Opinion ID: 2099712
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Remands

Text: As a general rule, once a notice of appeal had been filed, the trial court loses the power to take any substantive action with respect to the order or judgment on appeal. [9] Once appealed, the case is said to be in this court and in that circumstance, a trial judge may not, for example, grant a motion for new trial. Smith v. Pollin, 90 U.S.App. D.C. 178, 194 F.2d 349 (1952). [10] If a criminal case is in this court, the trial court may not vacate, amend, or reduce a sentence. [11] If, however, the trial court has indicated a willingness to modify a sentence, the proper course is the one taken here, i.e., one of the parties, ordinarily the defendant, should move this court for a remand. See Smith, supra, 90 U.S.App. D.C. at 178-79, 194 F.2d at 349-50. There are two kinds of remand, a record remand and a case remand. In a record remand, this court retains jurisdiction over the case, i.e., jurisdiction over the case remains with this court, but the record is returned to the trial court. In those circumstances, the trial court may be directed to clarify or amplify some portion of the record, to make additional findings, to hear further testimony, or to explain a ruling. The point of such a remand is to give the trial judge the opportunity to complete or clarify the record so that this court will have an adequate basis for review of the trial court's rulings. [12] The trial court does not, however, have the authority to amend the ruling that is on appeal. Once the trial court has taken the action directed by this court in the remand order, it may set forth its response to our inquiry or issue supplemental findings and conclusions of law. The record is then returned to this court for decision, together with any supplemental record material generated on remand, which is designated by the parties for inclusion. No new notice of appeal is required. In sum, in a record remand, this court retains jurisdiction over the case, and the trial court may take no action, with respect to the case, other than that specified in the record remand order. A case remand, on the other hand, returns the case to the trial court for all purposes. This court retains no jurisdiction over the case and the appeal is terminated. If, after a case remand, a party is dissatisfied with the action of the trial court, the only course available to obtain review in this court, is to file a new notice of appeal, once a final order or judgment is entered. D.C. Code § 11-721 (1995 Repl.). That appeal is a new appeal, separate from the previous appeal that was terminated when the case was remanded. The means for effecting a case remand is the issuance of the mandate by this court to the trial court. D.C. App. R. 41(a)(1995). It is the mandate that transfers jurisdiction from this court back to the trial court. Pyramid Nat'l Van Lines v. Goetze, 66 A.2d 693, 694 (D.C.1949). In the ordinary case the mandate is issued twenty-one days after entry of judgment, [13] however, the court can specify a shorter or longer period.