Texas Court Reporters Certification Board v. Esquire Deposition Services

The Texas Court Reporters Certification Board (the "Board") set a hearing on a disciplinary complaint against Esquire Deposition Services, L.L.C. ("Esquire") alleging that Esquire provided court reporting services during a December 2003 deposition pursuant to a long-term volume discount arrangement that violated statutes and rules governing Texas court reporting firms. Esquire sued the Board and its director, Michele Henricks, alleging that the Board lacked statutory authority to regulate or prohibit "long term discounts in contracts by court reporters and court reporting firms" and seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. The Board and Henricks filed a plea to the jurisdiction, which the district court denied. The Board appeals the district courts order denying its plea to the jurisdiction. See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. § 51.014(8) (West Supp. 2006). We reverse the district courts order and dismiss Esquires suit for want of jurisdiction.