At the Oct. 6 jury-docket call, Judge Amy Clark Meacham assigned a long-running, multi-party construction/contract dispute — involving parties including Capital Iron Works, Gonzales Iron Works and Mission Plastering — to Judge Mangrum for a December 8 trial date.
Meacham said the case had a “challenging relationship” with the docket and multiple prior appearances; she explained she had asked Judge Mangrum whether she would take the matter as a “project assignment” to produce a single judge who would move the case toward resolution. Counsel for several parties, including Andrew Hutton and Alan Mena, told the court they had no objection and would be prepared for the December setting.
The judge said Judge Mangrum’s staff and court administration had been contacted and that the assignment would be reflected in an official letter; she advised counsel that they likely did not need to file additional notices. Meacham told the parties the December assignment was intended to reduce further piecemeal transfers and repeated docket calls.
Meacham cautioned that the assigned judge’s availability would determine reporting and pretrial logistics and that court administration would follow up with details. Counsel were excused after the court confirmed the December 8 trial assignment.