Revised Rules of Appellate Procedure - Comment Requested

REVISED

RULES OF APPELLATE

PROCEDURE



PROPOSED REVISIONS FOR

PUBLIC COMMENT



(COMMENTS ARE DUE BY JULY 19, 2010.)




[The Clerk's Comments are provided only to assist the reader
in evaluating the rules and do not constitute a substantive
component of the rules.]






Prepared by: Rory L. Perry II, Clerk of Court

Released: May 17, 2010

REVISED RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE
(PROPOSED REVISIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT)

AUTHORITY TO PROMULGATE RULES

The judicial branch of government, which is administered
by the Supreme Court of Appeals, is an independent branch
separate and distinct from the legislative and executive
branches. The West Virginia Constitution grants to the
Court broad authority to administer the judicial branch, and
specifically states: "The court shall have power to promulgate
rules for all cases and proceedings, civil and criminal, for all
of the courts of the State relating to writs, warrants, process,
practice and procedure, which shall have the force and effect
of law." W. Va. Const. Art. VIII § 4. The Legislature has
recognized this constitutional authority by enacting statutes
that defer to the Court's rules in several areas, including the
filing and processing of appeals, original jurisdiction
petitions, and certified questions. W. Va. Code §§ 58-5-3 and
58-5-6. Pursuant to this authority, the Court has
promulgated twenty-three sets of court rules on various
topics that are currently in active use in the courts of this
State.
Pursuant to a general order, all proposed court rules are
placed for public comment for a minimum of thirty days. At
the conclusion of the comment period, the Court will
carefully consider the comments received and may, in its
discretion, revise the proposed rules in light of the
comments, seek additional public comment, or approve the
rules for use in such manner as the Court may provide.

HISTORICAL NOTE

The first set of rules issued by the Court governed appellate
practice and procedure. Rules of Court, 1 W. Va. Reports
xiii-xviii (Jan. 21, 1864). Since that time, the Court's rules
governing appellate practice have been amended numerous
times, but no wide-ranging review has been made for over
thirty years.
The Revised Rules of Appellate Procedure placed for public
comment on May 17, 2010, constitute a comprehensive
revision of the rules in order to conform to modern practice,
which will continue to ensure that each properly filed appeal
is completely and carefully reviewed and results in a decision
on the merits.
i REVISED RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE
(PROPOSED REVISIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I. APPLICABILITY OF RULES .................................................................. 1

Rule 1. Scope of rules ............................................................................. 1

Rule 2. Suspension of rules ....................................................................2

PART II. ATTORNEYS AND UNREPRESENTED PARTIES .....................................3

Rule 3. Attorneys ....................................................................................3

Rule 4. Unrepresented parties................................................................4

PART III. APPEALS.........................................................................................6

Rule 5. Appeals from circuit court.........................................................6

Rule 6. Record on appeal ......................................................................9

Rule 7. Appendix record ...................................................................... 12

Rule 8. Alternative method—designated record ................................. 15

Rule 9. Transcripts................................................................................ 17

Rule 10. Briefs...................................................................................... 20

Rule 11. Abuse & neglect appeals..........................................................24

Rule 12. Workers' compensation appeals............................................ 28

Rule 13. Family court appeals............................................................. 30

Rule 14. Public service commission appeals ........................................32

Rule 15. Human rights com34

ART IV. ORIGINAL JURISDICTION AND CERTIFIED QUESTIONS .....................37
P
Rule 16. Original jurisdiction................................................................37

Rule 17. Certified questions ..................................................................43

PART V. ORAL ARGUMENT ...........................................................................46

Rule 18. Argument calendar ................................................................ 46

Rule 19. Oral argument........................................................................47

Rule 20. Oral argument ....................................................................... 49

PART VI. DISPOSITION OF CASES 52

Rule 21. Memorandum decisions ........................................................52

Rule 22. Opinions of the court..............................................................54

Rule 23. Interest on judgments ............................................................55

Rule 24. Costs .......................................................................................55

Rule 25. Petition for rehearing .............................................................57

Rule 26. Issuance of mandate; stay of mandate.................................. 58

Rule 27. Dismissal................................................................................ 60

PART VII. MOTIONS AND OTHER REQUESTS FOR RELIEF............................... 61

Rule 28. Stays....................................................................................... 61

Rule 29. Motions, expedited relief ...................................................... 64

Rule 30. Amicus curiae.........................................................................65

Rule 31. Motions to dismiss the appeal............................................... 68

Rule 32. Intervention........................................................................... 69

Rule 33. Disqualification of a Justice .................................................. 69

Rule 34. Post-conviction bail................................................................72

ii REVISED RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE
(PROPOSED REVISIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT)

PART VIII. DISCIPLINARY CASES..................................................................73

Rule 35. Docketing and filing in disciplinary cases.............................73

Rule 36. Consideration and disposition of disciplinary cases ............75

PART IX. GENERAL PROVISIONS 76

Rule 37. Service of papers.....................................................................76

Rule 38. General rule on form and filing of documents ...................... 77

Rule 39. Computation and extension of time.......................................81

Rule 40. Public access to case records and confidentiality................. 82

Rule 41. Substitution of parties ........................................................... 86

Rule 42. Media access..........................................................................87

Rule 43. Definitions and rules of construction ................................... 90

ADDITIONAL RULES THAT MUST BE AMENDED, IN LIGHT OF THE

REVISIONS TO THE RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE.................93

Rules of Civil Procedure .......................................................................93

Rules of Criminal Procedure ................................................................95

Rules of Procedure for Child Abuse and Neglect Proceedings ........... 98

Rules of Practice and Procedure for Family Courts ............................ 99


Appendix A—Notice of Appeal……………………………………….………………100

Appendix B—Workers' Compensation Appeal Docketing Statement… 105

iii REVISED RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE
(PROPOSED REVISIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT)

PART I. APPLICABILITY OF RULES

Rule 1. Scope of rules

(a) Scope of rules. These rules shall govern procedure: (1)
in appeals and certified questions from lower courts and
other tribunals to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West
Virginia; (2) in proceedings in the Supreme Court of Appeals
for review of orders of administrative agencies, boards,
commissions, and officers of the State of West Virginia; and
(3) in applications for writs or other relie