M&M Orthodontics P.A.and Harlingen Family Dentistry v. Texas Health and Human Services Commission Dr. Kyle Janek, in His Official Capacity as the Executive Commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services Commission Carole Hurley, Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Texas Health and Human Services Commiss

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 14, 2015
Docket03-14-00548-CV
StatusPublished

This text of M&M Orthodontics P.A.and Harlingen Family Dentistry v. Texas Health and Human Services Commission Dr. Kyle Janek, in His Official Capacity as the Executive Commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services Commission Carole Hurley, Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Texas Health and Human Services Commiss (M&M Orthodontics P.A.and Harlingen Family Dentistry v. Texas Health and Human Services Commission Dr. Kyle Janek, in His Official Capacity as the Executive Commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services Commission Carole Hurley, Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Texas Health and Human Services Commiss) 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.

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M&M Orthodontics P.A.and Harlingen Family Dentistry v. Texas Health and Human Services Commission Dr. Kyle Janek, in His Official Capacity as the Executive Commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services Commission Carole Hurley, Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Texas Health and Human Services Commiss, (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

ACCEPTED 03-14-00548-CV 3761541 THIRD COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS January 14, 2015 1/14/2015 10:24:00 AM JEFFREY D. KYLE CLERK No. 03-14-00548-CV

In the Third Court of Appeals Austin, Texas

M & M ORTHODONTICS P.A., HARLINGEN FAMILY DENTISTRY, P.C., Appellants, v.

TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION, DR. KYLE JANEK, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS THE EXECUTIVE COMMISSIONER OF TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION, CAROLE HURLEY, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE FOR THE TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION, JUDGE KEITH GRANTHAM OF THE APPEALS DIVISION OF TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION, AND RICK GILPIN, ADMIN ISTRATfVE LAW JUDGE OF THE APPEALS DIVISION TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMfSSION, Appellees.

On Appeal from the 345th Judicial District Court of Travis County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. D-1-GN-14-00 1 I 09

UNOPPOSED MOTION TO DISMISS

TO THE HONORABLE JUDGES OF THE THIRD COURT OF APPEALS:

Now come Appellees, Administrative Law Judges Carole Hurley, Keith

Grantham, and Rick Gilpin ("the ALJ Appellees"); and Texas Health and Human

Services Commission ("HHSC") and Dr. Kyle Janek, in his official capacity as the

Executive Commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services Commission ("Dr. Janek") (collectively, "the HHSC Appellees"), and file this Unopposed Motion to

Dismiss and would request that this Court issue an Order dismissing this appeal.

I. BACKGROUND

Recent developments in the underlying administrative proceedings from

which this appeal arises directly impact the current status of this appeal. On

December 23, 2014, the Texas Health and Human Services- Office of Inspector

General filed Notices of Nonsuit of the underlying administrative actions that were

pending against Appellants in the HHSC Appeals Division before ALJ Gilpin.

Attached hereto as Exhibits "A" and "B" are true and complete copies of the Notices

of Nonsuit filed in HHSC Appeals.

The filing of these Notices of Nonsuit by the HHSC Office of Inspector

General in the underlying administrative proceedings renders the issues raised by

Appellants in this appeal moot because ALJ Gilpin is no longer presiding over

administrative actions against them. See Allstate Ins. Co. v. Hallman, 159 S.W.3d

640, 642 (Tex. 2005). As a result, any opinion the Court could issue would resolve

no live controversy between the parties and would, therefore, be advisory in nature.

See Texas Ass 'n ofBus. v. Texas Air Control Bd. , 852 S.W.2d 440, 444 (Tex. 1993).

Appellants do not oppose this Motion.

Page 2 of6 II. CONCLUSION AND PRAYER

WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, the ALJ Appellees and the

HHSC Appellees respectfully request that the Court dismiss this appeal and that the

Court grant the Appellees such other and further relief to which they have shown

themselves to be entitled.

Respectfully submitted,

KEN PAXTON Attorney General ofTexas

CHARLES E. ROY First Assistant Attorney General

JAMES E. DAVIS Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation

Page 3 of 6 Is/ Raymond C. Winter RAYMOND C. WINTER State Bar No. 21791950 Chief, Civil Medicaid Fraud Division Assistant Attorney General Raymond. Winter@texasattorneygeneral.gov OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS P.O. Box 12548 Austin, Texas 78711-2548 Telephone: (512) 936-1709 Facsimile: (512) 499-0712-0167

Attorneys for Appellees, Texas 1-Iealth & Human Services Commission and Dr. Kyle Janek

Is/ Karen L. Watkins KAREN L. WATKINS State Bar No. 20927425 Assistant Attorney General Administrative Law Division OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS P.O. Box 12548, Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711-2548 Telephone: (512) 475-4208 Facsimile: (512) 320-0167 karen.watkins@texasattomeygeneral.gov

Attorneys for the Appellees, Administrative Law Judges Carole Hurley, Keith Grantham, and Rick Gilpin

Page 4 of6 CERTIFICATE OF CONFERENCE

The undersigned certifies he contacted counsel for Appellants, Jason Ray, January /3, 2015, by telephone, on behalf of the HHSC Appellees, THHSC and Dr. Janek, and on behalf of counsel for the ALJ Appellees, Karen L. Watkins. Mr. Ray represented that the Appellants are not opposed to the granting of the relief requested in this Joint Motion.

