Tisdale, Chad Wayne ( 2015 )


Menu:
  •                                                                        WR-83,512-02
    WR-83,512-01
    COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS
    AUSTIN, TEXAS
    Transmitted 6/26/2015 12:41:57 PM
    Accepted 6/29/2015 2:07:05 PM
    ABEL ACOSTA
    NO. ______________                                          CLERK
    IN THE TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS RECEIVED
    COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS
    6/29/2015
    AT AUSTIN, TEXAS                ABEL ACOSTA, CLERK
    ___________________________________________________________
    IN RE CHAD WAYNE TISDALE
    ___________________________________________________________
    ORIGINAL PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS OR
    ORIGINAL PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS
    ___________________________________________________________
    The Honorable Benton Eskew
    Judge of the Bastrop County Court at Law
    The Honorable Reva Towslee-Corbett
    Judge of the 335th Judicial District Court of Bastrop County
    Respondents
    ___________________________________________________________
    JAMES KRAMER
    410 East 5th St. #306
    Austin, Texas 78701
    (512) 297-7211 PHONE
    (484) 205-5248 FAX
    james.kramer@usa.net
    Texas State Bar No. 24067712
    COUNSEL FOR RELATOR/APPLICANT
    ORAL ARGUMENT REQUESTED
    IDENTIFICATION OF THE PARTIES
    A complete list of the names and addresses of all interested parties is
    provided below:
    Relator/Applicant:
    Chad Wayne Tisdale
    Counsel for Relator/Applicant:
    James Kramer
    410 East 5th St. #306
    Austin, Texas 78701
    Counsel for the State (Real Party in Interest):
    Bryan Goertz
    Greg Gilleland
    Office of Bastrop County District Attorney
    804 Pecan Street
    Bastrop, Texas 78602
    Respondents:
    Honorable Benton Eskew
    Judge
    County Court at Law
    Bastrop County, Texas
    804 Pecan Street
    Bastrop, Texas 78602
    Honorable Reva Towslee-Corbett
    Judge
    th
    335 Judicial District Court of
    Bastrop County, Texas
    804 Pecan Street
    Bastrop, Texas 78602
    i
    Table of Contents                                                  Page
    Identification of the Parties                                       i
    Index of Authorities                                                iv
    Statement Regarding Oral Argument                                   1
    Statement of the Case                                               1
    Statement of Jurisdiction                                           2
    Issues Presented                                                    2
    Background and Statement of Facts                                   3
    Mandamus Requirements                                               5
    Argument and Authorities:
    Relator/ApplicantEntitled to Prompt Issuance of Writ             5
    A Non-Discretionary Duty to Issue Writ of Habeas Corpus          6
    Defect in Petition Must Be “Manifest” to Justify Refusal         6
    Voluntariness Determined by Totality of the Circumstances        8
    Jurisdiction of the Trial Court                                  9
    No Adequate Remedy at Law Other Than Resort to This Court        10
    Original Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus as an Alternative    11
    Vehicle
    Prayer for Relief                                                   12
    Certification of Word Count                                         14
    ii
    Certificate of Service               14
    Rule 52.3(j) Certification           14
    Appendix                           post 15
    iii
    Index of Authorities                                               Page
    CASES:
    Click v. State, 
    39 S.W.2d 39
    (Tex. Crim. App. 1931)                 6
    Ex parte Davis, 
    748 S.W.2d 555
    (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.]       9
    1988)
    Ex parte Drake, 212 S.W.3d. 822 (Tex. App. Austin 2006)             9
    Ex parte Hayes, No. WR-77,189-01, 2012 Tex. Crim. App.              12
    Unpub. LEXIS 210 (Tex. Crim. App. 2012) (orig. proceeding) (not
    designated for publication)
    Ex parte Hargett, 
    819 S.W.2d 866
    (Tex. Crim. App. 1991)             7
    Ex parte Hight, No. AP-75,507, 2008 Tex. Crim. App. Unpub.          
