Sultan v. Mathew

in which Justice O’NEILL, Justice GREEN, Justice JOHNSON, Justice SIMMONS1 *748(assigned) and Justice GAULTNEY2 (assigned) join.

In this case we determine whether courts of appeals have jurisdiction to hear appeals from judgments of county courts or county courts at law following a de novo appeal from a small claims court. The Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2 rendered a default judgment against Yusuf Sultan (“Sultan”) d/b/a U.S. Carpet and Floors after Sultan failed to appear for trial. Sultan appealed to the Fourteenth Court of Appeals, which dismissed Sultan’s appeal for want of…