-05-05682-CV is

STAYED until our opinion issues in this mandamus action or until further order of

this Court. See Tex. R. App. P. 52.10(b). No bond is required of Relators as a

condition to any relief herein granted.

The response of the Real Parties in Interest, Stephen S. Harkness and Anna

M. Harkness, is due on or before Monday, May 10, 2021.

MOTION FOR TEMPORARY RELIEF GRANTED.

ORDER ENTERED April 28, 2021.

PER CURIAM

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