    8 LEXIS 91
    (Tex. Crim. App. 2008) (not designated for publication)
    Ex parte Johnson, 
    876 S.W.2d 340
    (Tex. Crim. App. 1994) (orig.     2, 11
    proceeding)
    Ex parte Moussazadeh, 
    361 S.W.3d 684
    (Tex. Crim. App. 2012)         9
    Ex parte Rodriguez, 
    980 S.W.2d 475
    (Tex. Crim. App. 1998)           12
    (orig. proceeding)
    Ex parte Schmidt, 
    109 S.W.3d 480
    (Tex. Crim. App. 2003)             9
    Ex parte Chad Wayne Tisdale, No. 03-13-00785-CR, 
    2014 Tex. 3
    App. LEXIS 3835 (Tex. App. Austin 2014, pet. ref’d.) (not
    designated for publication)
    Ex parte Wolf, 
    296 S.W.3d 160
    (Tex. App. Houston [14th Dist.]       9
    2009)
    iv
    Greenwell v. Court of Appeals for the Thirteenth Judicial Dist.,     10
    
    159 S.W.3d 645
    (Tex. Crim. App. 2005) (orig. proceeding)
    Griffin v. State, 
    703 S.W.2d 193
    (Tex. Crim. App. 1986)               8
    In re Piper, 
    105 S.W.3d 107
    (Tex. App. Waco 2003) (orig.           5, 6, 12
    proceeding)
    In re Chad Wayne Tisdale, No. 03-15-00184-CV, 2015 Tex. App.          
    4 LEXIS 4343
    (Tex. App. Austin 2015) (orig. proceeding) (not
    designated for publication)
    Mitschke v. State, 
    129 S.W.3d 130
    (Tex. Crim. App. 2004)              7
    Padieu v. Court of Appeals of Tex., 
    392 S.W.3d 115
    (Tex. Crim.        
    5 Ohio App. 2013
    ) (orig. proceeding)
    Padilla v. McDaniel, 
    122 S.W.3d 805
    (Tex. Crim. App. 2003)            2
    (orig. proceeding)
    State v. Collazo, 
    264 S.W.3d 121
    (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.]       9
    2007)
    State ex rel. Rodriguez v. Onion, 
    741 S.W.2d 433
    (Tex. Crim.          
    9 Ohio App. 1987
    ) (orig. proceeding)
    TEXAS CONSTITUTION:
    Tex. Const. art. I, § 12                                              5
    Tex. Const. art. V, § 5                                               2
    TEXAS CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE OF 1965:
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 4.04                                       2
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.05                                    2, 6
    v
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.06                              2
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.09                             2, 10
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.10                              6
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.11                              6
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.15                              6
    SUPERSEDED CODES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE:
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 131 (1856)                         7
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 145 (1879)                         7
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 165 (1895)                         7
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 175 (1911)                         7
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 127 (1925)                         7
    TEXAS RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE:
    Tex. R. App. Proc. 77.3                                       8
    OTHER REFERENCES:
    43 George E. Dix & John M. Schmolesky, Texas Practice:        5
    Criminal Practice and Procedure § 34.16 (3d ed. 2011)
    Webster’s Dictionary 1828-Online Edition,                     7
    http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Home?word=Manifest (last
    visited Mar. 26, 2015)
    vi
    Statement Regarding Oral Argument
    Oral argument would facilitate exploration of issues not heretofore
    addressed by the Court in a published opinion.
    Statement of the Case
    Relator/Applicant’s post-conviction Petition for Writ of Habeas
    Corpus, asserting that his misdemeanor conviction is based on an
    involuntary plea, was refused by the Bastrop County Court at Law and by
    the 335th Judicial District Court of Bastrop County. Neither court
    addressed the merits of his petition.
    Relator/Applicant petitions the Court to issue a writ of mandamus
    requiring that a writ of habeas corpus be issued by the Bastrop County
    Court at Law returnable to that court or, alternatively, that a writ of
    habeas corpus be issued by the 335th Judicial District Court of Bastrop
    County, returnable to that court or to the Bastrop County Court at Law.
    Alternatively, Relator/Applicant petitions the Court to exercise its
    original jurisdiction to issue a writ of habeas corpus returnable to the
    Bastrop County Court at Law.
