Not-so restricted appeal

The restricted appeal – a unique feature of Texas civil procedure – allows an appeal for up to six months after judgment, so long as the appellant did not participate in the proceedings below and appellate review is limited to matters shown on the face of the court record. These proceedings usually involve belated challenges to default judgments, focusing on technical issues such as the language used in the return of service, compliance with the specific requirements of a statute about service, etc. The unusual restricted appeal in Ex parte Fallis – a substantive challenge by DPS to an expungement order – reminds that this procedural device can also be used to raise legal and factual sufficiency challenges. No. 05-18-00348-CV (Jan. 29, 2019) (mem. op.)