United States Fifth Circuit

The garnishment of nonmonetary obligations is not appropriate under Texas law. In an ongoing battle by plaintiff to receive payment from the Republic of Congo on an outstanding debt, a decision dissolving garnishment writs is affirmed, and turnover and contempt orders are vacated where the district court did not have personal jurisdiction over the Congo and the contempt order was not permissible under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA).

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/23/2006
• Published 08/24/2006

Judges

• BENAVIDES, Circuit Judge:, Before DeMOSS, BENAVIDES and PRADO, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fifth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Steve D. McConnico, Jane M.N. Webre, Quentin Doug Sigel, Thomas A. Albright, Scott, Douglass & McConnico, Austin, TX, Sanford M. Saunders, Jr., Laura Metcoff Klaus (argued), Robert Phillip Charrow, Greenberg Traurig, Tobin J. Romero, Williams & Connolly, Washington, DC, for Af-Cap, Inc., Boaz S. Morag (argued), Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, New York City, Donald Scott Thomas, Jr., Clark, Thomas & Winters, Austin, TX, for Republic of Congo., Sharon Swingle (argued), Douglas N. Letter, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civ. Div.-App. Staff, Washington, DC, for U.S.


• For Appellees:
  
• Guy Stanford Lipe, Marie Roach Yeates (argued), Gwendolyn Johnson Samora, Vinson & Elkins, Eleanor Herbert Hodges, Thompson & Knight, Houston, TX, Marc E. Vockell, Dell, Inc., Round Rock, TX, Andrew B. Derman, Thompson & Knight, Dallas, TX, for Garnishees-Appellees.