Opinion ID: 1575853
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Determination on the merits

Text: ¶ 16. Prior judgment must also be final and on the merits. Anderson v. LaVere, 895 So.2d 828, 833 (Miss.2004). See also Harrison, 891 So.2d at 232 (res judicata applies when a court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment on the merits, and res judicata precludes claims which were actually litigated in a previous action. (emphasis added)); Kremer v. Chem. Constr. Corp., 456 U.S. 461, 481 n. 22, 482, 102 S.Ct. 1883, 1898, 72 L.Ed.2d 262 (1982) (for res judicata to apply, there must have been a full and fair opportunity to litigate, and a state court may not grant preclusive effect to a judgment that violated the applicable requirements of the Due Process Clause). ¶ 17. A bankruptcy court's ruling on a proof of claim form has been held to be a final judgment. ( See Bank of Lafayette v. Baudoin, 981 F.2d 736, 742 (5th Cir.1993) (holding that bankruptcy court order resolving proof of claim was a final judgment)). ¶ 18. Pursuant to the United States Code: The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction to hear appeals ... from final judgments, orders, and decrees ... of bankruptcy judges entered in cases and proceedings referred to the bankruptcy judges under section 157 of this title. An appeal under this subsection shall be taken only to the district court for the judicial district in which the bankruptcy judge is serving. 28 U.S.C.A. § 158(a)(2005) (emphasis added). ¶ 19. The current version of Rule 8002 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure-which is in effect until December 1, 2009, and controlling in this case-requires that a notice of appeal in a bankruptcy proceeding be filed with the clerk within ten days of the date of the entry of the judgment, order, or decree appealed from. F.R.B.P. 8002(a). Although Carmichael's proof of claim was disallowed by the bankruptcy judge, an avenue was available to her for appeal. However, she did not file a notice of appeal from the dismissal of her claim within the time prescribed by the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure.