X

Thank you for sharing!

Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.

Five and a half months after the trial court dismissed his case, James Lee Sweed filed a notice of appeal that did not contain all the information required for a notice of restricted appeal. A month later he amended the notice to include the missing information. The court of appeals dismissed the appeal, holding that Sweed’s original, incomplete notice of restricted appeal was insufficient to invoke its jurisdiction, and the amended notice was not timely filed. We conclude that Sweed’s original notice of appeal invoked the court of appeals’ jurisdiction even though it was incomplete. We reverse the court of appeals’ judgment.

Sweed sued Jay L. Nye (a public defender), Jaime Esparza (El Paso District Attorney), the Office of the District Attorney, the State of Texas, and the Texas Attorney General for malicious prosecution and false imprisonment. Eventually the defendants moved to dismiss for want of prosecution. The clerk’s office mistakenly sent notice of a status conference and notice of the hearing on the motion to dismiss to Sweed at the wrong address. Both notices were returned unclaimed. Sweed did not appear at the hearing, and the trial court granted the motion to dismiss. The dismissal order was signed on November 6, 2006.

 
Reprints & Licensing
Mentioned in a Law.com story?

License our industry-leading legal content to extend your thought leadership and build your brand.

More From ALM

With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas.
View Now
Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team.
View Now
Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. Our second option allows you to build your bundle and strategically select the content that pertains to your needs. Both options are priced the same.
View Now
April 08, 2025 - April 09, 2025
Chicago, IL

Join General Counsel and Senior Legal Leaders at the Premier Forum Designed For and by General Counsel from Fortune 1000 Companies


Learn More
December 02, 2024 - December 03, 2024
Scottsdale, AZ

Join the industry's top owners, investors, developers, brokers and financiers for the real estate healthcare event of the year!


Learn More
December 11, 2024
Las Vegas, NV

This event shines a spotlight on how individuals and firms are changing the investment advisory industry where it matters most.


Learn More

We are seeking two attorneys with a minimum of two to three years of experience to join our prominent and thriving education law practice in...


Apply Now ›

Description: Fox Rothschild has an opening in the New York office for a Real Estate Litigation Associate with three to six years of commerci...


Apply Now ›

Downtown NY property and casualty defense law firm seeks a Litigation Associate with 3+ years' experience to become a part of our team! You ...


Apply Now ›