Supreme Court of Texas

In a class action alleging exposure to chemical fumes and leaks from several sites where pesticides were mixed or stored before the sites were placed in receivership, defendant's petition for mandamus relief from an order setting a consolidated trial is granted where the trial judge erred in postponing responses to basic discovery until shortly before trial in mass tort cases involving hundreds of parties and complicated causation questions.

Appellate Information

• Argued 11/16/2005
• Decided 06/15/2007
• Published 06/15/2007

Judges

• Justice BRISTER delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Justice HECHT, Justice MEDINA, Justice GREEN, and Justice WILLETT joined.

Court

• Supreme Court of Texas

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Robert G. Newman, and Rosemarie Kanusky, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., San Antonio, R. Bruce Hurley, David G. Oliveira, Roerig Oliveira & Fisher, Brownsville, J.A. (Tony) Canales, Canales & Simonson, P.C., Corpus, Christi, Richard L. Josephson, Michael B. Bennett, Baker Botts, L.L.P., Robert Scott, Susie Denise Rosenthal, and Delia A. Spencer, Abrams Scott & Bickley, L.L.P., Houston, Michael B. Hughes, David E. Cowen, McLeod Alexander Powel & Apffel, P.C., Galveston, Michelle E. Murphy, Ricardo G. Cedillo, Davis, Cedillo & Mendoza, Inc., Robert L. Soza, Julia W. Mann, Mark Anthony Fassold, Jackson Walker L.L.P., San Antonio, Robert B. Gilbreath, Hawkins, Parnell & Thackston, LLP, Dallas, David Neal Calvillo, Martin Drought & Torres, Inc., McAllen, Brandy M. Wingate, Attorney At Law, Mission, Marc Edward Rietvelt, Jenkens & Gilchrist, San Antonio, Walter J. Passmore, Passmore Law Firm, McAllen, Michael J. Mazzone, Ann Al-Bahish, Haynes and Boone, LLP, Edward M. Carstarphen, Ellis, Carstarphen, Dougherty & Goldenthal, PC, Peter Thompson, Thompson & Reilley, P.C., Reagan W. Simpson, King & Spalding LLP, Houston, TX, Robert M. Howard, Christine G. Rolph, Latham & Watkins LLP, San Diego, CA, Troy Ford and David J. Beck, Beck Redden & Secrest, L.L.P., Houston, O.C. Hamilton Jr., Atlas & Hall, LLP, McAllen, Norton A. Colvin Jr., Rodriguez Colvin, Chaney & Saenz, L.L.P., Brownsville, Jack W. Dillard, Bryan, Sandra Thourot Krider, Edwards Burns & Krider LLP, Houston, Michael R. Klatt, Clark Thomas & Winters, Austin, Edmundo O. Ramirez, Ellis Koeneke & Ramirez, L.L.P., McAllen, Richard W. Espey, Derick James Rodgers, Davis Cedillo & Mendoza, Inc., San Antonio, David Blackshear Mantor, Ellis Carstarphen Dougherty & Goldenthal, P.C., Houston, Jose E. Garcia, Garcia & Villarreal, LLP, McAllen, Brady Sherrod Edwards, Edwards Burns & Krider LLP, Houston, for Relator., Ramon Garcia, Law Offices of Ramon Garcia, P.C., Edinburg, Dennis C. Reich, Reich & Binstock, L.L.P., Houston, Ramon Rosales Jr., Law Office of Ramon Rosales, Jr., Mission, Robert Alan York, Godwin Pappas Ronquillo LLP, David W. Holman, Holman Law Firm, P.C., Linda L. Laurent, Thomas & Wan, L.L.P., Houston, and Mauro L. Reyna III, Penitas, Michelle Wymae Wan, Thomas & Wan, LLP, Houston, for Real Party In Interest., Dwight E. Jefferson, Attorney At Law, P.L.L.C., Houston, George P. Powell, Hinojosa & Powell, P.C., McAllen, TX, for Intervenor.