No. 02-15-00103-CV Appellant, v. Appellee. Expedited Appeal from the 158 District Court of ...

614 Pages·2015·4.52 MB·English

ACCEPTED
02-15-00103-cv
SECOND COURT OF APPEALS
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
9/23/2015 1:17:46 PM
DEBRA SPISAK
CLERK
No. 02-15-00103-CV

IN THE SECOND COURT OF APPEALS
AT FORT WORTH, TEXAS

TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION,
Appellant,

v.

MICHAEL QUINN SULLIVAN,
Appellee.

Expedited Appeal from the 158th District Court of Denton County, Texas
Trial Court Cause No. 14-06508-16

AMICUS BRIEF

Laura Lee Prather Attorneys for Amici Curiae
State Bar No. 16234200
Alicia Calzada
State Bar No. 24076296
HAYNES AND BOONE, LLP
600 Congress Avenue, Suite 1300
Austin, Texas 78701
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
[email protected]
[email protected]
IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL

Amici certify that the following is a complete list of parties, attorneys, and
any other person who has any interest in the outcome of this lawsuit.
Appellant:

Texas Ethics Commission

Counsel for Appellant:

Eric J.R. Nichols
[email protected]
State Bar No. 14994900
Gretchen S. Sween
[email protected]
State Bar No. 24041996
Beck Redden LLP
515 Congress Avenue
Suite 1900
Austin, TX 78701
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]

Appellee:

Michael Quinn Sullivan

Counsel for Appellee:

N. Terry Adams, Jr.
[email protected]
Bar No. 00874010
Joseph M. Nixon
[email protected]
State Bar No. 15244800
BEIRNE, MAYNARD & PARSONS, L.L.P.
1300 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 2500
Houston, TX 77056
i
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]

James E. Trainor, III
[email protected]
State Bar No. 24042052
BEIRNE, MAYNARD & PARSONS, L.L.P.
401 W. 15th Street, Suite 845
Austin, TX 78701
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]

Richard D. Hayes
[email protected]
State Bar No. 09278700
HAYES, BERRY, WHITE & VANZANT, LLP
512 W. Hickory, Suite 100
PO Box 50149
Denton, TX 76206
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]

AMICI CURIAE: COUNSEL FOR AMICI:

Texas Association of Broadcasters Laura Lee Prather
502 E. 11th Street, Suite 200 State Bar No. 16234200
Austin TX 78701 Alicia Calzada
State Bar No. 24076296
Texas Press Association HAYNES AND BOONE, LLP
718 W. 5th Street 600 Congress Avenue, Suite 1300
Austin TX 78701 Austin, Texas 78701
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
[email protected]
[email protected]

ii
Trial Court:

158th District Court, the Honorable Steve Burgess presiding until recused, then the
Honorable David Cleveland, sitting by assignment
Denton County Courts Building
1450 East McKinney Street
3rd Floor
Denton, TX 76206-4524
Telephone: [phone]

iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL ............................................................ i

TABLE OF CONTENTS ..........................................................................................i v

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ..................................................................................... v

STATEMENT OF INTEREST AND IDENTIFY OF AMICI CURIAE ................ vii

SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT ................................................................................. 1

I. ARGUMENT .......................................................................................................... 2

A. The TCPA Motion was untimely. ......................................................... 4

B. The TCPA does not apply to this action because it fails
under the TCPA’s exemption for enforcement actions. ........................ 8

1. This was an enforcement action brought by the
State. ............................................................................................ 9

2. The legislative history and intent of the statute
comports with a finding that this action is exempt
from the TCPA. ......................................................................... 12

II. CONCLUSION AND PRAYER ......................................................................... 15

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE ....................................................................... 16

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ................................................................................ 17

APPENDIX ..................................................................................................................

