Meyers v. Smith

314 S.W.2d 631, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 2086
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 23, 1958
DocketNos. 13339, 13341
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 314 S.W.2d 631 (Meyers v. Smith) 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
Meyers v. Smith, 314 S.W.2d 631, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 2086 (Tex. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinion

BELL, Chief Justice.

These are original mandamus proceedings. The Relator in each case was granted leave to file his petition for a writ of mandamus and the two proceedings were set by the court for hearing at the same sitting of the court, and were argued at the same sitting, as they involve precisely the same question and the same facts. We will dispose of the proceedings together.

The Honorable A. C. Winborn was Judge of the Criminal District Court No. 3 of Harris County. The territorial limit of his district was Harris County. He was elected to a 4-year term at the General Election in November, 1956. He entered upon that term January 1, 1957, and his term would not expire until December 31, 1960. Judge Winborn died Sunday, June 1, 1958.

On June 2, the first Monday of the month, each of the Relators filed his application in due from with the Chairman of the Harris County Democratic Executive Committee to become a candidate for the Democratic nomination which should be determined in the Democratic Primary, to fill the vacancy in office created by Judge Winborn’s death. Each paid the filing fee earlier determined by the Harris County Democratic Executive Committee for a candidate for District Judge for an unexpired term. The Chairman of said Executive Committee announced he would accept filings from candidates for this office until June 16, the date for the meeting of the Executive Committee. He was uncertain of his authority to do so, but in a commendable spirit of fairness he determined to do this, and then to leave up to the Committee a determination of whether the [633]*633names of the persons who should file as candidates should be put on the Primary-ballots. Two other candidates filed applications before June 16, but are not parties to this proceeding.

On June 9 the State Democratic Committee met, pursuant to Election Code Article 13.12, Vernon’s Ann.Tex.St. At such meeting the legal sub-committee of that Committee made the following report:

“Hon. Jim Lindsey Austin, Texas
“Chairman June 9, 1958
“State Executive Committee
“Austin, Texas
“Dear Sir:
“Your Legal Sub-Committee has been asked to pass on the question of a Judicial vacancy in Harris County, wherein Judge A. C. Winborn, Judge of the Criminal District Court died on June 1, 1958.
“The Chairman of the Harris County Democratic Executive Committee has accepted filing from four candidates and has extended the time for filing for this office until June 16.
“It is not clear that the laws of this state are adequate to cover the circumstances in the instant case.
“Therefore, we recommend that the filing date for this office be left open until the Harris County Executive Committee meets on June 16. We further recommend that the State Convention in September certify as the 'nominee of the Democratic Party for that office the person receiving a majority of the votes in the primary election.
“Chairman
“s/ Magus Smith
“s/ Robt. A. Hall
“s/ Fagan Dickson”

There is nothing in the record showing action by the full State Committee except the sworn statement of Relators that the Committee “adopted a resolution, a copy of which is attached hereto, marked Exhibit D, and made a part of this petition.” Exhibit D is the report of the legal subcommittee copies above.

On June 16 the Harris County Executive Committee met and passed a resolution directing that the Primary Committee and its Chairman, Cyril J. Smith, not place upon the Primary ballot the names of Relators, or any other person, who had filed as a candidate for the nomination to fill the vacancy created by the death of Judge Win-born. The resolution states its action was taken because its members were of the view that Article 6.04 of the Election Code was applicable in the situation presented, and there was no authority to hold a Primary election to determine the nominee for the office. Article 6.04 provides for selection of a nominee by the District Committee in certain situations.

These proceedings followed, the petitions being filed against the Chairman of the Harris County Democratic Executive Committee, all of its members, the Chairman of the Primary Committee, and all of its members.

The position of Relators is twofold:

1. Election Code Article 13.12, V. A.T.S., and particularly subd. 2 thereof is applicable, and since they filed their application the first Monday in June, their names should appear on the ballot. Subd. 2 reads as follows:

“Any such request shall be filed with the state chairman in the case of statewide races, with the district chairman in the case of districts consisting of more than one (1) county, and with the county chairman in the case of county and precinct officers; such request shall be filed not later than the first Monday in May preceding such primary, and shall be considered filed if sent to such chairman at his post-office address by registered mail from any point in this State, provided, how[634]*634ever, that in the event that there is no candidate for the nomination of any office due to the death of the one who had filed or for any other reason, applications may be filed not later than the first Monday in June preceding the primary.”

2. If they be mistaken in their first contention, then there is no statute governing the situation and, the State Committee having passed a resolution directing that filings by candidates be accepted by the County Chairman until June 16, the County Committee is bound to put the names of Relators on the Primary ballot so the electorate may, at the Primary, choose the nominee.

We cannot agree with either contention of Relators.

On the first point we deem the case of Kilday v. Germany, 139 Tex. 380, 163 S.W.2d 184, 187, controlling. This case was decided prior to the passage of V.A.T.S. Article 13.12, but Article 13.12 is in substance a combination of old Article 3111— 3113, V.A.T.S. There is present in Article 13.12 the proviso above quoted as a part of subd.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
314 S.W.2d 631, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 2086, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/meyers-v-smith-texapp-1958.