Paul M. Vazaldua Jr. v. Jaime Jerry Muñoz

NUMBER 13-14-00275-CV
COURT OF APPEALS
THIRTEENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS
CORPUS CHRISTI - EDINBURG
PAUL M. VAZALDUA JR., Appellant,
v.
JAIME JERRY MUÑOZ, Appellee.
On appeal from the 370th District Court
of Hidalgo County, Texas.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Before Justices Rodriguez, Garza, and Benavides
Memorandum Opinion by Justice Rodriguez
This appeal addresses the contest of a primary election involving the race for
Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2, Place 2. See TEX. ELEC. CODE ANN.
§ 232.002 (West, Westlaw through 2013 3d C.S.) (“Any candidate in an election may
contest the election.”). By two issues, appellant-contestant Paul M. Vazaldua Jr.
challenges the trial court’s denial of his second motion for continuance and a summary
judgment granted in favor of appellee-contestee Jaime Jerry Muñoz. We affirm.
I. BACKGROUND
Vazaldua and Muñoz were candidates in the Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace,
Precinct 2, Place 2, Democratic Primary Election on March 4, 2014. The canvass,
conducted on March 14, 2014, determined that of the 12,881 votes cast in this race,
Muñoz received 4,389 votes, or 34.07 percent; Eloy Treviño received 2,326 votes, or
18.06 percent; Hortencia Martinez received 1,978 votes, or 15.36 percent; Pete Garcia
received 1,804 votes, or 14.01 percent; Elvia Rios received 1,018 votes, or 7.90 percent;
Vazaldua received 715 votes, or 5.55 percent; and Juan Vasquez received 651 votes, or
5.05 percent.1 A run-off between Muñoz and Treviño was scheduled.
A. Petition and Answer
Vazaldua timely filed a lawsuit contesting the results of this election. See id.
§ 232.008 (West, Westlaw through 2013 3d C.S.). In his petition, Vazaldua stated that
he was contesting the Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Precinct No. 2, Place 2,
Democratic Primary Election and would “prove by clear and convincing evidence that
[more] than 4,000 votes were illegally cast for the winners in this election. Therefore, a
sufficient number of illegal votes were counted to affect the outcome of the election.” He
also claimed that “the true outcome would result in [Vazaldua] being declared the winner”
or would require “the voiding of the election and the need for a new election.” In support
of his claim, Vazaldua alleged, among other things, “that persons who voted for Paul M.
1 Treviño, Martinez, Garcia, Rios, and Vasquez are not parties to this appeal.
2
Vazaldua, Jr. had their votes counted for one of the other candidates”; that “the voting
machines were illegally manipulated” or “malfunctioned . . . or were illegally tampered
with to affect the outcome of the election”; “the election process failed to count legal
votes”; “the outcome of the election was manipulated by fraud or illegal conduct”; and
“mistakes were made that precluded an accurate count of the vote cast.”
Muñoz answered, generally denying Vazaldua’s allegations. Muñoz’s answer
included a plea to the jurisdiction, which the trial court denied.
B. Motion for Summary Judgments and Response
Muñoz filed no-evidence and traditional motions for summary judgment. In his
no-evidence motion, Muñoz asserted that Vazaldua provided no evidence: (1) “that
pertains to the contested election”; (2) that any of the alleged election violations occurred;
or (3) “that the reported outcome of the contested election is not the truce [sic] outcome
of the election.” In his traditional motion, Muñoz argued that Vazaldua's cause of action
failed as a matter of law because the evidence attached to his motion disproved
Vazaldua’s cause of action as pleaded and that Vazaldua failed to raise a genuine issue
of material fact for trial on any of the statutory elements of this election contest. In
support of his motion, Muñoz attached the following relevant evidence: (1) the
deposition transcript of Yvonne Ramon, the Hidalgo County Elections Administrator, with
exhibits; (2) the deposition transcript of Vazaldua, with deposition exhibits; and (3) an
Hidalgo County Elections Department Incident Report filed by Benito Garza.
