In Re Robert Edward Battaile v. the State of Texas

Petition for Writ of Mandamus Dismissed and Memorandum Opinion filed
December 30, 2025.

In The

Fifteenth Court of Appeals

NO. 15-25-00220-CV

IN RE ROBERT EDWARD BATTAILE, Relator

ORIGINAL PROCEEDING
WRIT OF MANDAMUS
459th District Court
Travis County, Texas
Trial Court Cause No. D-1-GN-25-000719

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Relator Robert Edward Battaile has filed a petition in this Court seeking
writs of mandamus against various officials with the City of Manor, including the
mayor, secretary, and city manager, along with the chair of the City’s Charter
Review Commission. See Tex. R. App. P. 52.10. Specifically, Battaile seeks to
compel the respondents to comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA).
See Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.142 (authorizing actions by mandamus or injunction
“to stop, prevent, or reverse a violation or threatened violation” of TOMA).

Each court of appeals, including this Court, has authority to issue writs of
mandamus “against a judge of district, statutory county, statutory probate county,
or county court in the court of appeals district.” 1 Id. § 22.221(b) In addition, each
court of appeals may issue writs of mandamus “and all other writs necessary to
enforce the jurisdiction of the court.” Id. § 22.221(a). Here, Battaile has not
shown that the mandamus relief requested is necessary to enforce the jurisdiction
of this Court, and we are not authorized to issue writs of mandamus against the city
officials. Consequently, we lack jurisdiction to issue the writs of mandamus
requested by Battaile.

We dismiss relator’s petition for writ of mandamus for lack of jurisdiction.

PER CURIAM

Panel consists of Chief Justice Brister and Justices Field and Farris.

1
In addition, the original jurisdiction of this Court to issue writs “is limited to writs arising out of
matters over which the court has exclusive intermediate appellate jurisdiction under Section 22.220(d) [of
the Texas Government Code].” Tex. Gov’t Code § 22.221(c-1).
2