Opinion ID: 1220147
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: As a threshold issue, the School District has urged dismissal of Rust's appeal for lack of jurisdiction on the grounds that the appeal is premature. My brethren have agreed and have denied Rust's appeal on that ground. I disagree. I would consider the appeal on its merits and I would reverse the district court's ruling in favor of the School District, and remand with instructions to enter a judgment in favor of Rust. The district court heard the case on January 11, 1985 and pronounced judgment in the School District's favor on that date. At the time the district court pronounced and entered judgment on January 11th, the court stated that it would not file a written decision. Rust filed his Notice of Appeal on January 16, 1985. Later, the district court entered a written judgment on March 6, 1985. That Order of March 6th expressly reflected the district court's earlier pronouncement and judgment of January 11, 1985. It is true that counsel for Rust should have filed a second Notice of Appeal after the district court filed its written judgment on March 6th, NRAP 3A(b)(1), because Rust's Notice of Appeal filed on January 16th was technically premature. The federal courts under similar rules of procedure have treated this type of premature filing as a technical defect and not one affecting the substantial rights of the parties. See Hodge v. Hodge, 507 F.2d 87, 89 (3rd Cir.1975); Ruby v. Secretary of United States Navy, 365 F.2d 385, 389 (9th Cir.1966), cert. denied, 386 U.S. 1011, 87 S.Ct. 1358, 18 L.Ed.2d 442 (1967). [1] As Judge Van Dusen said in Hodge: Notice of appeal to the court of appeals was filed in the district court on March 11, 1974. Judge Hoffman's written order was filed March 14, 1974. The appeal was thus premature. See Moore, Federal Practice, Para. 204.14 at 981-82 (2d ed. 1973). So long as the order is an appealable one and the nonappealing party is not prejudiced by the prematurity, however, the court of appeals should proceed to decide the case on the merits, rather than dismiss on the basis of such a technicality. Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 181, 83 S.Ct. 227 [229], 9 L.Ed.2d 222 (1962); Hamilton v. Stillwell Van and Storage Co., 343 F.2d 453 (3d Cir.1965). In Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 181-182, 83 S.Ct. 227, 230, 9 L.Ed.2d 222 (1962), Justice Goldberg, speaking for the U.S. Supreme Court, It is too late in the day and entirely contrary to the spirit of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for decisions on the merits to be avoided on the basis of such mere technicalities. The Federal Rules reject the approach that pleading is a game of skill in which one misstep by counsel may be decisive to the outcome and accept the principle that the purpose of pleading is to facilitate a proper decision on the merits. Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 48 [78 S.Ct. 99, 103, 2 L.Ed.2d 80]. The Rules themselves provide that they are to be construed to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action. Rule 1. Our own Nevada Rules of Appellate Procedure also provide: (c) Construction of Rules. These rules shall be liberally construed to secure the proper and efficient administration of the business and affairs of the court and to promote and facilitate the administration of justice by the court. Rule 1. For these reasons I disagree with the majority in denying Rust's appeal on the issue of jurisdiction. There has been no showing of prejudice to the School District by Rust's premature filing of his Notice of Appeal. There is not a scintilla of prejudice present in the instant case resulting from the premature filing of Rust's Notice of Appeal. The prematurity of the Notice of Appeal is a technical defect which does not affect the substantial rights of the parties. I would therefore give Rust his day in court. I would consider the case on its merits.