In re U.S. Silica Co.

• Decision Date: 11 February 2005
• Docket Number: Nos. 04-0270, 04-0271, 04-0297, 04-0308, 04-0309.,s. 04-0270, 04-0271, 04-0297, 04-0308, 04-0309.
• Citation: 157 S.W.3d 434
• Parties: In re U.S. SILICA CO. et al. In re Badger Mining Corp. In re Norton Co., et al. In re Norton Co. (n/k/a/ Saint Gordon Abrasives) Siebe North Inc. and Textron Inc. In re Bacou-Dalloz Safety, Inc.
• Court: Texas Supreme Court

157 S.W.3d 434

In re U.S. SILICA CO. et al. In re Badger Mining Corp In re Norton Co., et al. In re Norton Co. (n/k/a/ Saint Gordon Abrasives) Siebe North Inc. and Textron Inc In re Bacou-Dalloz Safety, Inc.

Nos. 04-0270, 04-0271, 04-0297, 04-0308, 04-0309.

Supreme Court of Texas.

February 11, 2005.

Henry S. Platts, David E. Sharp, Beirne Maynard & Parsons, L.L.P., Chester J. Makowski, Keith N. Uhles, Royston Rayzor Vickery & Williams, L.L.P., Houston, and David C. Garza, Garza & Garza, L.L.P., Brownsville, for Relator.

Cynthia Hardy Smith, Adam Tyler Fox, Cynthia Hardy Smith, Angela Clanton, Strasburger & Price, L.L.P., and William C. Dowdy III, Dallas, Hubert Oxford III, Benckenstein & Oxford, L.L.P., Beaumont, Kenneth E. McKay, Locke, Lidell & Sapp, L.L.P., Eva D. Geer, Mayer Knight & Williams, LLP, Gregory Michael Sullivan, John Duff Cleland, Jeffery Keith Gordon, Andrews & Kurth, L.L.P., Houston, Chris C. Pappas, Alan H. Marks, Amy Dunn Taylor, James Vincent Hewitt, Godwin Gruber, LLP, George J. Kacal, Kacal

Adams & Law, P.C., Jeffrey Boyd Lucas, Dunn Kacal Adams Pappas & Law, Houston, Thomas B. Taylor, Taylor & Warren, L.L.P., and Jack B. Manning, Douglas T. Gosda, and William J. Cozort Jr., Manning Gosda & Arredondo, LLP, Houston, and Jeffrey D. Roerig, Roerig Oliveira & Fisher, Brownsville, W. Bruce Williams, Cotton Bledsoe Tighe & Dawson, P.C., Midland, Lynne Miller Ford, Phillips & Akers, Houston, Paul J. Holmes, Paul J. Holmes, P.C., Beaumont, Pamela Jean Neale Williams, Irving, William B. Coffey Jr., Adams & Coffey, P.C., Beaumont, Shawn Robert Redman, Mark C. Clemer, Brown Sims, P.C., Houston, Edward J. Hennessy, Hennessy Gardner & Barth, Houston, Willard M. Tinsley, Funderburk & Funderburk, LLP, Houston, and Rex N. Leach, Atlas & Hall, McAllen, David Brill, Brill & Associates, P.C., Curt Webb, Beck Redden & Secrest, L.L.P., Houston, and Norton A. Colvin Jr., Robert Patrick Rodriguez, Teri L. Danish, Rodriguez, Colvin & Chaney & Saenz, LLP, Brownsville, Dale Marett Holidy, Houston, Boyd Wells, Wells Peyton Beard Greenberg Hunt, L.L.P., Beaumont, Sharla J. Frost, James H. Powers, Karen M. Alvarado, Powers & Frost, L.L.P., Houston, Terence M. Murphy, and Charles Christopher Groves, Jones Day, Dallas, Richard P. Hogan Jr., and Jennifer Bruch Hogan, Hogan & Hogan, L.L.P., Houston, Jerry C. Parker, Sammons & Parker, P.C., Tyler, Kent M. Adams, Adams & Coffey, P.C., and Ellen G. Reynard, Adams Coffee & Duesler, Beaumont, Ewing Edben Sikes III, Royston, Rayzor, Vickery & Williams, L.L.P., Brownsville, Andrew S. Oretsky, Davis Oretsky & Guilfoyle, Houston, Thomas B. Taylor, Taylor & Warren, L.L.P., Houston, David Craig Landin, Lori Elliott Jarvis, Paul Oliver Wickes, and Clinton David Howie, Hunton & Williams, LLP, Richmond, VA, Hubert A. Crouch III, Crouch & Ramey, L.L.P., Dallas, Ryan A. Beason, Beason Willingham, LLP, Houston, Dulcie Green Wink, Haynes & Boone, LLP, Houston, John R. Robinson, Johnson & Sylvan, P.C., Dallas, Michael Scott Pyle, John Philip Parsons, Forman, Perry, Watkins, Krutz & Tardy, L.L.P., Dallas, Thomas W. Tardy III, Jackson, MS, Anthony E. Pletcher, Huseman & Pletcher, Corpus Christi, Erin Patterson, Adams & Reese, L.L.P., Houston, R. Stephen Ferrell, Giessel Barker & Lyman, P.C., Houston, Deborah A. Newman and Roger Henry Nebel, Forman, Perry, Watkins, Krutz & Tardy, LLP, Houston, Clinton Eugene Phillips, Johnson Ferguson Pipkin & Phillips, Houston, Charles A. Green and Timothy Dewayne Ammons, Cowles & Thompson, P.C., Dallas, Robert G. Newman, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., San Antonio, Patrick M. Martinez, Hermansen McKibben Woosley & Villarreal, L.L.P., Corpus Christi, Jeff Shaver, Sammons & Parker, Houston, Jeffrey D. Roberts, Roberts Markel, Guerry, P.C., Houston, Frank N. Luccia, and Cathryn Ann Adams, Luccia & Evans, L.L.P., Houston, Robert E. Thackston and Stephanie L. Spardone, Hawkins, Parnell & Thackston, L.L.P., Dallas, Barbara Jane Barron, Mehaffy & Weber, Beaumont, Richard Reyna, Brock & Person, P.C., San Antonio, Robert J. Rose, Timaeus & Rose, L.L.P., Beaumont, Carl Dawson, Ryan & Dawson, Houston, Juan A. Magallanes, Gilberto Hinojosa, Magallanas & Hinojosa, P.C., and Armando Roberto Villalobos, Brownsville, Alan G. Sampson, Benckenstein & Oxford, Beaumont, Clarence Thomas Valentine Jr., James Odis Blackwell III, Daw & Ray, P.C., Houston, and Michael Ray Walzel, Stevens, Baldo & Freeman, Beaumont, Cortlan Howard Maddux, Houston, Gerry Lowery, Robert G. Newman, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., San Antonio, Joe Michael Dodson, Dodson Law Offices, P.C., Beaumont, Harold Hudson Henley and Geoffrey Justin Henley, Henley & Henley, P.C., Dallas, Steve A. Bryant, Steve A.

