Fourteenth Court of Appeals
Teddy Roosevelt famously exhorted, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” The judges and staff of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals are doing just that until the Office of Court Administration can restore our access to the Texas Appellate Management and e-filing System (TAMES).
Since the network outage on May 8th, we have been unable to access electronic files through TAMES, the statewide docket management system that holds the data and documents for the court’s cases. For weeks, many of you have been calling for case information that we have been unable to provide due to our own lack of access to court documents and records.
In its latest media release the Office of Court Administration noted that the cyberattack has been especially disruptive to appellate courts. As a court that utilizes TAMES to the full, we are experiencing firsthand the cost of its loss. Despite the crippling effects of the network outage on the court’s day-to-day operations, we are doing what we can, with what we have, where we are, to move cases along and mitigate the inconvenience and uncertainty for you.
- Extensions of Time to File Briefs. Last week, the en banc court entered an order extending the time for filing briefs through June 30, 2020, in most pending cases. As in the aftermath of natural disasters and other emergency scenarios, to the extent the law permits and as necessary to serve the interests of justice, the court will consider liberally any additional requests for extensions based on the May 8th network outage.
- Emergency Matters. To ensure a rapid response to emergency filings, we have developed alternate procedures for prompt processing of emergency motions and other requests for expedited relief. Since the network outage, we have issued orders on emergency motions and stays in pending appeals and original proceedings from this court and in accelerated cases transferred from other courts of appeals. When practitioners provide notice to the court that emergency motions will be forthcoming, the court can take steps to prepare for the filing and pave the way for its expeditious handling. If you have an emergency motion, please contact the Clerk’s office (713-274-2800).
- Oral Arguments. The court continues to hear oral arguments. Due to public health restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been conducting arguments via ZOOM, using the court’s YouTube channel, which the public may access here. Cases are set for argument through the end of May and throughout June, though access to records in these cases remains limited. While the Office of Court Administration has restored some parts of the court’s website, the public cannot yet access this court’s briefs or other filings through TAMES.
- Orders and Opinions. The court continues to process appeals and prepare opinions in cases for which we can get necessary documents from official sources. (The court cannot rely on documents from unofficial sources in rendering judgments.) We have developed temporary procedures for panel voting and the internal circulation of drafts and supporting documents. The clerk’s office is posting orders and opinions on this website as the court issues them.
- Judicial Internship Program. Though we are unable to host interns or conduct our summer internship program in the court’s physical space at the Harris County 1910 Courthouse due to pandemic-related restrictions, we have created a new remote option to give law students a judicial internship experience. This week the Houston Courts of Appeals kicked off the Joint Judicial Internship Program with the virtual arrival of law students from throughout Texas and across the country. Interns are participating in the program remotely through a large array of events conducted via web conferencing platforms and online meeting tools. Offerings include chambers chats with members of the court, virtual tours of the 1910 Courthouse and Harris County Law library, oral-argument observation, skill-building sessions, roundtable discussions, judicial panel presentations, and other special programming designed to give the interns an inside look at how appellate courts work. In one aptly timed session, we will address how courts function during and after pandemics, cyberattacks, and other forces that threaten the interruption of court operations.
Until the ongoing emergency resolves, you can count on us to keep you informed about temporary measures and other changes in court operations, procedures, and services. Please check this website for regular updates.
We thank you for your tolerance and fortitude through this trying season and we ask for your continued patience and understanding as the TAMES recovery and restoration process moves forward.
Rest assured that despite the daily challenges the network outage presents, we will keep doing what we can, with what we have, where we are, to serve you.