No. 05-02-01683-CV

§ 

In the Court of Appeals

Fifth District of Texas at Dallas

 

UDO BIRNBAUM

Defendant, Counter-claimant, Third Party Plaintiff - Appellant

 

v.

 

THE LAW OFFICES OF G. DAVID WESTFALL, P.C.

Plaintiff, Counter Defendant - Appellee

 

G. DAVID WESTFALL

Third Party Defendant, Sanction Movant - Appellee

 

CHRISTINA WESTFALL

Third Party Defendant, Sanction Movant - Appellee

 

STEFANI PODVIN

Third Party Defendant, Sanction Movant - Appellee

 

 

Appeal from the 294th Judicial

 District Court of Van Zandt County, Texas

The Honorable Paul Banner, by assignment

Trial cause no. 00-00619

 

------------------------------

APPELLANT'S REPLY BRIEF

                     ------------------------------   

                                                                                                                  

OTHER SEPARATE DOCUMENTS:         

Civil Appendix is bound separately                         UDO BIRNBAUM

Trial Closing Argument (transcription)          PRO SE

"Frivolous Lawsuit" Sanction Hearing                    540 VZ CR 2916

(see Index page 4)                                                 Eustace, TX 75124

(903) 479-3929

 

Appellant Birnbaum petitions for ORAL ARGUMENT to detail

 the abuse of the judicial system upon him as shown within

 

IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL

 

 

The Law Offices of G. David Westfall, P.C.           Frank C. Fleming[1]

Plaintiff, Counter-defendant                               PMB 305, 6611 Hillcrest Ave.

                                                                             Dallas, Texas 75205-1301

                                                                             (214) 373-1234

                                                                             (214) 373-3232 (fax)

 

 

Udo Birnbaum                                                       Udo Birnbaum, pro se

Defendant, Counter-claimant,                            540 VZ 2916

Third party plaintiff                                           Eustace, Texas 75124

(903) 479-3929

(903) 479-3929 fax

 

 

G. David Westfall[2]                                                 Frank C. Fleming

Third party defendant

 

 

Stefani Podvin[3]                                                      Frank C. Fleming

Third party defendant

 

 

Christina Westfall[4]                                                 Frank C. Fleming

Third party defendant

 

 

Hon. Paul Banner[5]

     Trial Judge


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

(a) Identity of Parties and Counsel  ……………………………………………  2

 

(b) Table of Contents  ………………………………….………………………  3

 

(c) Index of Authorities  ………………………….……………………………  5

 

(d) Statement of the Case  (in response to Appellees' Brief)  …………………….  6

For reference only. Issues that were in original Appellant's Brief:                                

The nature of the case 

Course of proceedings 

The trial court's disposition of the Case

 

(e) Issues Presented (NOTE: Appellee's released lots of RABBITS [6] )  ….…….  8 

1.  WHETHER the $59,280.66 judgment is unlawful

2.  WHETHER defendant Birnbaum had a right to a court-appointed Auditor

3.  WHETHER the "RICO relief" summary judgment is also unlawful

4.  WHETHER the $62,255.00 "sanction" judgment is also unlawful

5.  WHETHER the trial judge should have been recused from the case

6.  WHETHER there was fraud, fraud, and more fraud

7.  WHETHER due process demands a new trial

8.  RULE 296 PRECLUDES FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW IN A JURY TRIAL (NEW APPELLEE'S ISSUE)

 

(f) Statement of Facts (in response to Appellees' Brief)  …………………… 9

          For reference only. Issues that were in original Appellant's Brief:

Westfall ("The Law Office") had no case!

Westfall's "legal services had NO WORTH because of judicial immunity 

Auditor under RCP Rule 172 was never appointed 

Obstruction of discovery 

Unlawful summary judgment 

Fraud in submission of jury issues 

The trial 

Sanction judgment 

Post judgments motions in the trial court

 

 

 

(g) Summary of the REPLY Argument  …………………………..………..  13

          APPELLEES WANT THIS COURT TO BELIEVE THAT "BIRNBAUM NOW SEEKS REVERSAL BASED UPON A LACK OF EVIDENCE ARGUMENT", AND THAT BY PROVIDING ONLY A PARTIAL REPORTER'S RECORD, "BIRNBAUM HAS WAIVED ANY AND ALL ISSUES PRESENTED ON APPEAL."

          APPELLANT BIRNBAUM IS NOT APPEALING ON A "LACK OF EVIDENCE ARGUMENT", BUT ON DUE PROCESS AND LAWLESSNESS ISSUES.

          IF AN AMERICAN CAN BE DEPRIVED OF HIS RIGHT TO APPEAL UPON THE ISSUE OF HAVING BEEN ROBBED OF HIS RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS AND TO BE FREE FROM LAWLESSNESS IN A COURT OF LAW, SIMPLY BECAUSE HE ONLY FILED A "PARTIAL REPORTER'S RECORD", GOD HELP US ALL.

