In Re Eric J. Mapes v. the State of Texas

Opinion filed August 7, 2025

In The

Eleventh Court of Appeals
__________

No. 11-25-00207-CR
__________

IN RE ERIC J. MAPES

Original Proceeding

MEMORANDUM OPINION
Relator, Eric J. Mapes, has filed a “motion” in this court requesting that we
issue an injunction against the State of Indiana. This original proceeding is related
to his attempt to challenge his 1999 conviction for sexual assault. See In re Mapes,
No. 11-25-00190-CR, 2025 WL 2097482, at *1 (Tex. App.—Eastland July 25, 2025,
orig. proceeding) (per curiam) (mem. op., not designated for publication). We
dismiss Relator’s petition for writ of injunction for want of jurisdiction.
This court’s authority to exercise original jurisdiction is limited. See TEX.
CONST. art. V, §§ 5, 6 (intermediate courts of appeals only have jurisdiction as
prescribed by law); TEX. GOV’T CODE ANN. § 22.221 (West Supp. 2024) (limited
writ powers granted to courts of appeals). An intermediate court of appeals “has no
original jurisdiction to grant writs of injunction, except to protect its jurisdiction over
the subject matter of a pending appeal, or to prevent an unlawful interference with
the enforcement of its judgments and decrees.” In re Smith, No. 10-03-00390-CV,
2004 WL 254079, at *1 (Tex. App.—Waco Feb. 11, 2004, orig. proceeding.) (mem.
op.) (quoting Ott v. Bell, 606 S.W.2d 955, 957 (Tex. App.—Waco 1980, no writ));
see also In re Mem’l Park Med. Ctr, Inc., No. 11-18-00320-CV, 2018 WL 6219607,
at *1 (Tex. App.—Eastland Nov. 29, 2018, orig. proceeding) (mem. op.). Relator
does not currently have a pending appeal in this court, nor is he seeking to prevent
the interference with a previous judgment of this court. Consequently, we lack
jurisdiction to issue a writ of injunction.
Accordingly, Relator’s petition is dismissed for want of jurisdiction. All
pending motions in this proceeding are denied or otherwise overruled.

PER CURIAM

August 7, 2025
Do not publish. See TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).
Panel consists of: Bailey, C.J.,
Trotter, J., and Williams, J.

2