Opinion ID: 289589
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Need for a Transcript.

Text: 22 There can never be effective appellate review if the reviewing court is not able to obtain a clear picture of the precise nature of the alleged errors in the court below. At the same time in an adversary system — and especially in civil cases — we must rely on counsel to weed out extraneous matter and present only the relevant portions of the proceedings below on appeal. The detail in which the proceedings below must be recounted varies, of course, with the nature of the case and the claims on appeal. The rules of the DCCA, as do the rules of all appellate courts, allow some flexibility in this regard. According to Rule 26, an agreed statement on appeal can be utilized whenever the questions presented by an appeal can be determined without an examination of all the pleadings, evidence and proceedings in the trial court. 14 In the usual case a statement of proceedings and evidence must be presented on appeal. This document must include such portion of the proceedings and evidence as is necessary fully and clearly to present the rulings of the trial court in which error is claimed. 15 The rule explicitly requires the appellant to include the complete charge of the judge to the jury whenever any part of that charge is challenged. 23 The DCCA has repeatedly emphasized in its decisions as well as in its rules that in some instances at least a detailed record of the proceedings below is essential if the reviewing court is to be able to perform its assigned tasks. The appellant bears the burden of providing a record which will amply illustrate all of the alleged errors which he wishes to press upon the reviewing court. The DCCA's predecessor, in Brown v. Plant, dismissed an indigent's appeal, holding that adequate review of the case was impossible without a transcript. The court said: 16 24    We have repeatedly held that in order for this court to pass upon the alleged errors of law, a proper record must be presented and this responsbility cannot be shifted to either the trial court or this court. 25 It is clear, of course, that in some cases almost no record of the proceedings below will be required. If, for example, the only issue on appeal is the proper construction of a statute in light of the facts as stipulated by the parties and found by the trial court, we would not need to have a complete statement of all the lower court proceedings. But procedures adequate for one case will be found lacking under other circumstances. Often the result on appeal will depend on a precise analysis of the testimony presented at trial. 17 This is especially so when we are asked to judge the sufficiency of the evidence. 26 There are, then, two alternatives. The appellate court can be presented with either a transcript or a statement of evidence based on the notes of counsel and the court. Such notes, however, are not inherently reliable, no matter how complete they may appear. 18 In addition, reconstructions of the events from such notes cannot convey subtle nuances of meaning which may be very important in the analysis of the available testimony. We have already recognized in a criminal appeal that this substitute for a transcript will in many cases prove to be inadequate. 19 We conclude, therefore, that in some civil cases as well a verbatim transcript of the portions of the trial alleged to contain error will be required if the appellant is to receive a full measure of justice. In some cases there simply can be no effective substitute for the transcript of all or part of the actual proceedings in the trial court. 27 Unfortunately, many litigants, in civil as well as criminal cases, who attempt to attack the proceedings below in some detail are unable to afford the transcript which is necessary for their appeal. Therefore, we cannot escape the conclusion that those who are able to purchase transcripts on appeal will, in some cases, receive a more meaningful review of the actions of the court below than will those who cannot afford it. The question arises whether this discrimination based on the civil litigant's ability to pay affronts the concept of equal protection in the constitutional sense. While we do not have occasion to decide that issue in the context of this litigation, we feel it important to illuminate the obvious constitutional difficulties in order to lay a groundwork for the proper construction of the federal and municipal statutes involved in this case.