In Re William Curtis Jones v. the State of Texas ( 2024 )

In The
Court of Appeals
Ninth District of Texas at Beaumont
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NO. 09-24-00045-CV
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IN RE WILLIAM CURTIS JONES
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Original Proceeding
279th District Court of Jefferson County, Texas
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MEMORANDUM OPINION
Relator, William Curtis Jones, is a vexatious litigant subject to a prefiling
order that requires him to obtain permission from the local administrative judge
(LAJ) prior to filing any new litigation. See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. §
11.101. On January 25, 2024, the LAJ for Jefferson County, Texas, denied Jones
permission to file new litigation. In this mandamus proceeding, Jones complains that
the LAJ abused its discretion in denying his request for permission to file new
litigation. See id. § 11.102(f). Jones asks this Court to compel the LAJ for Jefferson
County to grant Jones “permission to file a discovery request of exculpatory and
impeachable evidence from the Jefferson County [Texas] District Attorney’s
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Office.” Jones claims he asked the LAJ to allow him to file a petition for discovery
“wherein he alleged various fraud on the court” that occurred during a criminal trial
conducted in February 2018. He claims he did not receive a fair trial in the criminal
case and the jury’s verdict in that case was rendered on perjured testimony and
fabricated evidence. We deny mandamus relief.
Jones argues that in 2022 he was unfairly and unconstitutionally classified as
a vexatious litigant in a civil case that he filed in the 172nd District Court of Jefferson
County. Referring this Court to four previous civil lawsuits Jones filed against the
prosecutors and defense counsel from the criminal case and three expunction
proceedings in which Jones alleged the State presented false or fabricated evidence
in the trial of his criminal case, and asserting he has filed over sixty “motions
memorandums, writs, applications, or petitions seeking relief from Petitioner’s
wrongful conviction and incarceration[,]” Jones asks this Court to set aside the
vexatious litigant order, order a hearing on exculpatory evidence, vacate his
conviction for misapplication of fiduciary property, and grant post-conviction
habeas corpus relief in his criminal case.
A vexatious litigant complaining of the LAJ’s order denying permission to
file must demonstrate the LAJ clearly abused his discretion. See Walker v. Packer,
827 S.W.2d 833, 839 (Tex. 1992) (orig. proceeding); In re Cooper, No. 05-19-
00549-CV, 2019 WL 2211085, at *1 (Tex. App.—Dallas May 22, 2019, orig.
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proceeding) (mem. op.). We conclude Jones has failed to demonstrate that he
presented a meritorious lawsuit that the LAJ arbitrarily refused permission to file.
See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. § 11.102(c); In re Cooper, 2019 WL
2211085, at *1. Accordingly, we deny the petition for a writ of mandamus. See Tex.
R. App. P. 52.8(a).
PETITION DENIED.
PER CURIAM
Submitted on March 6, 2024
Opinion Delivered March 7, 2024
Before Golemon, C.J., Horton and Johnson, JJ.
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