Depositions Denied by Mandamus

The court of appeals has granted mandamus relief in a pair of cases challenging the decisions of trial courts in Dallas and Collin Counties that had granted pre-suit depositions under Rule 202. Reiterating that Rule 202 depositions are not intended for routine use, the court held that the trial courts had abused their discretion because the movants had not presented any evidence that the likely benefit of the depositions outweighed their burden or expense. Although the movant had filed verified petitions as required by Rule 202, those pleadings could not justify the pre-suit depositions because the movant had not sought to admit the verified pleadings at the Rule 202 hearings. Finding that the order granting the depositions was not subject to an ordinary appeal, the court conditionally granted mandamus to vacate the lower courts’ orders.

In re Campo, No. 05-13-00477-CV

In re Doak, No. 05-13-00538-CV