    Relator/Applicant does not ask the Court to address the merits of
    his habeas corpus petition, as that is a matter best left to a trial court.
    1
    Statement of Jurisdiction
    This Court has jurisdiction to issue the requested writ of mandamus
    per section 5 of Article V of the Texas Constitution and article 4.04 of the
    Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.1
    This Court has jurisdiction to issue the requested writ of habeas
    corpus, returnable to the Bastrop County Court at Law, per section 5 of
    Article V of the Texas Constitution and articles 4.04, 11.05, 11.06 and
    11.09 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.2
    Issues Presented
    Did Respondents fail to carry out a ministerial duty to issue
    Relator/Applicant’s requested writ of habeas corpus?
    Does Relator/Applicant have an adequate remedy at law other than
    resort to the Court of Criminal Appeals?
    Is a petition for writ of mandamus or an original petition for writ of
    habeas corpus the preferred vehicle for petitioning this Court to compel a
    trial court to rule on the merits of a post-conviction misdemeanor habeas
    corpus petition?
    1
    Tex. Const. art. V, § 5; Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 4.04; Padilla v. McDaniel, 
    122 S.W.3d 805
    , 806 (Tex. Crim. App. 2003) (orig. proceeding).
    2
    Tex. Const. art. V, § 5; Tex. Code Crim. Proc. arts. 4.04, 11.05, 11.06, 11.09; Ex parte
    Johnson, 
    876 S.W.2d 340
    , 343 (Tex. Crim. App. 1994) (orig. proceeding).
    2
    Background and Statement of Facts
    In October of 2013, Relator/Applicant filed a post-conviction
    petition for writ of habeas corpus in the Bastrop County Court at Law,
    cause number 13-16165, challenging a misdemeanor conviction based on
    an involuntary plea. The Bastrop County Court at Law issued a written
    final    order    dismissing      the    case,    citing    lack     of   jurisdiction.
    Relator/Applicant timely appealed to the Third District Court of Appeals,
    cause number 03-13-00785-CR. The Court of Appeals dismissed the
    appeal for lack of jurisdiction, holding that only when a trial court rules
    on the merits of a petition for writ of habeas corpus does the Court of
    Appeals have jurisdiction over an appeal. 3 A timely filed Petition for
    Discretionary Review was refused by the Texas Court of Criminal
    Appeals on November 5, 2014, cause number PD-1264-14. The mandate
    in the Court of Appeals issued on January 8, 2015.
    On February 3, 2015, Relator/Applicant re-filed his petition for writ
    of habeas corpus, cause number 015-335.4 The cause was originally set
    3
    Ex parte Chad Wayne Tisdale, No. 03-13-00785-CR, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 3835 (Tex.
    App. Austin 2014, pet. ref’d.) (not designated for publication).
    4
    Relator/Applicant revised his petition in the second filing, but his claim is the same,
    namely, that he was actively misled into entering an involuntary plea. Also, per counsel’s
    3
    for a hearing on March 11, 2015 in the 335th Judicial District Court of
    Bastrop County, but was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction on February 25,
    2015. The District Clerk failed to inform Relator/Applicant of the
    dismissal and failed to timely update the case on its website.
    Relator/Applicant eventually learned of the dismissal on March 9, 2015
    from the administrator of the District Court, who forwarded a copy by fax.
    Relator/Applicant also obtained a copy of the Order Affecting Exchange
    of Benches5, which would appear to indicate that a petition to either of the
    other two district judges in Bastrop County would prove futile.
    On March 27, 2015 Relator/Applicant filed a Petition for Writ of
    Mandamus with the Third District Court of Appeals, cause number 03-15-
    00184-CV, seeking to compel issuance of a writ of habeas corpus. Relief
    was denied on April 29, 2015.6 A timely filed motion for rehearing was
    over-ruled on June 15, 2015.
    telephone conversation with the Bastrop County District Clerk, the revised petition was
    reviewed by Judge Eskew of the County Court at Law, who refused to take any action
    and entered no written order.
    5
    See Appendix.
    6
    In re Chad Wayne Tisdale, No. 03-15-00184-CV, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 4343 (Tex.
