In re the Expunction of R.A.

417 S.W.3d 569, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 13718
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 28, 2013
DocketNo. 08-11-00192-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 417 S.W.3d 569 (In re the Expunction of R.A.) 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
In re the Expunction of R.A., 417 S.W.3d 569, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 13718 (Tex. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION

ANN CRAWFORD McCLURE, Chief Justice.

R.A. appeals from an order expunging records following her acquittal of criminal charges but providing for the preservation of certain records for use in ancillary proceedings arising out of the criminal case. For the reasons that follow, we affirm.

FACTUAL SUMMARY

R.A. was charged by indictment with two counts of bribery, two counts of abuse of official capacity, and two counts of a nepotism offense referred to as “prohibition applicable to trading.”1 The indictment was filed in the 41st District Court and assigned cause number 20100D03043. The judge of that court voluntarily recused [574]*574herself and the Presiding Judge of the Sixth Administrative Judicial Region assigned the Honorable Steven Lee Smith2 to hear the case. Judge Smith quashed Count 5 and the case went to trial on the remaining counts. A jury acquitted R.A. of Counts 1-4 and Count 6 on May 11, 2011. At the conclusion of the trial, Judge Smith held R.A.’s attorneys, Theresa Caballero and Stuart Leeds, in contempt of court for their trial conduct and directed the court reporters to transcribe the hearings held in the case. Judge Smith entered written judgments of contempt and filed them with the trial court clerk. Both Leeds and Caballero exercised their right to a de novo hearing.

Two days after the trial concluded, R.A. filed a motion to expunge records in the criminal case (cause number 20100D03043).3 On May 25, 2011, the Honorable Sam M. Paxson, Senior District Judge, signed an order expunging the records (“the May 25 order”). That order is styled The State of Texas v. [R.A.] and it bears cause number 20100D03043. It is undisputed that Judge Paxson had not been assigned to hear the expunction motion pending in the criminal case. Judge Smith subsequently entered an order partially rescinding the expunction order but only to the extent it superseded his prior oral order regarding preparation of the reporter’s record (“the May 27 order”). To ensure that the State Bar of Texas Chief Disciplinary Counsel and any other factfinder would have access to the record of the proceedings in the case, Judge Smith expressly ordered the court reporters to “promptly prepare the transcripts of those portions they recorded and file them under seal with the District Clerk of El Paso County” and to send a sealed copy of the transcripts to the State Bar of Texas— Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel. Judge Smith also ordered the court reporters to not respond to any requests for any action on the transcripts other than those by the assigned judge in the case.

The El Paso County Attorney, acting on behalf of several county entities, filed a petition to intervene and motion to set aside the judgment. The County also requested that Judge Smith enter a temporary order sealing its petition in intervention and the motion to set aside the judgment in order to protect R.A.’s privacy interests. The County Attorney specifically recognized R.A.’s right to an expunction but also acknowledged that a necessity existed for temporary preservation of certain records from the criminal case. R.A. responded with a motion to disqualify the County Attorney on the ground of bias and conflict of interest.

On June 9, 2011, the State filed a motion to modify the May 27 order because: (1) Judge Paxson, a retired senior district judge, had not been assigned to preside over cause number 20100D03043, and therefore, he lacked jurisdiction and authority to sign the order expunging R.A.’s records; and (2) the State had not been provided with any notice of R.A.’s request for an expunction. In short, the State argued that the May 27 order, to the extent it incorporated any part of the May 25 order, was improper and it asked Judge Smith to enter a corrected order of ex-punction.

With the court’s plenary power to order an expunction under Article 55.02 § 1 of [575]*575the Code of Criminal Procedure set to expire on June 10 at 11:59 p.m., Judge Smith determined that it was necessary to conduct a hearing on the pending motions at 9 a.m. on June 10, 2011 even though that would provide the parties with less than three days’ notice. On June 9, Judge Smith notified Stuart Leeds of the hearing. Shortly after 5 a.m. on June 10, Leeds acknowledged by email he had received the notice but he was unable to attend at the scheduled time. Judge Smith responded by email at 7:06 a.m. and asked Leeds what time he would be available on June 10. Leeds did not respond. Shortly before 8 a.m., Judge Smith notified Leeds and the County Attorney’s Office that he was resetting the hearing for 1:10 p.m. on June 10, but he would schedule it at another time that day to accommodate Leeds’ schedule. He also requested that the County Attorney’s Office contact Leeds and notify him of the hearing. Two assistant county attorneys saw Leeds in the courthouse at 12:30 p.m. and informed him of the hearing as requested by Judge Smith. Leeds told them he was not available at 1:10 p.m. or at any time that day and left the courthouse. Leeds did not appear at the hearing or file a motion for continuance.

In orders signed on June 10, 2011, Judge Smith denied R.A.’s motion to disqualify the El Paso County Attorney, granted El Paso County’s petition in intervention, and granted El Paso County’s motion to aside both the May 25 and May 27 orders. He also granted the State’s motion to modify the May 27 order. On that same date, the court signed a new order of expunction which stated as follows:

The Court finds that [R.A.] is fully entitled to an expunction of her records relating to the above-styled and numbered cause and that, but for the conduct of her attorneys, record destruction would be immediate. The Court finds that the conduct of [R.A.] ’s attorneys requires the current preservation of all records in the above styled and numbered cause for the limited purpose of addressing all ancillary matters arising from the underlying criminal matter. The court therefore orders as follows:
The Court grants [R.A.] her expunction of records with the exceptions set forth herein. The State of Texas, its agencies, tribunals and political subdivisions, to specifically include the County of El Paso, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the State Bar Commission on Lawyer Discipline and its Chief Disciplinary Counsel, and the 41st State District Court are permitted to use all records and files of said criminal matter for the exclusive purpose of defending their interests or responding to said ancillary matters.
All records and files, to include all emails, shall remain under seal for the pendency of the ancillary matters arising from the underlying criminal case. No records, files or emails shall be destroyed until completion or full adjudication of all said ancillary matters.
The State of Texas, its agencies, political subdivisions, tribunals and their agents are specifically permitted to maintain and use the records and files, to include all emails, relating to the underlying criminal case during the course of any and all ancillary matters arising from said criminal case.

R.A. filed notices of appeal from the May 27 and June 10 orders. The State gave notice of its intent to appeal the May 25 order and it also filed notice of cross-appeal from the May 27 order. The State acknowledges that its appeal from the May 25 and May 27 orders will be moot if the June 10 order of expunction is affirmed.

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417 S.W.3d 569, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 13718, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-expunction-of-ra-texapp-2013.