iv
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
Cases
Better Bus. Bureau of Metro. Dallas, Inc. v. Ward, 401 S.W.3d 440 (Tex.
App.—Dallas 2013, pet. denied) .........................................................................4
City of Long Beach v. California Citizens for Neighborhood Empowerment,
111 Cal. App. 4th 302, 3 Cal. Rptr. 3d 473 (2003) ............................................13
Gilder v. Meno, 926 S.W.2d 357 (Tex. App.—Austin 1996, writ denied) .............10
Godwin v. Aldine Indep. Sch. Dist., 961 S.W.2d 219 (Tex. App.—Houston
[1st Dist.] 1997, pet. denied) .............................................................................10
Hicks v. Group & Pension Administrators, Inc., __ S.W.3d __, 2015 WL
5234366 (Tex. App. --Corpus Christi Sept. 3, 2015, no pet. h.) ......................... 7
In re Estate of Check, 438 S.W.3d 829 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2014, no
pet.) ..................................................................................................................4, 5
Key W. Life Ins. Co. v. State Bd. of Ins., 163 Tex. 11, 350 S.W.2d 839
(1961) .................................................................................................................10
Martin v. Bravenec, 04-14-00483-CV, 2015 WL 2255139 (Tex. App.—San
Antonio May 13, 2015, pet. filed) .......................................................................3
Miller Weisbrod, L.L.P. v. Llamas-Soforo, __ S.W.3d __, 2014 WL 6679122
(Tex. App.—El Paso Nov. 25, 2014, no pet.) ..................................................6, 7
Patel v. Texas Dep't of Licensing & Regulation, __ S.W.3d __, 2015 WL
3982687 (Tex. June 26, 2015) ...........................................................................11
People ex rel. Lockyer v. Brar, 115 Cal. App. 4th 1315, 9 Cal. Rptr. 3d 844
(2004) .................................................................................................................14
People v. Health Labs of N. Am., Inc., 87 Cal. App. 4th 442, 104 Cal. Rptr.
2d 618 (2001) .....................................................................................................14
People v. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 228 Cal. App. 4th 1382, 176 Cal.
Rptr. 3d 496 (2014) ..................................................................................... 13, 14
v
San Jacinto Title Servs. of Corpus Christi, LLC v. Kingsley Props., LP, 452
S.W.3d 343 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2013, pet. denied) ..................... 11, 12
Schimmel v. McGregor, 438 S.W.3d 847 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.]
2014, pet. denied) ................................................................................................. 4
Town of Madawaska v. Cayer, 103 A. 3d 547, 551, 2014 ME 121 .......................... 8
Woodard v. Office of Atty. Gen., 01-07-00954-CV, 2009 WL 793764 (Tex.
App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Mar. 26, 2009, no pet.) ...........................................10
Statutes
AZ ST. § 12-752(E)(2) ............................................................................................3, 9
CAL. CIV. PROC. CODE § 425.16 ...................................................................... 3, 9, 13
LA C.C.P. ART. 971(E) ..............................................................................................9
OKLA STAT. ANN. TIT. 12 § 1439 ...........................................................................3, 9
OR. REV. STAT. § 31.155 ............................................................................................3
Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 27.002 ...................................................................12
Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 27.003 .....................................................................4
Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 27.005 .................................................................2, 3
Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 27.010 .................................................... 1, 3, 11, 13
Tex. Gov’t Code § 571.061 (a) ..................................................................................9
VT. STAT. ANN. TIT. 12 § 1041(H) ..........................................................................3, 9
Other Authorities
CAPITOL RESEARCH SERVICES, Legislative History of Chapter 27, Texas
Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Entitled: Actions Involving the
Exercise of Certain Constitutional Rights (Outlining the legislative
history of Tex. H.B. 2973, 82d Leg., R.S.(2011) ..............................................13
Tex. Const. art. III, § 24a(a) ...................................................................................1, 9
vi
STATEMENT OF INTEREST AND IDENTITY OF AMICI CURIAE
Amici Curiae Texas Association of Broadcasters and Texas Press
Association respectfully submit this brief of Amici Curiae in support of Petitioners
the Texas Ethics Commission. Amici are media trade organizations that have a
heightened interest in the proper application of the Texas Citizens Participation Act
(“TCPA”) because their members rely on the TCPA to protect against retaliatory
lawsuits brought against them for accurately reporting on matters of public
concern.
In accordance with Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 11(c), Amici hereby
disclose no counsel for a party authored this brief in whole or in part, and no
person other than Amici, their members, or their counsel made a monetary
contribution to its preparation or submission. This brief was commissioned by the
following Amici:
The Texas Association of Broadcasters is a non-profit association that
represents more than 1,300 television and radio stations in Texas with a tradition of
community-oriented, free, over-the-air broadcasting. The Texas Association of
Broadcasters was founded in 1953 and performs numerous services on behalf of its
members, including advocating legislation relating to and affecting radio and
television broadcasters and defending open government, as well as publishing
guidebooks on various legal issues, including access to public information.
vii
The Texas Press Association (“TPA”) is a non-profit industry association
representing nearly 500 daily and weekly newspapers in Texas, each of which
upholds a strong tradition of journalistic integrity and community service. TPA,
founded more than 130 years ago, performs numerous services on behalf of its
members, including advocating legislation relating to free speech and press and
taking legal action to protect the First Amendment and open government.
viii
SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT

The case before this Court should be reversed both on procedural and
substantive grounds. An anti-SLAPP motion brought pursuant to Texas Citizens
Participation Act (“TCPA”)1 must be brought within 60 days of when a pleading
introduces a particular cause of action against the moving party.2 The motion
herein was untimely; thus, the trial court’s consideration of the motion was error.
Further, even if the court were to consider the motion, the statute does not apply to
“an enforcement action that is brought in the name of this state.”3 The trial court’s
failure to recognize the statutory exemption flies in the face of the legislative intent
and stated statutory requirements of the TCPA and is contrary to public policy.
The trial court’s ruling effectively allowed a private citizen to, through procedural
maneuvering, dismiss an appeal of an administrative action which that citizen
himself brought. This ruling, if permitted to stand, dis-effectuates the plain
language of the TCPA, and puts the enforcement mechanism for the more than 500
regulated industries in the State of Texas in a state of disarray. The Court’s ruling
exposes administrative decisions by governmental entities to turmoil, and turns the
legislative intent behind the TCPA on its head. For these reasons, Amici urge this
Court to reverse the trial court’s decision and render.

1 Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §§ 27.001 et. seq.
2 Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 27.003.
3 Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 27.010. See Tex. Const. art. III, § 24a(a) (the Texas Ethics
Commission is a state agency).
1