Source: https://raymondpward.typepad.com/la-appellate/page/2/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 10:31:06+00:00

Document:
Did Led Zeppelin plagiarize another song in writing “Stairway to Heaven”? A while back, a federal jury in California jury found that they didn’t. Last Friday, the Ninth Circuit reversed and remanded for a new trial. Skidmore v. Led Zeppelin, No. 16-56057 (9th Cir. Sept. 28, 2018). The dispute arose because of similarities between “Stairway to Heaven” and the song “Taurus,” written by Randy Wolfe and performed by Spirit. I haven’t read the decision yet and probably won’t comment on it here, but I thought I’d share it here for any music lovers and guitar players who may be interested.
A recent addition to my office decor: my own Justice Ginsberg action figure.
This item isn’t sold in stores. To get yours, follow this link.
In my last post, I talked about the jurisdictional statement in an appellant’s brief. Today, the topic is the jurisdictional statement in an application for a supervisory writ.
Jurisdictional statements in writ applications are governed by Uniform Rule 4-5(C)(2). This rule is not as detailed as Rule 2-12.4(A)(3), which governs jurisdictional statements in briefs. Rule 4-5(C)(2) just says that the writ application must include “a concise statement of the grounds on which the jurisdiction of the court is invoked ....” Still, by analogizing to Rule 2-12.4(A)(3), we can conclude that the jurisdictional statement in a writ application must accomplish at least one thing: it must prove that the court of appeal has supervisory jurisdiction to review the judgment at issue. This usually means proving (not just saying) hat the writ application is timely under Uniform Rule 4-3.
Now, timeliness of a writ application can get complicated because it is determined by two variables: (1) notice of judgment as determined by La. Code Civ. P. art. 1914, and (2) the return date set by the trial court for filing the writ application. For tips on navigating this sometimes tricky terrain, see A Writ in Time (51 La. Bar J. Feb./Mar. 2004). Generally, the writ application must be filed within the return date set by the trial court, and the return date set by the trial court must be no more than 30 days after notice of judgment as determined by Article 1914.
Establish the date that notice of judgment occurred under Article 1914.
Prove that the notice of intent was filed timely, that is, no more than 30 days after notice of judgment under Article 1914.
Establish the return date set by the trial court for filing the writ application.
State (truthfully!) that the writ application itself was filed within the return date set by the trial court.
Each of the above four things should be proved by a citation to a specific page in the appendix to the writ application. For example, if the ruling in open court constituted notice of judgment, your writ application should include the minute entry or hearing transcript reflecting the judge’s ruling in open court, and your jurisdictional statement should cite the pages in the appendix where the court can find that transcript page or minute entry. If the judge ordered the judgment to be reduced to writing, your writ application should include documentation of that order (usually a hearing transcript, sometimes a minute entry), and your jurisdictional statement should cite the page in the writ application’s appendix where that order can be found. Your jurisdictional statement should also include a citation to the pages in the appendix where the court of appeal can find the filed-stamped copy of your notice of intent to seek a supervisory writ and the trial court’s order setting the return date.
In short, the jurisdictional statement should include all information and all appendix citations that the court of appeal needs to conclude that the writ application was filed timely under Rule 4-3.
In Louisiana appellate practice, the appellant’s brief and the relator’s writ application must include a jurisdictional statement. To get this simple part of a brief or writ application right, you need to know the governing rules and—equally important—the purpose of the jurisdictional statement.
In both a brief and a writ application, the jurisdictional statement serves one and only one purpose: to prove (not just say) that the court of appeal has jurisdiction. Proof of jurisdiction is like proof of any other argument: it requires citation of legal authorities and assertion of facts supported by record citations (or, for a writ application, citations to specific pages in the appendix).
When citing the law supporting your right to appeal, be as specific as possible. If it’s a suspensive appeal, cite La. Code Civ. P. art. 2123. If it’s a devolutive appeal, cite La. Code Civ. P. art. 2087. If it’s an appeal from a preliminary injunction, cite La. Code Civ. P. art. 3612. If it’s an appeal from a city or parish court, cite La. Code Civ. P. art. 5001 and 5002. If it’s an appeal from an interlocutory judgment that’s appealable “as expressly provided by law,” cite the specific statute or code article that makes the judgment appealable.
Also, any assertion of a jurisdictionally significant date should be supported by a record citation. For example, if the notice of judgment triggers the appeal delay, cite the record volume and page where the notice of judgment can be found. And of course, cite the record volume and page where the motion for appeal and order granting the appeal can be found.
Sometimes, a timely motion for new trial interrupts the appeal delay. If so, your jurisdictional statement should refer to the timely filing of the motion for new trial and the date of the notice of judgment denying new trial, with supporting record citations.
In short, the jurisdictional statement should include all the facts (supported by record citations) and all the law needed to establish the court of appeal’s appellate jurisdiction.
That’s enough for one blog post. My next one will discuss the jurisdictional statement in an application for a supervisory writ.
For prior posts on this topic, see my posts of 12 July 2017 and 5 January 2013.
Let’s say you want to quote Bob Dylan’s lyrics in a brief. (You wouldn’t be the first.) If you do, you’ll want to get the citation form right. You could look it up in the Bluebook (19th ed., Rule 18.7.1) or your ALWD Guide to Legal Citation (5th ed., Rules 28.3–28.5). Or you could just imitate Judge Don Willett of the U.S. Fifth Circuit, who cited Notorious B.I.G. in footnote 8 of this recent opinion.
R.L. Burnside, Shake ’Em On Down, on Too Bad Jim (Fat Possum Records 1994).
If you’re writing for a law-review article—or if you want to be like Judge Willett, put the artist’s name and album name in large and small caps instead of italics.

References: v. 
 art. 1914
 art. 2123
 art. 2087
 art. 3612
 art. 5001