Vazaldua responded to Muñoz’s motions for summary judgment, asserting that he
had been unable to prove his claims because he had been denied access to the election
3
materials, which were impounded by another district court in a criminal matter. Vazaldua
urged the trial court to continue consideration of the summary judgment motions until he
had access to the information necessary to prove his claims.
As to his traditional motion, Vazaldua also argued that he had shown that an issue
of genuine material fact remains because he
ha[d] given enough information to Mr. Muñoz in order to rise above a mere
surmise or suspicion that the true outcome of the election is unknown.
Because the election has seven different candidates and 12,881 voters, a
change in a few hundred votes means that the true outcome of the election
is unknown.
Although he attached no evidence to his response, Vazaldua identified “a list of voters
with unspecified physical addresses voting as suspended voters” and “a list of voters with
unspecified physical addresses voting as active voters in the early vote period before
Election Day.”2 Vazaldua also argued that he had been denied access to the election
materials and that these materials would have included any affidavits to support residence
requirements.
In his response to Muñoz’s no-evidence motion, Vazaldua asserted that the
evidence cited in response to the traditional motion supported his response. And arguing
that he had “not had adequate discovery time to find and promulgate evidence to prove
up all of his allegations,” Vazaldua discussed the factors that courts review in determining
whether enough time has been allowed for discovery. See Cmty. Initiatives, Inc. v.
2 These lists, although identified as exhibits to Vazaldua’s deposition, are not included in the
appellate record as part of the exhibits to Muñoz’s motion for traditional and no-evidence summary
judgments. They are in the record as part of Vazaldua’s responses to Muñoz’s requests for production.
Nonetheless, it is undisputed that the lists were produced by Vazaldua during discovery and were before
the trial court in this summary judgment proceeding. See TEX. R. CIV. P. 166a(d).
4
Chase Bank, 153 S.W.3d 270, 278 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2004, no pet.). After his
analysis, he concluded that all applicable factors weighed in favor of the denial of Muñoz’s
no-evidence summary judgment motion. Vazaldua then argued the following:
Without access to the relevant election materials, no Contestant can make
his case. The lack of access is neither party’s fault, but it does not prove
that there is no evidence of material alteration of the election outcome.
Instead, it proves that there is enough evidence for a grand jury to deliberate
and ratify a course of investigation [in a criminal matter].
C. Motions for Continuance and Responses
On April 21, 2014, one day before Muñoz filed his summary judgment motions,
Vazaldua filed his first motion for continuance, seeking additional time to conduct
discovery. Vazaldua asserted that because the election materials necessary to prove
central allegations of his election contest had been impounded and were in the process
of being examined by an expert as part of the grand jury investigation, “[c]ontinuing this
trial for good cause serves the purpose of ensuring that the information necessary for all
the litigants to prove up the true outcome of the election is at hand.” Vazaldua attached
his affidavit “as evidence of good cause in furtherance of this motion.” See TEX. R. CIV.
P. 251 (“No application for a continuance shall be heard before the defendant files his
defense, nor shall any continuance be granted except for sufficient cause supported by
affidavit, or by consent of the parties, or by operation of law.”); see also TEX. ELEC. CODE
ANN. § 232.012(e) (West, Westlaw through 2013 3d C.S.) (setting out that “[t]he district
judge may not grant a continuance in the trial except one time for a period not exceeding
10 days for good cause supported by the affidavit of a party”). Muñoz challenged
Vazaldua’s allegations. Although we find no order in the record, it is undisputed that on
5
April 29, 2014, after a hearing on Muñoz’s motion for summary judgments, the trial court
did not rule on the summary judgment motion. Instead, it continued the proceedings until
May 7, 2014, thus, granting Vazaldua’s first motion for continuance.3
On May 2, 2014, Vazaldua filed a verified, second motion for continuance. After
setting out facts in support of his motion, Vazaldua cited D.R. Horton-Texas, Ltd. v.
Savannah Properties Associates, L.P. and discussed the following factors, which he
claimed weighed in favor of a continuance: (1) the time in which the case has been filed,
(2) the materiality of the evidence, and (3) the movant’s due diligence in obtaining the
evidence. See 416 S.W.3d 217, 223 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2013, no pet.). Vazaldua
also acknowledged that the contestants had “already been granted one continuance” and
“the election code statutorily only allows one continuance for good cause up to ten days.”
