Opinion ID: 2572603
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: A.R. 12(b), (c).

Text: The State failed to comply with the above-described procedures and never sought permission to appeal from the magistrate's interlocutory order. The record on appeal then does not contain a motion for permission to appeal from either the magistrate or the district court, as required by Rule 12 governing permissive appeals. See State v. McCarthy, 133 Idaho 119, 982 P.2d 954 (Ct.App.1999). An appeal should not be dismissed automatically in every instance where the rules have not been strictly followed, however, a dismissal for non-compliance with the rules of appellate procedure is discretionary. Bernard v. Roby, 112 Idaho 583, 733 P.2d 804 (Ct.App.1987). The district court, citing McCarthy, supra, concluded that the decision whether to allow the appeal to proceed as a permissive appeal was a discretionary matter and that a motion seeking permission to appeal was not jurisdictional, as provided by I.A.R. 21. [1] See id. at 123, 982 P.2d at 958. The district court exercised its discretion in Maynard's case and held that the State's failure to obtain permission from the trial court and the appellate court, in violation of I.A.R. 12, was not fatal to the pursuit of the appeal. The district court relied upon two cases where the Supreme Court disregarded the appellant's noncompliance with I.A.R. 12: North Pacific Ins. Co. v. Mai, 130 Idaho 251, 939 P.2d 570 (1997) and Kindred v. Amalgamated Sugar Co., 118 Idaho 147, 795 P.2d 309 (1990). In North Pacific, the Court held: Under these circumstances, and because the trial court's decision involves a controlling question of law as to which there is substantial grounds for difference of opinion and because an immediate appeal may materially advance the orderly resolution of the litigation, we will consider and treat this appeal as an appeal by permission under I.A.R. 12. Kindred v. Amalgamated Sugar Co., 118 Idaho 147, 149, 795 P.2d 309, 311 (1990). North Pacific Ins. Co., 130 Idaho at 253, 939 P.2d at 572. The Court in Kindred stated: Generally, an appeal under I.A.R. 12 will be permitted when the order involves a controlling question of law as to which there is substantial grounds for difference of opinion and that an immediate appeal may materially advance the orderly resolution of the litigation. Budell v. Todd, 105 Idaho 2, 665 P.2d 701 (1983). Contrary to this case, the respondents in neither of those cases had challenged the appealability of the orders sought to be reviewed; and the Supreme Court only identified the procedural defect at the time of or after oral argument. In his brief presented to the district court on appeal, Maynard argued that the order imposing a discovery sanction is not an order from which an appeal may be taken pursuant to the criminal rules or the appellate rules and that the State did not pursue a permissive appeal in accordance with I.A.R.12. The district court erred because it failed to consider whether substantial legal issues of great public interest or legal questions of first impression are involved. Such error was harmless, however, because both are involved here.