Source: http://alabamaappellatewatch.com/?m=200907
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 16:30:57+00:00

Document:
In Rhodes v. Rhodes, [Ms. 2070972] (Ala. Civ. App. July 24, 2009), the Court of Civil Appeals dismissed an appeal in part because the trial court never ruled on the Rule 60 motion from which review was sought. Rule 60 motions are not denied by operation of law after 90 days pursuant to Rule 59.1. Therefore, the motion was still pending and there was not a final order for purposes of appeal.
Posted in Appellate Jurisdiction, Rule 59.1, Rule 60(b)	| Tagged "Rule 59.1" "Rule 60(b)"
In J.J. v. J.B., [Ms. 208411] (Ala. Civ. App. July 24, 2009), the Court of Civil Appeals refused to dismiss an appeal even though the appeal was from an order dismissing the underlying dependency case "without prejudice." Although the Alabama Supreme Court has held that a dismissal "without prejudice" will not support an appeal if the trial court did not address the merits of the case in its order, see Palugi v. Dow, 659 So. 2d 112 (Ala. 1995), that rule does not apply if the order actually decides the issue before the court. Here, the trial court dismissed the underlying action without prejudice because the trial court found that the case was moot. The finding of mootness conclusively decided the issue before the trial court and, therefore, the order would support an appeal. The Court of Civil Appeals ultimately reversed he dismissal.
Posted in Appellate Jurisdiction, without prejudice	| Tagged "without prejudice"
In South Alabama Skills Training Consortium v. Ford, [Ms. 2080068] (Ala. Civ. App. July 24, 2009), the Court of Civil Appeals dismissed an appeal as being from a void judgment because the trial court’s jurisdiction on a review of a decision of an administrative law judge was limited by certiorari review, and the trial court did not have jurisdiction to go beyond the appellate court’s mandate after remand.
In Cockerell v. Cockerell, [Ms. 2070793] (Ala. Civ. App. July 24, 2009), the Court of Civil Appeals affirmed a divorce judgment in part because the husband failed to put a record of the oral testimony in the record. Because the appellate courts will not presume error, the Court of Civil Appeals found that it was "conclusively presumed that the testimony [was] sufficient to support the error."
Posted in Ala. R. App. P. 10(d), ore tenus, Preservation of Error and Waiver, Record	| Tagged "Ala. R. App. P. 10(d)" "ore tenus"
There will be an open seat on the Alabama Supreme Court for the 2010 election. Justice Patti Smith has decided not to seek re-election.
Justices Mike Bolin and Tom Parker have stated that they will seek re-election.
Click on the link to "Alabama Justice Patti Smith won’t run again" for a short article from the AP via al.com.
"[A]ppellate courts have limited power in reviewing a judgment of a trial court after the trial court hears evidence ore tenus. ‘However, where the question presented on appeal is whether the trial court correctly applied the law, the ore tenus rule has no application.’" Appellate courts review questions of law de novo, even in an ore tenus case. Holt v. Whitehurst, No. 2080131 (Ala. Civ. App. July 17, 2009).
In Holt, the trial court erred in entering a judgment for the father on the mother’s attempt to change the principal residence of the parties’ minor son because the trial court did not give the mother an opportunity to call witnesses at the ore tenus hearing. "Pursuant to the plain language of Rule 52 (c), the trial court could not have entered judgment against the mother until she was fully heard on the issue in question. Under the Act, the burden of proof is on the mother, as the relocating parent."
South Alabama Skills Training Consortium v. Ford et al.
Spottswood v. Reimer et al.
Well after the deadline had passed for filing post-judgment motions, the circuit court purported to grant a new motion to award the defendant attorney fees. This act was void for want of jurisdiction, and should have been vacated on the plaintiff’s motion. Palisades Collection, LLC v. Delaney, 2070532 (Ala. Civ. App. July 10, 2009).

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