Jamie Smith, in His Official Capacity as District Clerk of Jefferson County, Texas v. Megan Lavoie, in Her Official Capacity as Administrative Director Texas Office of Court Administration

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided May 15, 2025·No. 15-25-00015-CV·Published

Opinion

ACCEPTED

15-25-00015-CV

FIFTEENTH COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 5/15/2025 4:53 PM

No. 15-25-00015-CV CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE CLERK

In the Court of Appeals FILED IN 15th COURT OF APPEALS

for the Fifteenth Judicial District 5/15/2025 AUSTIN, TEXAS

4:53:42 PM

Austin, Texas CHRISTOPHER Clerk

A. PRINE

Jamie Smith, in his official capacity as District Clerk of Jefferson County, Texas,

Appellant,

Megan LaVoie, in her official capacity as Administrative Director Texas Office of Court Administration,

Appellee.

On Appeal from the 455th Judicial District Court, Travis County

APPELLEE’S UNOPPOSED FIRST MOTION FOR EXTENSION OF TIME TO FILE BRIEF

To the Honorable Fifteenth Court of Appeals:

Pursuant to Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 10.5, Megan LaVoie, in her

official capacity as Administrative Director of the Texas Office of Court

Administration (“OCA”) files this Unopposed First Motion for Extension of Time

to File Brief, and in support thereof, would respectfully show unto the Court as

follows:

1. The current deadline for OCA’s Appellee Brief is May 30, 2025. OCA

requests an extension of time to file its brief as multiple additional briefing deadlines,

both state and federal, occurring before the deadline for OCA’s brief has prevented

counsel from having an adequate opportunity to properly prepare the brief in this

case.

2. OCA requests that the deadline for filing its Brief be extended by thirty

(30) days to Monday, June 30, 2025, making OCA’s Brief due the same day as

Courthouse News Service’s brief is also due.

3. This is OCA’s first request for an extension of time on its Brief and is

not sought for the purpose of delay.

WHEREFORE, Megan LaVoie, in her official capacity as Administrative

Director for the Texas Office of Court Administration respectfully prays that the

Court extend the deadline to file its Brief to June 30, 2025, and grant such other and

further relief to which OCA may show itself to be justly entitled.

Respectfully submitted.

Ken Paxton William H. Farrell Attorney General of Texas /s/ William H. Farrell

Brent Webster William H. Farrell First Assistant Attorney General Assistant Attorney General Texas State Bar No. 00796531 Ralph Molina Biff.Farrell@oag.texas.gov Deputy First Assistant Attorney Office of the Attorney General General General Litigation Division P.O. Box 12548, Capitol Station Austin Kinghorn Austin, Texas 78711-2548 Deputy Attorney General for Civil Tel: (512) 936-2650 Litigation Fax: (512) 320-0667

Kimberly Gdula Counsel for Appellee Chief, General Litigation Division

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on May 15, 2025, a true and correct copy of the foregoing document was served on all counsel of record via the Court’s e-filing system.

/s/ William H. Farrell William H. Farrell

CERTIFICATE OF CONFERENCE

I certify that on May 15, 2025, I conferred with counsel for Appellants, Ms.

Sandra Mott, and counsel for Courthouse News, an Interested Party, via email, and both indicated they were unopposed to this motion for leave to file Appellee’s Motion for Extension of Time for File Brief.

/s/ William H. Farrell William H. Farrell

Automated Certificate of eService This automated certificate of service was created by the efiling system. The filer served this document via email generated by the efiling system on the date and to the persons listed below. The rules governing certificates of service have not changed. Filers must still provide a certificate of service that complies with all applicable rules.