See TEX. ELEC. CODE ANN. § 232.012(e). Nonetheless, Vazaldua argued that “the statute
does not apply” for the following reasons: (1) the litigants agreed to a trial schedule that
did not comply with a plain reading of section 232.012, so they opted for a different course
of litigation; (2) violating the deadlines prescribed by the code did not “rob” the trial court
of jurisdiction, and since the recodification of the code, “procedural rigor has given way to
judicial discretion and allowance” such that the trial court “can allow more time for
discovery to allow the grand jury time to complete its investigation and meet the demands
3 On April 28, 2014, Vazaldua filed a motion for continuance of the summary judgment hearing
until the date of trial. See TEX. R. CIV. P. 166a(g), 252. Vazaldua re-urged the arguments made in his
first motion and again asked the trial court for a continuance. But because Vazaldua filed no affidavit in
support of this motion for continuance, it was not properly before the trial court. See id. at R. 166a(g)
(setting out that if a party opposing summary judgment files an affidavit stating that he or she cannot present
the facts in support of his position, a trial court may order a continuance “to permit affidavits to be obtained
or depositions to be taken or discovery to be had”).
6
of the purpose of the statute,” which “is to have a prompt trial schedule”; and (3) “the
[c]ourt should wait until the grand jury has finished its investigation in order to best
harmonize the outcomes between the Grand Jury investigation and the election contest
at issue” in this case. Muñoz objected to Vazaldua’s second motion for continuance,
arguing, in relevant part, that the election code does not allow for a second continuance.
D. The Trial Court’s Rulings
On May 7, 2014, after hearing arguments, the trial court denied a second
continuance and granted Muñoz’s no-evidence and his traditional motions for summary
judgment. This accelerated appeal followed. See TEX. ELEC. CODE ANN. § 232.014
(West, Westlaw through 2013 3d C.S.).
II. MOTION FOR CONTINUANCE
By his first issue, Vazaldua contends that the trial court abused its discretion when
it did not grant him a second continuance. Under the election code, we conclude that it
did not.
A. Applicable Law and Standard of Review
The character of the proceedings before us is an election contest. It is not an
ordinary case in law or in equity. See Wooley v. Sterrett, 387 S.W.2d 734, 737 (Tex. Civ.
App.—Dallas 1965, no writ). And “elections are politically time sensitive, and legislative
remedies for contested elections are to be strictly followed.” Rodriguez v. Cuellar, 143
S.W.3d 251, 260 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2004, pet. dism'd) (op. on en banc
reconsideration); see Wooley, 387 S.W.2d at 737–38, 742. In other words, “[t]he very
nature of the proceedings is such that courts are called upon to speedily and expeditiously
7
dispose of the subject matter without regard to some of the usual rules applicable in the
ordinary civil action.” Wooley, 387 S.W.2d at 737–38 (citations omitted).
The election code sets out accelerated procedures for election contests. See,
e.g., TEX. ELEC. CODE ANN. §§ 232.012, 232.014. Specific to continuances, the election
code provides that “[t]he district judge may not[4] grant a continuance in the trial [of the
contest] except: (1) one time for a period not exceeding 10 days for good cause
supported by the affidavit of a party; or (2) with the consent of the parties.” Id.
§ 232.012(e). The only instance where this restriction does not apply is a request for a
continuance for the purpose of bringing in a substitute contestee following the death of a
contestee. Id. § 232.012(g).
The trial court’s ruling on most motions for continuance is within its discretion.