Bryant & Associates, P.C., Houston, for Real Parties.

PER CURIAM.

Ten silicosis cases involving hundreds of plaintiffs were filed in Cameron County and randomly assigned to six different courts. At the behest of different parties, three judges issued conflicting orders asserting jurisdiction over cases in their own courts or others. Because the Cameron County local rules permit a unilateral transfer only by the court where the first case was filed, we conditionally grant a writ of mandamus directing the others to vacate orders forbidding that transfer.

On May 30, 2003, a single attorney filed ten silicosis lawsuits in Cameron County. The allegations in each were identical, as were the 82 defendants. Only the plaintiffs varied — each suit included about 70, for a total of almost 700.

The cases were randomly assigned among the six district courts in Cameron County. Though all were file-stamped with the same time, consecutive cause numbers indicate the first case filed was assigned to the 197th District Court (Judge Migdalia Lopez presiding).

Thereafter ensued a scramble for possession. First on the field were the plaintiffs, who kicked things off by moving to transfer and consolidate all ten cases in the 404th District Court (Judge Abel Limas presiding). That motion was granted on January 6th.

Close behind came some of the defendants, who countered by moving to consolidate all ten cases in the 197th District Court, where the first case was filed. That motion, too, was granted on January 7th.

The reaction of the remaining courts varied. The 103rd District Court (Judge Menton Murray, Jr. presiding) took the second option, lateraling cases to the 197th District Court. The 138th District Court (Judge Robert Garza presiding) blocked, entering an anti-transfer order because no one had requested his consent. The 357th District Court (Judge Leonel Alejandro presiding) punted, signing a recusal order and transferring cases to the local administrative judge. That court, the 107th District Court (Judge Benjamin Euresti presiding), remained on the sidelines, taking neither offensive nor defensive action in the proceedings.

At this point, some of the contestants reversed field. Judge Limas rescinded his original consolidation order, but also signed an order blocking any transfer of the case originally filed in his court. Eventually, the plaintiffs followed suit, seeking to return all cases to the courts where originally filed, except for those transferred by recusal from the 357th.

Unable to determine the winner of these jurisdictional contests, the relators...