Shaun DeMello v. the State of Texas

• Court: Texas Court of Appeals, 3rd District (Austin)
• Decided: June 17, 2026
• Docket: 03-26-00525-CV
• Status: Published

Opinion

TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT, AT AUSTIN

NO. 03-26-00525-CV

In re Shaun DeMello

ORIGINAL PROCEEDING FROM WILLIAMSON COUNTY

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Relator, who is acting pro se, has filed a petition for writ of mandamus

complaining of the “Williamson County Clerk’s non-ministerial rejection of Relator’s timely

filed Motion to Contest Rent and subsequent defensive pleadings.”

Relator designates the respondent as the Williamson County Clerk, but this

Court’s mandamus jurisdiction is expressly limited to: (1) writs against a district court judge or

county court judge in this Court’s district, and (2) all writs necessary to enforce our jurisdiction.

See Tex. Gov’t Code § 22.221. Thus, we have no jurisdiction to issue a writ of mandamus

against the county clerk unless necessary to enforce our jurisdiction, and our jurisdiction is not

implicated here. Accordingly, we must dismiss the petition for writ of mandamus for want of

jurisdiction to the extent that Relator seeks relief against the Williamson County Clerk. Further, to the extent that Relator’s petition could be construed as seeking

mandamus relief against the trial court, we deny the petition. 1 See Tex. R. App. P. 52.8(a).

__________________________________________ Rosa Lopez Theofanis, Justice

Before Chief Justice Byrne, Justices Theofanis and Crump

Filed: June 17, 2026

1 To the extent that Relator is requesting that this Court appoint counsel to represent him, we also deny this request.