PRETRIAL AND TRIAL PRESERVATION OF ERROR INTERESTING FAMILY LAW ISSUES BRAD M. LAMORGESE brad@momnd.com EILEEN COSTELLO Mccurley, Orsinger, Mccurley, Nelson & Downing 5950 Sherry Lane, Suite 800 Dallas, Texas 75225 214-273-2400 State Bar of Texas 39 TH ANNUAL ADVANCED FAMILY LAW COURSE August 5-8, 2013 San Antonio CHAPTER 8
Table of Contents Pages I. Introduction... -1- A. Preservation is Important.... -1- B. Only Certain Errors Prevent Reversible Error.... -1- C. Why Require Preservation?... -1- D. Fundamental Error (A Discredited Doctrine)... - - II. Rule 33.1 - The Gold Standard... -2- A. Make the Complaint in the Trial Court.... -2- B. Rule 33.1... -2- C. No Right to Complain of Unpreserved Error... -3- D. Right to Appeal is Not Constitutional... -3- III. Subject Matter Jurisdiction Complaints - An Exception to the Rule............................ -3- IV. No Clear Timely Complaint to the Trial Court... -3- A. Specific, Timely Complaint.... -3- B. Trial Objection is the Mirror Image of the Appellate Objection Presented...................... -3- C. Premature Objection... -3- D. Nonspecific Objections... -4- E. Form of the Trial Court Objection.... -4- F. Statutory Complaints... -4- V. Obtain a Ruling... -4- A. Obtain a Ruling or Refusal to Rule... -4- B. Specific Ruling... -4- C. Implied Rulings... -4- D. Refusal to Rule... -5- VI. Failure to Make a Record... -5- A. A Record is Necessary to Show Error.... -5- B. Courts of Appeal Do Not Consider Facts Outside of the Record............................. -5- C. SAPCR Record is Mandatory... -5- VII. Special Appearance - Challenges to Personal Jurisdiction..................................... -5- A. Personal Jurisdiction - A Matter of Contacts... -5- B. Special Exception Procedure.... -6- C. Dawson-Austin - Liberal Construction of Special Appearance Procedure....................... -6-1. Defective Special Appearance Cured by Amendment................................ -6-2. No Subject To Language Requirement... -6-3. Severable Divorce Issues.... -6- VIII. Pleading Issues... -6- A. Pleadings Requirements... -6- B. Special Exceptions.... -6-
1. Filing Special Exceptions... -6-2. Obtain a Hearing... -7-3. No Special Exceptions = Waiver of Pleadings Defects............................... -7-4. Improper Vehicle For Special Exceptions... -7-5. Family Code Pleading Requirements... -7- IX. Evidentiary Complaints... -7- A. Admission of Evidence... -7-1. Timely Objection.... -7-2. Clear, Specific Objection... -8-3. Premature Objections Preserve Nothing... -8-4. The Objection Must Come From the Party, Not Another Party......................... -8-5. Protecting a Sustained Objection is Necessary...................................... -8-6. Jury Trial Preservation of Objectionable Admitted Evidence.......................... -8- B. Exclusion of Evidence... -8-1. Formal Offer Necessary to Show Harmful Error.................................... -8-2. The Substance of the Excluded Evidence Must Be Made Known....................... -8-3. Error is Waived if Evidence is Not in the Record................................... -9- X. Improper Comments on the Weight of the Evidence... -9- XI. Constitutional Claims... -9- A. Constitutional Claims Must Be Asserted in the Trial Court.................................. -9- B. Waiver of Constitutional Claims... -10- C. Separate Property Claims... -10- D. Parental Rights Termination Cases... -10- E. Troxel - Nonparent Possession Claims... -10- F. Facial vs. As Applied Challenges... -10-1. Facial Challenges... -10-2. As Applied Challenges.... -10- XII. Daubert Complaints.... -10- A. Daubert/Robinson Objections... -10- B. Objection Not Lodged at Trial May Not be Recast on Appeal.............................. -11- C. No Trial Objection = Waiver.... -11- XIII. Family Code Statutory Issues.... -11- A. Residency Restrictions... -11- B. Unconscionability and Voluntariness Claims... -11- C. Residency Challenges (6.301)... -11- D. Preemption Issues... -12- E. Characterization/Reimbursement Claims... -12- F. Juvenile Instructions... -12- G. Termination - Ineffective Assistance and Factual Sufficiency Challenges..................... -12-1. Preservation Rules Apply to Termination Cases................................... -12-2. Unpreserved Factual Sufficiency Complaints are Reviewable in Certain Circumstances.... -12- XIV. Family Code Venue Challenges... -13- A. Family Code Motions to Transfer Venue... -13- B. Dissolution Suit Venue... -13-
C. SAPCR Venue... -13- D. Custody Interference Venue... -13- E. Protective Order Suit Venue... -13- XV. Appeal of an Associate Judge s Ruling... -13- A. Three Relief Avenues From an Associate Judge s Ruling.................................. -13- B. De Novo Appeal.... -14-1. De Novo Appeal Brought Within Three Days of Notice of Associate Judge s Report... -14- a. The Notice of Appeal... -14- b. Second Appeal by Other Party... -14- c. Three Day Requirement Probably Includes Weekends........................ -14-2. Appeal in Writing, and Specific... -14-3. Hearing is De Novo, and Should Be Held Within 30 Days........................... -14- a. Evidence Considered... -14- b. Hearing Should Be Held in 30 Days... -14- c. Right to Hearing is Mandatory.... -14- d. 30 Day Requirement is Not Jurisdictional.................................. -15- e. Failure to Hold Hearing is Error on the Face of the Record.................... -15-4. No Second Jury... -15- C. Traditional Appeal.... -15-1. Appeal from a Final Order... -15-2. Failure to Lodge a De Novo Appeal Does Not Result in Waiver of Regular Appeal.................................... -15-3. Failure to Hold a Timely Requested De Novo Hearing is Error and Should be Brought to the Court s Attention................................... -16-4. Generally, Appellate Deadlines for a Traditional Appeal Begin When the Referring Court Signs a Final Order.................................... -16-5. Appeal From Default or Agreed Orders Signed by an Associate Judge Begins When the Associate Judge Signs the Order................................. -16- XVI. Segregating Recoverable Attorney s Fees From Non-Recoverable Fees........................ -16- A. Segregating Fees... -16- B. Waiver... -16- XVII. Continuance... -17- A. The Motion... -17-1. Sufficient Cause... -17-2. In Writing... -17-3. Continuance as a Matter of Law... -17- B. Exceptions... -17- C. Discretionary Decision... -17- D. Absence of Counsel as Grounds for Continuance........................................ -17- XVIII. Right to Jury Trial... -18- A. The Request for Jury Trial... -18- B. Ways to Waive the Request for Jury Trial... -18- XIX. Jury Charge Preservation... -18- A. TRCP 274 - The General Rule... -18-
1. Timely Complaint... -18-2. Objections to Erroneous Submissions.... -18-3. Tender Omissions in Writing... -18-4. Failure to Present Jury Charge Error Results in Sufficiency Review.................... -19- B. Objections to Broad-Form Submission... -19- C. Deemed Findings... -19- XX. Jury Verdict Challenges... -19- A. Motion for New Trial Necessary.... -19- B. Legal Sufficiency Challenges... -20-