PRESIDIO COUNTY — After The Big Bend Sentinel went to press last Thursday, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in El Paso granted a stay in the Brite Ranch trial on a motion by Jim and Cuatro White. They had filed a petition for a writ of mandamus to clarify with legal certainty the parties — possibly including Mac and Beau White’s adopted son Geoff Connor — that were set to head to trial on August 18. The seven-year legal battle pit Jim and Cuatro and other members of their family against fellow trustee siblings Mac and Beau, the latter suing over what they claim to be a breach of fiduciary duties by Jim and Cuatro for not distributing suitable revenue to the trustees that own the sprawling 65,000-acre ranch in Presidio County.
When Beau White died on June 23, Connor modified Beau’s individual trust to make him a successor trustee, which Jim and Cuatro objected to, stating that Hester Ann White actually was the successor. At question is whether Connor is now a plaintiff in the case.
The appeals ruling states that parties have until August 29 to address the petition for the writ. It’s uncertain how quickly District Judge Tryon Lewis will rule on various motions impacting Connor’s role, but it’s almost certain the trial set for August 18 will not happen. For more background on the case, see bigbendsentinel.com/brite.