    App. Austin 2015) (orig. proceeding) (not designated for publication).
    4
    Mandamus Requirements
    In order to prevail in a mandamus action, Relator/Applicant must
    show that the act that he seeks to compel is ministerial (non-discretionary)
    and that he has no adequate remedy at law.7
    Relator/Applicant Entitled to Prompt Issuance of Writ
    The Texas Constitution provides that the writ of habeas corpus is a
    "writ of right”.8 Issuance of a writ of habeas corpus does not necessarily
    provide an applicant with relief, but “merely directs that the sheriff bring
    the applicant to court for a hearing on his habeas application.”9 (Since
    Relator/Applicant is not in custody, issuance of the writ would
    presumably result in a summons being issued for his appearance at the
    hearing on his habeas petition.)10
    7
    Padieu v. Court of Appeals of Tex., 
    392 S.W.3d 115
    , 117 (Tex. Crim. App. 2013) (orig.
    proceeding).
    8
    Tex. Const. art. I, § 12.
    9
    In re Piper, 
    105 S.W.3d 107
    , 111 n.1 (Tex. App. Waco 2003) (orig. proceeding) (Davis,
    J. concurring).
    10
    See 43 George E. Dix & John M. Schmolesky, Texas Practice: Criminal Practice and
    Procedure § 34.16 (3d ed. 2011) at 238 n.1.
    5
    Relator/Applicant is entitled to prompt consideration of the merits
    his petition.11 Thus, delay in consideration of his claim is in and of itself a
    denial of Relator/Applicant’s rights under the law.
    A Non-Discretionary Duty to Issue Writ of Habeas Corpus
    It is the duty of a court, "upon proper motion, to grant the writ
    under the rules prescribed by law." 12 The court “shall appoint a time
    when [it] will examine the cause of the applicant, and issue the writ
    returnable at that time…”13 The writ "shall be granted without delay by
    the judge or court receiving the petition, unless it be manifest from the
    petition itself, or some documents annexed to it, that the party is entitled
    to no relief whatsoever."14
    Defect in Petition Must Be “Manifest” to Justify Refusal
    A court presented with a petition for writ of habeas corpus cannot
    refuse the petition unless it can point to some defect that is “manifest”
    within the meaning of article 11.15. A review of the history of the habeas
    corpus statute reveals that the term “manifest” in article 11.15 dates at
    11
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. arts. 11.11, 11.15.
    12
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.05; see also 
    Piper, 105 S.W.3d at 110
    ; Click v. State, 
    39 S.W.2d 39
    , 41 (Tex. Crim. App. 1931).
    13
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.10.
    14
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.15.
    6
    least as far back as the 1856 Code of Criminal Procedure.15 To determine
    its plain meaning, a 19th century definition of the word “manifest” is
    appropriate:
    “MAN'IFEST, adjective [Latin manifestus.]
    1. Plain, open, clearly visible to the eye or obvious to the
    understanding; apparent; not obscure or difficult to be
    seen or understood.”16
    Thus, unless a petition for writ of habeas corpus is obviously
    invalid, a trial court must issue the writ and address the merits17. Neither
    the State nor either of the Bastrop County trial courts cite any precedent
    to demonstrate that Applicant’s claim is obviously without merit, and thus
    fail to meet the heavy burden required to justify failure to issue the writ of
    habeas corpus.
    In denying Relator/Applicant’s Petition for Writ of Mandamus, the
    Court     of    Appeals      appears      to    attempt      to    demonstrate       that
    Relator/Applicant’s petition is manifestly without merit by citing
    Mitschke v. State.18 However, in Ex parte Hight, this Court declined to
    15
    See, e.g, Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 131 (1856); Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 145 (1879);
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 165 (1895); Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 175 (1911); Tex. Code
    Crim. Proc. art. 127 (1925).
    16
    Webster’s Dictionary 1828-Online Edition,
    http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Home?word=Manifest (last visited Jun. 24, 2015).
    17
    A merits ruling based on the record (without a hearing) may be appropriate in some
    cases. See Ex parte Hargett, 
    819 S.W.2d 866
    , 868 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991).
