in Re James Wesley Groves and Keith Gross ( 2015 )

ACCEPTED
01-15-00537-CV
FIRST COURT OF APPEALS
HOUSTON, TEXAS
10/8/2015 5:05:25 PM
CHRISTOPHER PRINE
CLERK
CALJSE NO. 0l- l5-00537-t3\i
IN RT] $ II.'i l-llt'. FIRS-f
CIOLJR'I
FILED IN
1st COURT OF APPEALS
$ HOUSTON, TEXAS
JAMES WESI,EY GROVF,S N 10/8/2015 5:05:25 PM
AND \ Ofr APPFTALS
CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE
KIIITH GITOSS S\
Clerk
N
Rtrl-ATORS r\ IlAt{l'{lS COIJNTY. l'hxns
RELATOR, KEITH GROSS' VEITIF'IE,D EIVIEITCENCY MOTION
'TO STAY E,NFORCE,MENT OF TRIAL, C]OURl'ORDER
l'O'l'lIlr I{ONOI{AIlLtr .f l.JS'l'lC'F.S OIr SAID CCTLJI{'l':
COMFS NOW Ktil'l'H ClltOSS ancl lrles tfris his lJrnergency Motion
to Stay Lnlbrccmcr-rt ol"l'rial Court's Orclcr ancl rcsp,:rctlirllv shorvs:
I. Facts and llasis for Emergency
l. On April 28,2015 the trial courrt cntercd on older on thc recorcl that
(1) disclLralilled attornev, Kcith (iross: (2) ordercd hirn to tatlce 8 hours o1-
cor.rtinuing legal education course(s), arrd (3) pay the surr ol'$2500.00 into
the court's ro-gistry rvithin six nronths o1-the datc of tlic ordet'. l-hc six
nronth dcadline is Octobcr 29,2015. Attorney (irc,ss has nottakcn the course
or placed the lt-ttlt-tcir into the Court's registn'.
2. On June 16,2015, attorncy, Keith Gross and James W'esley Grovcs
'l'hercafter, this Court ordered the Real Party in
frlecl a Writ ol-Mandarnus.
'l-he Court has not ruled'
Interest to flle a response.
3. At the tirnc of filing the Writ of Manclallus, tr"ial w'as set lbr October'
'['his case rvill rrot be
5,2015. Sr-rbseqr-rently, thc court has reset the case. se't
fbr trial until at least liebrLrary 2016.
4' Iltrlcrgctrc,v relicf is t-tcccssary' I1- itttort-rc'Y ('iross does t-tot take the
lcgal eclr-rcation courscs in accorclance \\,ith thc trial c296 S.W. 3cl 859 ('l-ex.i\pp.---'["yler, 2tC09).
8. Attorney (iross fllcd a writ of marndatnlls c,ontcndting that thc trial
court sanctiorred hin'r rvrctngtirllir. Attorney (iross laces irrcparable hartt-t
without a stav florr this CoLrrt. 11'(ircss complics wilh thc trial court's
order and takes the continuing lcgal education class,ls, he vu'ill lose the right
to appellate revicw and will deprivcd thc opportr,rnit),to vindicate hirnsell'as
the issue will l-recot'ttc ntoot. W'oU r. Stur,456 S.W'. 3d 307 (Tex.App--- Ill
I)aso,2015.) (jross will bc hzrrrrcd by havirrg to contply rvith an cfroncolls
order. If Gross does not corlply, hc risks being licld in corttr-lrPt ol-coLtrt
and jailed.
9. WithoLrt reviewir-rg each argurnent crnbodied im thc Petitior-r fbr Writ of
Mandantus, it should be sufhcient to show tl'ris court that attorncy Gross dicl
not receive adequate noticc of the urotion fbr sanctions beforc thc hcaring. It
is undispr-rted that receivecl noticc of the SLrpplerrrental Motion to Disc1Lrali11"
and Motion ftrr Sanctions only' one hoLrr before ther hearing. Gross had no
opportunity to research the law, or otherwise plan a. def-ense. and therefbre
tl"ris court should stay tl-re enforcement, if llot sumltlarily reverse the orde r.
9. The powertcl sanction is lirnited bythe due prcrcess clause. In Re Max
Bennett,960 S.W. 2d 35, 40 (T'ex. 1991). At a rlinitnutn, Irotice ol' atrv
hearing. . . must be servcd on all parties not less tlt;r.tr three days bclbre the
tinre set fbr the hearing, unlcss the tinrc is shol'tcn by thc coLtrl. In ra
Acceptnrtce Insurance Oo. 33 S.W.3d 443, 449r (-t'cx.App.- Irort Worth,
2000) citing TIt(lP 21. It is well settlcd thc one dali's notice is insufflcicrrt,
as a rnattcr o1'law. Plunr.,S & L Ass'rt v. Sluvin, J')"1 S.\\'. 282,284 ('l'er.
1986). Attorney Ramos lllccl his Motiorr to [)isqr-rtrlify on z\pril 27,2015,
and llled his supplcr-r-rental rnotir-rn on thc morning ol[-April 28.2015 at 8:1,5
a.ll-1.
l.Jpholdlrig an ordcr lbr Sarrctions basccl on c)ne hout's ttotice is crrttr
on its f-ace. Attorney (iross requests this Court sta.y thc trial court order Lrntil
thc Petition lbr Writ of Manclatnus is resolvccl.
Prayer
Relater prays that this CloLrrt stay the trial cou,rt's ordct'urrtil alter this
Court has decided thc writ o1'rnandamus. and any other relief, whether
general or special, legal or ecluitable .
Respectfully' sr,lbrnitte:d,
/s/ Keith Grgs::;
Keith ,4. Grosr;
State []ar No. |1:.4027351
245 Park Avc.
League City,1'exas 77 513
(832) 932-5970 Otflce
(281 ) 701-5634 Clcll
(832) t)32--56811 Irax
attnyk gross(?rr ao | collt .
RIJLN 'fOIt
Certiflcate o1' Selv ice
I certily that a true ancl correct copy ol- the ltrregoing instrutttetrt w'as
scrved on opposing counscl and thc Cor-trt itr accorclancc with the 'l'RC'P on
Septcrnber B, 20 I 5.
i
'f! /r" ,il./ /
i -{-'
Keith
Clertiflcate o f Con I'erence
I certifl, that I have attempted to conl-er with counscl. in the underly'ng
litigation via ernail to resolve thc uatter by agrecment.
.
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K.eith tiross
VEITIF IC]N '[IC)N
STA'|E OF'IEXAS ,\
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C]OIJNTY OF (iALV ESTON ,c
.\-
BEFOI{lr ME, thc Lrndersigned authoritv, ,i)n this d"y personallv
appcared Keitfr (iross, who afier bcing clr,rll' sworn, did ttn his oath depose
and say that hc has read Relator's lmergcncy Motion to Stav and that the
1.acts containecl tl-rereir-r are within his personal knorr'rledgc attcl arc trLte and
correct.
Keith (riross
" SIJBSC]RII]ED AND SWORN TO Mll, a Notary Pr,rblic. on this
'r"1 davol rt..'- 1()15
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:{'r L i_-{ r. ,..-i-*t-:, ;-
Notary' il)Lrblic ir-r and 1'or
-fhe ol''l'exas
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