Opinion ID: 628992
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Does this Court have jurisdiction to consider the appeal?

Text: 9 Following the district court's denial of Christy's motion for a new trial based upon newly discovered evidence, he was left with two options. First, if he had moved for reconsideration before filing his notice of appeal, the district court would have been required to rule upon the motion. If the motion were denied, under Healy, Dieter, and Ibarra (see footnote 1, supra) Christy would then have had ten days in which to file a notice of appeal. Christy's second option was to forgo a motion for reconsideration and proceed directly with his appeal. 10 We conclude that Christy chose the second course of action, albeit unwittingly. When the September 11, 1992, notice of appeal was filed, there were no pending motions before the district court. Because the district court's judgment was final, when the notice of appeal was filed it divested the district court of its jurisdiction over the case and conferred jurisdiction upon this Court. 2 See Griggs v. Provident Consumer Discount Co., 459 U.S. 56, 58, 103 S.Ct. 400, 402, 74 L.Ed.2d 225 (1982) ([It is] generally understood that a federal district court and a federal court of appeals should not attempt to assert jurisdiction over a case simultaneously. The filing of a notice of appeal is an event of jurisdictional significance--it confers jurisdiction on the court of appeals and divests the district court of its control over those aspects of the case involved in the appeal.) (citations omitted); United States v. Perate, 719 F.2d 706, 711 (4th Cir.1983) (filing of notice of appeal terminated the district court's jurisdiction over the case); cf. United States v. Ball, 734 F.2d 965, 965 n. 1 (4th Cir.1984) (district court is without jurisdiction to consider motions submitted after the appeal was filed), vacated on other grounds, 470 U.S. 856, 105 S.Ct. 1668, 84 L.Ed.2d 740 (1985). 11