Unreported / Non-Citable
Background
The Railroad Commission of Texas appealed from a proceeding in the 201st District Court of Travis County involving CNOOC Energy U.S.A. LLC, Williams MLP Operating LLC, and Mockingbird Midstream GS Services, LLC. The underlying trial-court cause number was D-1-GN-25-002729.
CNOOC, Williams, and Mockingbird also filed cross-appeals against the Railroad Commission. The parties subsequently submitted a joint motion asking the Fifteenth Court of Appeals to dismiss all appeals and cross-appeals.
The Court’s Holding
The court granted the parties’ joint motion and dismissed the appeal, thereby disposing of the appeal and cross-appeals. It relied on Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure 42.1(a)(1) and 43.2(f), which authorize voluntary dismissal and dismissal as an appellate judgment.
The memorandum opinion was issued per curiam by a panel consisting of Chief Justice Brister and Justices Field and Farris. Because the dismissal rested on the parties’ joint request, the court did not address the merits of the underlying dispute.
Key Takeaways
- A Texas appellate court may dismiss an appeal at the parties’ request under Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 42.1(a)(1).
- The joint motion covered both the Railroad Commission’s appeal and the opposing parties’ cross-appeals.
- The court resolved no substantive issue concerning the underlying dispute.
Why It Matters
The decision illustrates the procedural mechanism for jointly ending an appellate proceeding that includes both an appeal and cross-appeals. It carries no stated merits holding because the court dismissed the proceeding without analyzing the underlying claims.