Opinion ID: 2581259
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: when an appeal is misfiled in the court of appeals, transfer rather than dismissal is the appropriate disposition

Text: {14} Although we conclude that the Court of Appeals erroneously construed these cases as appeals from habeas corpus proceedings, and consequently erred in transferring the cases to this Court, we recognize the difficult task that the Court of Appeals often faces when confronted with a case filed as a direct appeal from post-conviction proceedings that may or may not be properly construed as a habeas corpus proceeding. We also recognize the valuable role the Court of Appeals plays in carefully screening such cases to determine where appellate jurisdiction lies. See Smith v. City of Santa Fe, 2007-NMSC-055, ¶ 10, ___ 142 N.M. 786, 171 P.3d 300 (Indeed, it is incumbent upon the appellate court to raise jurisdiction questions sua sponte when the Court notices them.); see also Rice v. Gonzales, 79 N.M. 377, 378, 444 P.2d 288, 289 (1968); Mimbres Valley Irrigation Co. v. Salopek, 2006-NMCA-093, ¶ 9, 140 N.M. 168, 140 P.3d 1117. We note that in Peppers, the Court of Appeals appeared to endorse the approach of dismissing cases that the Court of Appeals construes to be more properly reviewed within the framework of a habeas corpus proceeding. 110 N.M. at 398, 796 P.2d at 619 (declining to transfer habeas issues raised in Court of Appeals because Section 34-5-10 only authorizes the transfer of appeals and does not mention Rule 12-501 petitions, and because, as a practical matter, the defendant can still seek review in the Supreme Court by filing a petition for writ of certiorari seeking review of the Court of Appeals' decision). We therefore take this opportunity to clarify the appropriate method for disposing of misfiled appeals from district court habeas corpus proceedings and endorse the Court of Appeals' current practice of transferring such cases directly to this Court. {15} From a case processing standpoint, we note that it may be more efficient for the Court of Appeals to dismiss rather than transfer a case because, when transferred, our Clerk of Court must ensure that the documents transferred to this Court conform to the requirements of Rule 12-501 and, if not, take steps to require the filing of conforming documents. But from the standpoint of hearing cases on their merits, we believe it is more desirable for the Court of Appeals to transfer true habeas cases to this Court because, otherwise, it is unlikely that a timely petition could be filed in this Court after the Court of Appeals dismisses a habeas case incorrectly appealed to that Court. Although Peppers suggested that the litigant could still seek review from this Court by filing a petition for writ of certiorari to the Court of Appeals, such a review by this Court would be limited to whether the Court of Appeals made the correct jurisdictional determination. If it did, then this Court would not reach the merits of the litigant's habeas claim. In light of the foregoing considerations, and given that determining the correct procedure to follow can be difficult for attorneys and pro se litigants alike, we encourage the Court of Appeals to continue the practice of transferring true habeas cases to this Court to ensure that the merits of the litigant's habeas claim can be heard in properly transferred cases. Of course, for the reasons stated above, these cases were not misfiled, and therefore should not have been transferred.