State v. Wood Oil Distrib., Inc., 751 S.W.2d 863, 865 (Tex. 1988); Villegas v. Carter, 711
S.W.2d 624, 626 (Tex. 1986); cf. TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE ANN. § 30.003(b) (West,
Westlaw through 2013 3d C.S.) (setting out when the trial court must grant a properly
requested motion for a legislative continuance); TEX. ELEC. CODE ANN. § 232.012(e)
(providing that the trial court may grant only one continuance for good cause or may grant
a continuance with the consent of the parties). A trial court abuses its discretion if it acts
in an arbitrary and unreasonable manner or without reference to guiding rules or
principles. McAleer v. McAleer, 394 S.W.3d 613, 617 (Tex. App.—Houston 2012 [1st
Dist.], no pet.); see State v. Crank, 666 S.W.2d 91, 93 (Tex. 1984) (op. on reh’g). “The
appellate court may not substitute its judgment for that of the trial court in matters
4 “May not” imposes a prohibition and is synonymous with “shall not.” TEX. GOV’T CODE ANN. §
311.016(5) (West, Westlaw through 2013 3d C.S.).
8
committed to the trial court's discretion.” McAleer, 394 S.W.3d at 617.
B. Discussion
Vazaldua contends that the trial court should have granted his second motion for
continuance “outside the parameters of the statute” because “the trial had already been
agreed to on a schedule outside the parameters of the statute.” We are not persuaded
by this argument. It is undisputed that the parties agreed to a trial schedule that did not
comply with a plain reading of section 232.012. See TEX. ELEC. CODE ANN. § 232.012(d).
However, the record also shows that the parties did not agree to a second continuance.
Instead, Muñoz objected to Vazaldua’s second motion for continuance. So the exception
for consent to a second continuance does not apply in this case. See id. § 232.012(e)(2).
And we cannot conclude, without more, that an agreement to a non-compliant trial date
translates into a broader reading of the statute such that other restrictions do not apply.
Vazaldua also argues that we should look to the purpose of the statute and not to
the statute’s plain reading to ensure that the purpose is served. Vazaldua describes the
purpose summarily as a “prompt trial schedule.” But we cannot conclude that the trial
court abused its discretion in denying relief on this basis. Instead, we conclude that the
trial court’s ruling served the purpose of the statute, which is “to speedily and expeditiously
dispose of the subject matter without regard to some of the usual rules applicable in the
ordinary civil action.” See Wooley, 387 S.W.2d at 737–38; see also TEX. R. CIV. P. 251,
252 (discussing the applicability of continuances in a civil proceeding).
Finally, without citing authority, Vazaldua argues that the trial court “should have
waited until the Grand Jury finished its investigation in order to harmonize the outcomes
9
between the Grand Jury investigation and the election contest.” See TEX. R. APP. P.
38.1(i) (“The brief must contain a clear and concise argument for the contentions made
with appropriate citations to authorities and to the record.”). In support of this argument,
Vazaldua advises this Court that: (1) the Grand Jury has hired an expert to review the
electronic voting machines; (2) the name of the firm has been publicly reported; (3) the
Commissioner’s Court has ratified the funding for the investigation; and (4) the District
Court overseeing the investigation and audit has issued an order releasing certain critical
records to the expert doing the audit, making it “clear that the Grand Jury was moving
apace”; and (5) he “believes a final evaluation and report is imminent.” However, this
information was not before the trial court when it denied a second continuance. And we
cannot conclude that the trial court abused its discretion in denying the continuance on
this basis.
We conclude that when the trial court denied Vazaldua’s second motion for
continuance, it acted with reference to section 232.012(e)(1) of the election code. See
TEX. ELEC. CODE ANN. § 232.012(e)(1). In that regard, it did not act in an arbitrary and
unreasonable manner or without reference to guiding rules or principles such that it
abused its discretion. See McAleer, 394 S.W.3d at 617. We overrule Vazaldua’s first
issue.
III. TRADITIONAL MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
Where, as here, a party moves for both no-evidence and traditional summary
judgments, the appellate court typically first reviews the trial court's ruling under the no-
10
evidence standard of review. Ford Motor Co. v. Ridgway, 135 S.W.3d 598, 600 (Tex.
2004). However, because our review of the trial court’s ruling on Muñoz’s traditional
motion for summary judgment is dispositive of this issue, we will address it alone. See
TEX. R. APP. P. 47.1.
By his second issue, Vazaldua challenges the granting of Muñoz’s traditional
motion for summary judgment. He appears to be arguing that he created a fact issue on
an element of his claim by providing evidence of voters without physical addresses to the
trial court and to Muñoz.5
A. Standard of Review and Applicable Law
In the case of a traditional summary judgment, the issue on appeal is whether the
movant met the summary judgment burden by establishing that no genuine issue of
material fact exists and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. TEX.