Is/Raymond C. Winter RAYMOND C. WINTER Assistant Attorney General

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of the foregoing document has

been served on this the /4-e day of January, 201 5 on the following: J .A. Canales VIA: File & ServeXpress and E-mail State Bar No. 03737000 CANALES & SIMONSON, P.C. 2601 Morgan Ave. P.O. Box 5624 Corpus Christi, Texas 78465-5624 Telephone: (361) 883-0601 Facsimile: (361) 884-7023 tonycanales@canalessimonson.com

Page 5 of6 Jason Ray VIA: File & ServeXpress and E-mail State Bar NO. 24000511 RIGGS, ALESHIRE & RAY, P.C. 7 00 Lavaca, Suite 920 Austin, Texas 7870 Telephone: (512) 457-9806 Facsimile: (512) 457-9866 jray@r-alaw.com

Attorneys for Appellants M&M Orthodontics, P.A., Harlingen Family Dentistry, P.C. and Antoine Dental Center

Is/ Karen L. Watkins KAREN L. WATKINS Assistant Attorney General

Page 6 of6 EXHIBIT

A HHSC-APPEALS DOCKET NO. 12-0096-K HHSC-OIG CASE NO. P200803163

M & M ORTHODONTICS, P.A., § BEFORE THE HEALTH AND DR. SCOTI MALONE, and § DR. DIANA MALONE, § Petitioners, § § v. § HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION § TEXAS HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES § COMMISSION, OFFICE OF INSPECTOR § GENERAL, and CHRISTINE ELLIS, DDS, § Respondents. § APPEALS DIVISION

NOTICE OF NONSUIT AND REQUEST FOR DISMISSAL WITHOUT PREJUDICE

TO THE HONORABLE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE:

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Office of Inspector General, and

Christine Ellis, DDS, respectfully file this Notice of Nonsuit. Pursuant to TEX. ADMIN. CODE

§357.495 and TEX. R. Crv. P. 162, ID-ISC-OIG and Christine Ellis, DDS, hereby give notice that

they are taking a nonsuit of their entire case and request that this case immediately be dismissed

without prejudice. This nonsuit is without prejudice to refiling, and is effective immediately on

the filing of this notice on this date.

GREGABBOTI Attorney General of Texas

DANIEL T. HODGE First Assistant Attorney General

JOHN B. SCOTT Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation Notice of Nonsuit Page 1 of4 RAYMOND C. WINTER

C. WINTER Chief, Civil Medicaid Fraud Division State - Bar - No. 21791950 (512) 936-1709 Direct Dial

REYNOLDS BRISSENDEN State Bar No. 24056969 (512) 936-2158 Direct Dial

Assistant Attorneys General Office of. the Attorney General Civil Medicaid Fraud Division P. 0. Box 12548 Austin, Texas 78711-2548 Fax (512) 499-0712

DOUGLAS C. WlLSON Inspector General

JOY SPARKS Deputy Inspector General Chief Counsel

KAREN PETTIGREW Director of Sanctions

STEVE DALLAS JOHNSON Associate Counsel State Bar No. 00784349

11101 Metric Blvd., Building I Austin, Texas 78758 (512) 491-4076 Phone (512) 833-6484 Fax

ATTORNEYS FOR TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION, OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

Notice ofNonsuit Page 2 of4 Dan Hargrove

DAN HARGROVE State Bar No. 00790822 WATERS & KRAUS, LLP 3219 McKinney Avenue Dallas, Texas 75204 (214) 357-6244 phone (214) 357-7252 Facsimile

-and-

Jim Moriarty

JAMES MORIARTY State Bar No. 14459000 MORIARTY LEYENDECKER, PC 4203 Montrose Blvd, Suite 150 Houston, TX 77006 (713) 528-0700 Telephone

ATTORNEYS FOR RELATOR, DR. CHRISTINE ELLIS, D.D.S.

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M&M Orthodontics P.A.and Harlingen Family Dentistry v. Texas Health and Human Services Commission Dr. Kyle Janek, in His Official Capacity as the Executive Commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services Commission Carole Hurley, Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Texas Health and Human Services Commiss, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mm-orthodontics-paand-harlingen-family-dentistry-v-texas-health-and-texapp-2015.