Daniel Curtis v. Hon. Dan Gibbs Et Al‪.‬

In this original mandamus proceeding, we are called upon to settle a jurisdictional conflict between the 202nd District Court of Bowie County and the Third Domestic Relations Court of Dallas County. The conflict arises from a child custody dispute between the parents of Shawn Danelle Curtis and Shanna Michelle Curtis, ages 8 and 7, respectively. For simplification, the Relator, Daniel Curtis, the childrens father, will be referred to as "the father," and the respondent, Jerri Curtis Spencer, as "the mother." The 202nd District Court of Bowie County will be called "the Bowie court," and the Third Domestic Relations Court of Dallas County will be called "the Dallas court." The judge of the Dallas court, the Honorable Dan Gibbs, is the principal respondent herein.