    18
    Mitschke v. State, 
    129 S.W.3d 130
    , 135 (Tex. Crim. App. 2004).
    7
    apply Mitschke to a habeas corpus claim that a plea is involuntary,
    thereby limiting Mitschke to direct appeals based on claims of failure to
    provide statutory admonishments.19 While, per Rule 77.3,20 Hight is not
    precedent, the Court’s logic in that case is sound and should be applied in
    this case as well. Thus, Mitschke should not be read to foreclose
    Relator/Applicant’s involuntary plea claim, since that claim is
    distinguishable from a claim based on failure by the convicting court to
    provide statutory admonishments.
    Voluntariness Determined by Totality of the Circumstances
    A court must determine the voluntariness of a plea by examining
    the “totality of the circumstances.”21 Given the fact-intensive nature of the
    required inquiry, it is difficult to see how a court may avoid its duty to
    issue the writ merely by asserting that Relator/Applicant is manifestly
    entitled to no relief, since it cannot fully evaluate the “totality of the
    circumstances” without conducting a hearing (or at least without making
    findings of fact based on the record).
    19
    Ex parte Hight, No. AP-75,507, 2008 Tex. Crim. App. Unpub. LEXIS 91 (Tex. Crim.
    App. Feb. 6, 2008) (not designated for publication).
    20
    Tex. Rule App. P. 77.3.
    21
    Griffin v. State, 
    703 S.W.2d 193
    , 196 (Tex. Crim. App. 1986).
    8
    Jurisdiction of the Trial Court
    The County Court at Law 22 and the District Courts 23 in Bastrop
    County possess concurrent jurisdiction over Relator/Applicant’s petition.
    Relator/Applicant’s claim that his plea was involuntary is cognizable in a
    habeas corpus action.24 Relator/Applicant’s driver’s license suspension is
    similar in nature to legal disabilities that Texas Courts of Appeals have
    found to constitute confinement or restraint within the meaning of
    Chapter 11 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.25
    There is thus no basis for a trial court to claim that it lacks
    jurisdiction over Relator/Applicant’s petition.
    22
    “When they are read together, Article V, section 16 of the Constitution, Section
    25.0003(a) of the Government Code, and Article 11.05 of the Code of Criminal
    Procedure give the statutory county court at law, and the judges of that court, the power
    to issue the writ of habeas corpus when a person is restrained by an accusation or
    conviction of misdemeanor.” Ex parte Schmidt, 
    109 S.W.3d 480
    , 483 (Tex. Crim. App.
    2003).
    23
    State ex rel. Rodriguez v. Onion, 
    741 S.W.2d 433
    , 434 (Tex. Crim. App. 1987) (orig.
    proceeding) (holding that District Courts have concurrent habeas corpus jurisdiction in
    misdemeanor cases).
    24
    See Ex parte Moussazadeh, 
    361 S.W.3d 684
    (Tex. Crim. App. 2012).
    25
    See, e.g., State v. Collazo, 
    264 S.W.3d 121
    (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.] 2007)
    (denial of peace officer’s license); Ex parte Wolf, 
    296 S.W.3d 160
    , 166-67 (Tex. App.
    Houston [14th Dist.] 2009) (termination of employment); Ex parte Davis, 
    748 S.W.2d 555
    , 558 (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.] 1988) (denial of entry into military); Ex parte
    Drake, 212 S.W.3d. 822, 825 (Tex. App. Austin 2006) (arrest for driving while license
    suspended due to unpaid surcharges).
    9
    No Adequate Remedy at Law Other Than Resort to This Court
    While Relator/Applicant does have a technical remedy at law
    (presenting his petition to yet another trial court judge), that technically
    available remedy is inadequate."26 As 
    discussed supra
    , Relator/Applicant
    is entitled not just to a hearing, but to a prompt hearing. Thus, any further
    delay in the issuance of the writ of habeas corpus is a denial of
    substantive relief.
    As Relator/Applicant is challenging a misdemeanor conviction in
    Bastrop County, the Bastrop County Court at Law is the most appropriate
    forum to hear his petition.27 But the most appropriate court refused his
    petition.
