Opinion ID: 1135389
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: Locatelli challenges this court's jurisdiction to hear an appeal from the district court's Order for Declaration of Mistrial, since an order declaring a mistrial is not generally appealable. See Esneault v. Waterman Steamship Corp., 449 F.2d 1296, 1297 (5th Cir.1971); In re Estate of Bartholomae, 261 Cal.App.2d 839, 68 Cal. Rptr. 332, 333-34 (1968); see also 15B Charles A. Wright, Arthur R. Miller & Edward H. Cooper, Federal Practice and Procedure § 3915.1 (1992) ([o]rders granting a mistrial ... are not final and therefore not appealable); 9 B.E. Witkin, California Procedure, Appeal § 87 (3rd ed. 1985) (order granting a mistrial is not appealable); 4 Cal.Jur.3d Appellate Review § 30 (1973) (an order granting a mistrial is not appealable, while an order granting a new trial is). An order declaring a mistrial and an order granting a new trial differ not only in their appealability but in their very nature. As stated in 58 Am.Jur.2d New Trial § 10 (2d ed. 1989): A mistrial and a new trial are not the same thing in name or in effect. Generally, a new trial contemplates that a case has been tried and a verdict or judgment rendered, and by motion set aside; a mistrial contemplates some error that prevents the jury from returning a verdict or the court from entering judgment. A mistrial is equivalent to no trial; it is a nugatory proceeding. A new trial, by contrast, proceeds upon the assumption that there has been a complete trial which for sufficient reasons has been set aside with a view to a trial of the issues de novo. Granting a mistrial is generally inappropriate after the jury returns a verdict, although such an action might be considered by an appellate court to be equivalent to an order setting aside the verdicts and ordering a new trial. (Footnotes omitted); see Vilander v. Hawkinson, 183 Kan. 214, 326 P.2d 273, 276 (1958); see also Long v. City of Opelika, 37 Ala.App. 200, 66 So.2d 126, 129, cert. denied, 259 Ala. 164, 66 So.2d 130 (1953); State v. Culbertson, 214 Kan. 884, 522 P.2d 391, 393 (1974); State v. Nelson, 65 N.M. 403, 338 P.2d 301, 308 (1959), cert. denied, Nelson v. New Mexico, 361 U.S. 877, 80 S.Ct. 142, 4 L.Ed.2d 115 (1959). But see Gray v. Gardiner, 92 Ariz. 208, 375 P.2d 562, 564 (1962) (declaration of mistrial is proper until judgment is rendered on the verdict). Although captioned an order declaring a mistrial, the district court's order was clearly one granting a new trial. When the order was issued, both verdicts had been returned and the trial had been concluded. The order was also issued subsequent to a motion and hearing following the conclusion of the trial. Since an order granting or refusing a new trial is appealable under NRAP 3A(b)(2), we have jurisdiction over this appeal.