Court of Civil Appeals of Texas, 2017

in the Interest of A.F.G., B.N.G., A.M.G., and J.L.G. Jr., Children

in the Interest of A.F.G., B.N.G., A.M.G., and J.L.G. Jr., Children
Court of Civil Appeals of Texas · Decided September 26, 2017

in the Interest of A.F.G., B.N.G., A.M.G., and J.L.G. Jr., Children

Opinion

Order filed September 26, 2017.

In The Fourteenth Court of Appeals ____________ NO. 14-17-00440-CV ____________ IN THE INTEREST OF A.F.G., B.N.G., A.M.G., AND J.L.G. JR., CHILDREN

On Appeal from the 247th District Court Harris County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. 2013-57363 ORDER This is an accelerated appeal from a judgment in a suit in which the termination of the parent-child relationship is at issue. Appellant’s brief was originally due August 7, 2017. Appellant requested an extension of time, which was granted through August 28, 2017 with the notation that no further extensions would be granted absent exceptional circumstances. On September 5, appellant requested an additional extension pointing to the exceptional circumstance of Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas coast on August 25, 2017.

On August 28, 2017, the Supreme Court of Texas issued Misc. Docket No. 17- 9091, an emergency order directing all courts in Texas to consider disaster-related delays as good cause for modifying or suspending all deadlines in any case.

Accordingly, considering the exceptional circumstances of the recent hurricane, this court granted appellant an extension through September 25, 2017 with the notation that no further extensions would be granted absent exceptional circumstances.

Appellant has requested an additional extension of time again pointing to the exceptional circumstance of Hurricane Harvey. Appeals in parental termination cases and child protection cases are to be brought to final disposition within 180 days of the date the notice of appeal is filed. See Tex. R. Jud. Admin. 6.2(a) (effective May 1, 2012). While we acknowledge the circumstances created by Hurricane Harvey, this accelerated schedule requires greater compliance with briefing deadlines.

Accordingly, we deny appellant’s motion. We order appellant’s appointed counsel, Donald Crane, to file appellant’s brief no later than October 5, 2017. If the brief is not filed by that date, counsel may be required to show cause why he should not be held in contempt of court. In addition, the court may require appointment of new counsel due to the failure to timely file appellant’s brief.

PER CURIAM

Panel consists of Justices Jamison, Busby, and Donovan.

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