    Relator/Applicant then applied to the 335th District Court in
    Bastrop County and got so far as having a hearing set on the docket only
    to have his petition refused again before the setting. Relator/Applicant
    then became aware of the Order Affecting Exchange of Benches28, signed
    by all Bastrop County judges, and concluded that further efforts in
    Bastrop County would be futile and only result in further delay.
    26
    Greenwell v. Court of Appeals for the Thirteenth Judicial Dist., 
    159 S.W.3d 645
    , 648-
    649 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005) (orig. proceeding) ("In some cases, a remedy at law may
    technically exist; however, it may nevertheless be so uncertain, tedious, burdensome,
    slow, inconvenient, inappropriate, or ineffective as to be deemed inadequate.”).
    27
    Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.09.
    28
    See Appendix.
    10
    While out-of-county judges may or may not technically have
    jurisdiction to issue Relator/Applicant’s writ, it defies logic to believe that
    any such judge would get involved in a case involving events that took
    place wholly within the Bastrop County Courthouse. It is even less logical
    to believe that such a hypothetical judge could be located promptly.
    Relator/Applicant’s Petition for Writ Mandamus (to compel
    issuance of the writ of habeas corpus by a Bastrop County trial court) was
    denied by the Third District Court of Appeals.
    In short, Relator/Applicant has nowhere else to go.
    Original Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus as an Alternative Vehicle
    In Ex parte Johnson, this Court exercised its original habeas corpus
    jurisdiction to compel a trial court to address the merits of a habeas
    corpus petition by issuing a writ of habeas corpus returnable to that trial
    court.29 Thus, this Court can grant Relator/Applicant relief using either of
    two alternative vehicles: mandamus or original habeas corpus.
    Concurring opinions by various judges of the Court of Criminal
    Appeals have indicated that a habeas corpus applicant who has had his or
    29
    Ex parte 
    Johnson, 876 S.W.2d at 343
    (Court of Criminal Appeals issued writ of habeas
    corpus returnable to 180th Judicial District Court).
    11
    her petition refused by a trial court should file a petition for writ of
    mandamus rather than invoke the original habeas corpus jurisdiction of
    the Court of Criminal Appeals. 30 On the other hand, at least one
    intermediate court of appeals has held that failure to file an original
    petition for writ of habeas corpus in the Court of Criminal Appeals will
    bar issuance of a writ of mandamus (for failure to exhaust all adequate
    remedies at law).31
    In light of the lack of clear authority, Relator/Applicant petitions
    this Court to exercise its original jurisdiction to issue a writ of habeas
    corpus, returnable to the Bastrop County Court at Law, as an alternative
    to his Petition for Writ of Mandamus.
    Prayer for Relief
    Relator/Applicant prays that the Court will issue a writ of
    mandamus ordering the Bastrop County Court at Law to issue the
    requested writ of habeas corpus, returnable to that court or, in the
    alternative, ordering that the 335th Judicial District Court issue the
    30
    E.g. Ex parte Hayes, No. WR-77,189-01, 2012 Tex. Crim. App. Unpub. LEXIS 210
    (Tex. Crim. App. 2012) (orig. proceeding) (Johnson, J., joined by Price, Hervey, and
    Cochran, JJ., concurring) (not designated for publication); Ex parte Rodriguez, 
    980 S.W.2d 475
    (Tex. Crim. App. 1998) (orig. proceeding) (Baird, J., concurring).
    31
    In re 
    Piper, 105 S.W.3d at 110
    .
    12
    requested writ of habeas corpus, returnable to that court or to the Bastrop
    County Court at Law.
    In the alternative, Relator/Applicant prays that the Court will
    exercise its original habeas corpus jurisdiction to issue a writ of habeas
    corpus returnable to the Bastrop County Court at Law.
    Relator/Applicant prays for general relief.
    RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
    /s/James Kramer
    JAMES KRAMER
    410 East 5th St. #306
    Austin, Texas 78701
    (512) 297-7211 PHONE
    (484) 205-5248 FAX
    james.kramer@usa.net
    Texas State Bar No. 24067712
    COUNSEL FOR RELATOR/
    APPLICANT
    13
    CERTIFCATION OF WORD COUNT
    The preceding document was produced using Microsoft Word, and the
    Word Count tool returned a value of 2,650 words (including footnotes).