R. CIV. P. 166a(c); Mann Frankfort Stein & Lipp Advisors, Inc. v. Fielding, 289 S.W.3d
844, 848 (Tex. 2009). We review a trial court's ruling on a summary judgment motion de
novo. Travelers Ins. Co. v. Joachim, 315 S.W.3d 860, 862 (Tex. 2010); Alejandro v. Bell,
84 S.W.3d 383, 390 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2002, no pet.).
A defendant moving for summary judgment on the plaintiff’s cause of action
assumes the burden of showing as a matter of law that the plaintiff has no cause of action.
See Lear Siegler, Inc. v. Perez, 819 S.W.2d 470, 471 (Tex. 1991); Griffin v. Rowden, 654
S.W.2d 435, 436 (Tex. 1983). The defendant must disprove the plaintiff’s cause of action
as pleaded. GNG Gas Sys. v. Dean, 921 S.W.2d 421, 426 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 1996,
5 As noted earlier, it is undisputed that Vazaldua produced these documents in response to
Muñoz’s requests for production and at his deposition.
11
writ denied). If the defendant disproves as a matter of law one or more essential
elements of the plaintiff’s cause of action, the defendant is entitled to a summary judgment
unless the plaintiff presents evidence sufficient to raise a fact issue. See Centeq Realty,
Inc. v. Siegler, 899 S.W.2d 195, 197 (Tex. 1995).
The focus of a trial court’s inquiry in an election contest is set out in section
221.003(a) of the election code as follows:
(a) The tribunal hearing an election contest shall attempt to ascertain
whether the outcome of the contested election, as shown by the final
canvass, is not true because:
(1) illegal votes were counted; or
(2) an election officer or other person officially involved in the
administration of the election:
(A) prevented eligible voters from voting;
(B) failed to count legal votes; or
(C) engaged in other fraud or illegal conduct or made a
mistake.
TEX. ELEC. CODE ANN. § 221.003(a) (West, Westlaw through 2013 3d C.S.).
“To set aside the outcome of an election, the contestant must prove by clear and
convincing evidence that a violation of the election code occurred and such violation
materially affected the outcome of the election.” Duncan-Hubert v. Mitchell, 310 S.W.3d
92, 97–98 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2010, pet. denied); see Gonzalez v. Villarreal, 251 S.W.3d
763, 773, 777–78 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2008, pet. dism’d w.o.j.). An election’s
outcome may be materially affected when a different and correct result would have been
reached in the absence of irregularities or if irregularities in the conduct of the election
render it impossible to determine the majority of the voters’ true will. Duncan-Hubert,
12
310 S.W.2d at 98; see Gonzalez, 251 S.W.3d at 778.
B. Discussion
Vazaldua’s appellate argument in support of this issue follows in its entirety:
Appellant provided to the trial court and contestee evidences [sic] of voters
without physical addresses[, hundreds of which Vazaldua claims were
Precinct 2 voters voting as suspended voters]. Appellant is entitled to the
reasonable inference that the hundreds of voters listed in those files without
physical addresses voted illegally. In addition, Appellant is entitled to the
reasonable inference that this is a symptom of the massive, covert fraud
that has been alleged in his pleadings. Clearly these documents taken as
true and in their best light should have nullified the traditional summary
judgment motion.[6]
Muñoz claimed in his motion for traditional summary judgment that he proved as
a matter of law that no irregularity affected the outcome of the contested election and that
Vazaldua did not create a fact issue by producing controverting evidence that raises a
fact issue on that element. See Centeq Realty, 899 S.W.2d at 197. In support of his
motion, Muñoz filed the transcript of the deposition of Hidalgo County Elections
Administrator Ramon. She testified at her deposition that Hidalgo County has no
evidence of illegal votes, election machine malfunction, illegal manipulation of election
machines, diverted votes, or illegal tampering; Hidalgo County had no evidence that the
election results were wrong; Hidalgo County counted all legal votes; the election results
were an accurate count; Hidalgo County had no evidence of any irregularities impacting
the election; and the results of the election were a true outcome. Vazaldua raised no
objections to this testimony. In addition, Vazaldua testified at his deposition that he had
6 In this second issue, we note that Vazaldua does not assert that he had inadequate time for
discovery in order to respond to Muñoz’s traditional motion for summary judgment. So that argument is
not before us in this appeal.