Nicole Myette on behalf of William Farrell Bar No. 796531 nicole.myette@oag.texas.gov Envelope ID: 100903892 Filing Code Description: Motion Filing Description: 20250515_Aples Mtn for Ext Time Status as of 5/15/2025 5:39 PM CST

Case Contacts

Name BarNumber Email TimestampSubmitted Status

Peter Hansen phansen@jw.com 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Quentin D.Price Quentin.Price@jeffersoncountytx.gov 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Kristine Porter kporter@jw.com 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Sandra Mott Sandra.Mott@jeffersoncountytx.gov 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Cody Vaughn cvaughn@jw.com 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

William Farrell biff.farrell@oag.texas.gov 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Matthew Dow mdow@jw.com 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Nicole Myette nicole.myette@oag.texas.gov 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

John Edwards jedwards@jw.com 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

ACCEPTED

15-25-00015-CV

FIFTEENTH COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 5/15/2025 4:53 PM

No. 15-25-00015-CV CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE CLERK

In the Court of Appeals FILED IN 15th COURT OF APPEALS

for the Fifteenth Judicial District 5/15/2025 AUSTIN, TEXAS

4:53:42 PM

Austin, Texas CHRISTOPHER Clerk

A. PRINE

Jamie Smith, in his official capacity as District Clerk of Jefferson County, Texas,

Appellant,

Megan LaVoie, in her official capacity as Administrative Director Texas Office of Court Administration,

Appellee.

On Appeal from the 455th Judicial District Court, Travis County

APPELLEE’S UNOPPOSED FIRST MOTION FOR EXTENSION OF TIME TO FILE BRIEF

To the Honorable Fifteenth Court of Appeals:

Pursuant to Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 10.5, Megan LaVoie, in her

official capacity as Administrative Director of the Texas Office of Court

Administration (“OCA”) files this Unopposed First Motion for Extension of Time

to File Brief, and in support thereof, would respectfully show unto the Court as

follows:

1. The current deadline for OCA’s Appellee Brief is May 30, 2025. OCA

requests an extension of time to file its brief as multiple additional briefing deadlines,

both state and federal, occurring before the deadline for OCA’s brief has prevented

counsel from having an adequate opportunity to properly prepare the brief in this

case.

2. OCA requests that the deadline for filing its Brief be extended by thirty

(30) days to Monday, June 30, 2025, making OCA’s Brief due the same day as

Courthouse News Service’s brief is also due.

3. This is OCA’s first request for an extension of time on its Brief and is

not sought for the purpose of delay.

WHEREFORE, Megan LaVoie, in her official capacity as Administrative

Director for the Texas Office of Court Administration respectfully prays that the

Court extend the deadline to file its Brief to June 30, 2025, and grant such other and

further relief to which OCA may show itself to be justly entitled.

Respectfully submitted.

Ken Paxton William H. Farrell Attorney General of Texas /s/ William H. Farrell

Kimberly Gdula Counsel for Appellee Chief, General Litigation Division

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on May 15, 2025, a true and correct copy of the foregoing document was served on all counsel of record via the Court’s e-filing system.

/s/ William H. Farrell William H. Farrell

CERTIFICATE OF CONFERENCE

I certify that on May 15, 2025, I conferred with counsel for Appellants, Ms.

/s/ William H. Farrell William H. Farrell

Case Contacts

Name BarNumber Email TimestampSubmitted Status

Peter Hansen phansen@jw.com 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Quentin D.Price Quentin.Price@jeffersoncountytx.gov 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Kristine Porter kporter@jw.com 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Sandra Mott Sandra.Mott@jeffersoncountytx.gov 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Cody Vaughn cvaughn@jw.com 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

William Farrell biff.farrell@oag.texas.gov 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Matthew Dow mdow@jw.com 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Nicole Myette nicole.myette@oag.texas.gov 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

John Edwards jedwards@jw.com 5/15/2025 4:53:42 PM SENT

Jamie Smith, in His Official Capacity as District Clerk of Jefferson County, Texas v. Megan Lavoie, in Her Official Capacity as Administrative Director Texas Office of Court Administration, (Tex. Ct. App. 2025).

Pincite

Jamie Smith, in His Official Capacity as District Clerk of Jefferson County, Texas v. Megan Lavoie, in Her Official Capacity as Administrative Director Texas Office of Court Administration (Jamie Smith, in His Official Capacity as District Clerk of Jefferson County, Texas v. Megan Lavoie, in Her Official Capacity as Administrative Director Texas Office of Court Administration) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.