    /s/James Kramer
    JAMES KRAMER
    CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
    This petition was served on opposing counsel, Assistant Bastrop
    County District Attorney Greg Gilleland, 804 Pecan Street, Bastrop,
    Texas, 78602, by first-class mail and by electronic means on June 26,
    2015, and was also mailed to the Bastrop County District Clerk for
    distribution to Respondent Judges on that date.
    /s/James Kramer
    JAMES KRAMER
    RULE 52.3(j) CERTIFICATION
    Undersigned counsel has reviewed the foregoing petition and has
    concluded that every factual statement is supported by competent
    evidence in the Appendix or Record, with the exception of certain
    14
    background information specifically stated to have been obtained from
    phone conversations with the District Clerk or the administrator of the
    District Court.
    /s/James Kramer
    JAMES KRAMER
    15
    ORDER AFFECTING THE EXCHANGE OF BENCHES
    FOR THE DISTRICT COURTS AND COUNTY
    COURT AT LAW COURT OF BASTROP COUNTY, TEXAS
    Pursuant to Article 5, Section II of the Texas Constitution and V.T.C.A., Government
    Code 24.303, and the statute creating the Bastrop County Court at Law, the undersigned do
    hereby exchange benches with each other insofar as the jurisdiction of each court pennits. Any
    of the undersigned may, in his own courtroom, try and detennine any case or proceeding pending
    in any of the other courts without having the case transferred. In case of absence, sickness, or
    disqualification of any of the judges, any of the other judges may hold court for him. Any of the
    judges may hear and detennine any part or question of a case or proceeding pending in any of the
    courts, and any of the other judges may complete the hearing and render judgment in the case.
    This order becomes effective immediately upon execution of the same by all the Judges
    identified below and supercedes any previous orders affecting these matters.
    SIGNED this   ~ay of January, 2010.
    ton Eskew
    Judge, Bastrop County Court at Law
    SIGNED thiso2D day of January, 2010.
    Terry le,_".l"..n
    Judge,
    \/:-K        kb.
    SIGNED this filL- day <*JauuaIy, 2010
    RLED``
    DATE
    CathySmit
    LO
    District Clerk, Bastrop County
    TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT, AT AUSTIN
    NO. 03-15-00184-CV
    In re Chad Wayne Tisdale
    ORIGINAL PROCEEDING FROM BASTROP COUNTY
    MEMORANDUM OPINION
    Relator has filed a petition for writ of mandamus. See Tex. R. App. P. 52. Having
    reviewed the petition and its accompanying exhibit, we deny the petition for writ of mandamus. See
    Mitschke v. State, 
    129 S.W.3d 130
    , 135 (Tex. Crim. App. 2004); Ex parte Drake, 
    212 S.W.3d 822
    ,
    826-27 (Tex. App.—Austin 2006, pet. ref’d).
    __________________________________________
    David Puryear, Justice
    Before Justices Puryear, Pemberton, and Bourland
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    REGISTER OF ACTIONS
    CASE NO. 015-335
    EX PARTE CHAD WAYNE TISDALE                              §       Case Type: Writ of Habeas Corpus
    §       Date Filed: 02/03/2015
    §        Location: 335th District Court
    §
    §
    PARTY INFORMATION
    Attorneys
    Plaintiff     Tisdale, Chad Wayne                     Male White                  James Kramer
    DOB: 06/28/1968              Retained
    512-297-7211(W)
    State         The State of Texas                      Female White
    DOB: 01/27/1987
    EVENTS & ORDERS OF THE COURT
    DISPOSITIONS
    02/25/2015 Order (Judicial Officer: Corbett, Reva Towslee)
    OTHER EVENTS AND HEARINGS
    02/03/2015   Original Petition (OCA)
    02/25/2015   Response
    03/04/2015   Reply
    03/11/2015   CANCELED Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Corbett, Reva Towslee)
    Other