13
no evidence of any illegal votes and that the lists of voters produced for his deposition
provided no information specifically regarding his race. He also testified that he had no
evidence of malfunctioning machines, illegal manipulation of the machines, diverted
votes, illegal tampering, illegal conduct, or mistakes or irregularities impacting the
election. Vazaldua indicated that he had no evidence that anybody failed to count legal
votes and no evidence to prove the election results were wrong or that the voting
machines were not working.
Finally, in support of his traditional motion, Muñoz attached Benito Garza’s
handwritten Hidalgo County Elections Department Incident Report, which outlined a
voting irregularity that Garza experienced when he voted in another race while using
Hidalgo County’s electronic voting machines. According to Garza’s incident report, he
attempted to vote for Rene Guerra, a candidate for Hidalgo County District Attorney, but
the machine switched his vote to another candidate. Garza further set out that he alerted
the election officials to the problem and that they cancelled his ballot and directed him to
another voting machine where he was able to cast his votes in favor of the candidates he
was supporting, thus indicating that there were no irregularities that affected the election
with regard to Garza’s vote. We note that Garza’s report does not concern Vazaldua’s
election. Vazaldua also testified at his deposition that the Garza incident report was
unrelated to the Justice of the Peace race at issue in this a case.
In his response and now on appeal, Vazaldua appears to be arguing that, by the
documents he produced, he created a fact question regarding whether there were alleged
irregularities affecting the outcome of his race. Yet he merely directs us to a list that he
14
produced to Muñoz, a list which names approximately 1,100 Hidalgo County voters,
hundreds of whom he claims were Precinct 2 voters who voted illegally in the election.
Vazaldua has not specifically identified the portions of the evidence—the voters—that he
wanted the trial court to consider. See Gonzales v. Shing Wai Brass & Metal Wares
Factory, Ltd., 190 S.W.3d 742, 746 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2005, no pet.). When an
entire document, such as the list of voters, is attached to a response and the response
refers to it only generally, that reference does not satisfy the requirement for specificity.
See id.; see also Upchurch v. Albear, 5 S.W.3d 274, 284–85 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 1999,
pet. denied) (concluding that 3,000 pages attached to a motion was not proper summary
judgment evidence because it was not indexed, and the motion did not cite to specific
parts of the document). In this case, we conclude that the list of voters provided by
Vazaldua in support of his response was not proper summary judgment evidence. And
even if we were to conclude that it was proper, it would not be enough to create a fact
issue unless there was some evidence in addition to the list showing the identified
individuals voted illegally.
Based on our de novo review of the trial court’s ruling, we conclude that Muñoz
has shown as a matter of law that Vazaldua has no cause of action as pleaded. See
Lear Siegler, 819 S.W.2d at 471; Griffin, 654 S.W.2d at 436; GNG Gas Sys., 92 S.W.2d
at 426. We further conclude that the evidence produced by Vazaldua did not raise a fact
issue on the elements of his cause of action. See Centeq Realty, 899 S.W.2d at 197.
The trial court did not err when it granted Muñoz’s traditional motion for summary
judgment. We overrule Vazaldua’s second issue.
15
We need not address Vazaldua's remaining arguments in his second issue, as
they have no bearing on the final disposition of this appeal. See TEX. R. APP. P. 47.1.
IV. CONCLUSION
We affirm the judgment of the trial court. No motion for rehearing will be
entertained.7 See TEX. ELEC. CODE ANN. § 232.014(e).
NELDA V. RODRIGUEZ
Justice
Delivered and filed the
20th day of June, 2014.
7 On May 23, 2014, Muñoz filed a motion for expedited resolution of this appeal. We carried this
motion with the case on appeal. In light of this opinion, we now deny Muñoz’s motion as moot.
16