 

(h) Argument (Reply. See footnote 6 on "RABBITS" )    ……………….……..  15

1.  The $59,280.66 judgment is unlawful  ………………….…………….  15

2.  Defendant Birnbaum had a statutory Right to a court-appointed Auditor .. 17

3.  The "RICO Relief" summary judgment is also unlawful  ……………..  19

4.  The $62,255.00 "sanction" judgment is also unlawful  ………………..  20

5.  The trial judge should have been recused from the case  …………...…  23

6.  Fraud, fraud, and more fraud  ………………………………………….  24

7.  Due process demands a new trial  …………………...………………...  25

     8.  Rule 296 precludes findings of fact and conclusions of law in a jury trial   28

          Conclusions …………………………………………..………………….   29

(i) Prayer  ……………………………………………………………………..  31

          The trial judge's last words in the case  ………………………………..  33

 

(j) Civil Appendix (separately bound document) 

 

OTHER SEPARATE DOCUMENTS

 CLOSING ARGUMENTS from the jury trial of April 11, 2002

D. Keith Johnson, RDR, CRR  (provided directly to this Appeals Court)

 

EXCERPT FROM [SANCTION] HEARING held 7-30-02

          Barbara J. Roberson (provided directly to this Appeals Court)

 

CLERK'S RECORD (Volume 1 and Volume 2)

 


INDEX OF AUTHORITIES

 

Estee Lauder, Inc. v. Harco Graphics, Inc.,

D.C.N.Y.1983, 558 F.Supp.83   ………………………………….………..  20

 

Milligan v. R&S Mechanical, NO. 05-87-01341-CV,

Court of Appeals, Fifth District of Texas, Aug. 11, 1998   ………………..  17

 

Rotella v. Wood et al., 528 U.S. 549 (2000)   ………………………………  31 

 

United Mine Workers v. Bagwell, 512 U.S. 821 (1994)   ………………..…  22    

..

Villiers v. Republic Financial Services, Inc., 602 S.W.2d 566, etc.  ……….…..  18

 

Westfall Family Farms, Inc. v. King Ranch, Inc.,

852 S.W.2d 587 (1993)   ………………………………..…………..……..  21 

 

Wilcox Development Co. v. First Interstate Bank of Oregon,

N.A., D.C.Or.1983, 97 F.R.D. 440   …………………………….…..…….  20 

 

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, No. 73,986 (June 5, 2002)   ………...…  22

 

18 U.S.C. § 1964(c) ("civil RICO")   ………… See Appellant's Brief 

 
STATEMENT OF THE CASE

 

A pattern of flagrant abuse of the judicial system

Introductory Note: This is really a very simple case once one recognizes the pattern of FRAUD from start to finish, intrinsic and extrinsic, turning into retaliation by official oppression and unlawful judgments against pro se Birnbaum for having made a civil racketeering ("civil RICO") defense against a fraudulent suit by lawyers.

 

      Birnbaum stands by the "Statement of the case" in his Appellant's Brief.  In reply to Frank C. Fleming's  "Statement of Facts", Birnbaum shows the following:

 

Frank Fleming claims that "Birnbaum filed a counterclaim against the Law Office and third-party claims against G. David Westfall ("D. Westfall"), Christina Westfall ("C. Westfall"), and Stefani Podvin ("Podvin"), for fraud and violation of the federal civil RICO law, among other allegations.  (Appellees' page 8 line 4)

NOT TRUE.  Birnbaum made the following claims:  (

·        Law Office:     Texas DTPA and FRAUD

·        D. Westfall:     Texas DTPA and FRAUD

·        D. Westfall, C. Westfall, and Podvin ("The Westfalls"):  CROSS and third party claims under civil RICO. (same "enterprise", "scheme", etc. but different damages. Holding them responsible for the "Law Office".)

 See Appellant's Brief page 6 for details).

                  

Frank Fleming states "Christina Westfall was David Westfall's wife. Stefani Podvin was David Westfall's daughter"

MISLEADING AND NOT THE WHOLE TRUTH:

·        C. Westfall was D. Westfall's longtime bookkeeper at the "Law Office"

·        Podvin was D. Westfall's attorney daughter, OWNER of the Law Office, and as such had appointed D. Westfall TEN YEARS IN A ROW, as the ONLY OFFICER ("director") of the "Law Office".

 

My civil RICO claim alleged that C. Westfall and Podving were FACILITATORS ("principals") to the "pattern of racketeering activity"

See Appellant's Brief as to how to find my pleadings and evidence, particularly my summary judgment Appendix (CR 213-228). Also see Clerk's Record 282-316  and the Affidavits therein. Also D. Westfall having been sanctioned by federal judge Jorge Solis for abuse of the judicial system. (CR  300-306)

 

        Fleming states "A jury ruled in favor of the Law Firm and against Birnbaum for unpaid legal fees" (Appellees' page 8 line 11)

        NOT TRUE. The jury ruled on "damages" for "failure to abide" by an "agreement". See the issues in these briefs.

 

        Fleming states "Following the trial, D. Westfall, C. Westfall, and Podvin filed Motions for Sanctions against Birnbaum for frivolous lawsuit in Birnbaum's counter-claim. Sanctions were awarded to both C. Westfall and to Podvin." 

          MISLEADING AND INCOMPLETE:   D. Westfall, C. Westfall, and Podvin had long ago been removed from the case by summary judgment. See the issues in these briefs. Also, the "American Rule" does not allow for attorney fees for having been granted "summary judgment".

 

Trial Court disposition:

          Apparently Appellees are at this time trying to make Judge Banner make findings of facts and conclusions of law regarding the $62,255.00 "frivolous lawsuit" sanctions against me. See footnote 4, Appellees' page 25.

          However there is nothing filed in the court that I know of, and I certainly have not been served with any documents to that effect.

 


ISSUES PRESENTED

 

1.       WHETHER THE $59,280.66 JUDGMENT IS UNLAWFUL

It does not conform to the pleadings and the verdict

 

2.       WHETHER DEFENDANT BIRNBAUM HAD A RIGHT TO A COURT