Opinion ID: 1060298
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Delayed AppealGoverning Procedure

Text: We must first consider whether the trial court had the authority to grant Evans relief on his claim that he was unilaterally deprived of his right to seek second-tier review. We begin with Pinkston in which the Court of Criminal Appeals held that the unilateral termination of a direct appeal following first-tier review entitles a petitioner to post-conviction relief in the form of a delayed appeal. 668 S.W.2d at 677. In other words, Pinkston stands for the proposition that a person deprived of the opportunity of seeking second-tier review through no fault of his or her own may obtain a delayed appeal to this Court. The Court of Criminal Appeals in Pinkston implemented its holding by adopting a procedural framework which required the trial court to conduct an evidentiary hearing to determine whether a factual basis existed supporting the claimed denial of second-tier review. Id. However, even where a factual basis existed, the trial court was not authorized to grant relief directly but was instead required to deny the claim on the basis that it had no authority or jurisdiction to act upon the judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals. Id. Once the claim was denied, the petitioner could appeal and request that the Court of Criminal Appeals vacate and reinstate its original judgment, thus reactivating the time period for filing an application for permission to appeal. Id. at 678. In this appeal, both Evans and the State acknowledge the existence of the substantive right to seek second-tier review recognized in Pinkston . Moreover, the State, in its motion to dismiss, initially insisted that the procedural framework of Pinkston remains valid so that the trial court in this case erred by granting Evans a delayed appeal, rather than denying the claim and allowing Evans to proceed to the Court of Criminal Appeals. However, in its supplemental brief and during oral argument, the State conceded that the procedures set out in Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 28, section (9)(D) have superseded the procedural framework enunciated in Pinkston . We agree. In 1995, the General Assembly enacted Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-30-218, which provides in pertinent part as follows: The supreme court may promulgate rules of practice and procedure consistent with this part, including rules prescribing the form and contents of the petition, the preparation and filing of the record and assignments of error for simple appeal and for delayed appeal in the nature of a writ of error, and may make petition forms available for use by petitioners. Consistent with this statute, Supreme Court Rule 28 was adopted in 1995. This rule does not create substantive rights but instead provides the procedure for implementing the 1995 Post-Conviction Procedures Act consistent with existing rights. Rule 28, section (9)(D) provides: Upon determination by the trial court or the Court of Criminal Appeals that petitioner was deprived of the right to request an appeal pursuant to Rule 11, Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure, the petitioner shall have sixty (60) days from entry of the court's order granting the delayed appeal to seek Rule 11 review. In such cases, and in cases in which the trial court or the Court of Criminal Appeals determines that petitioner was deprived of the right to an appeal pursuant to Rule 3, Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure, the trial court or the Court of Criminal Appeals shall stay the post-conviction proceedings pending the final disposition of the delayed appeal. If new issues arise from the handling of the delayed appeal, the original post-conviction petition may be amended to include such new issues, and if the case is stayed in the Court of Criminal Appeals, it may be remanded to the trial court for the taking of evidence on such new issues. Clearly, this provision affords to trial courts the authority to grant delayed appeals as post-conviction relief. As the State now concedes, Rule 28, section (9)(D) supersedes the procedural framework set forth in Pinkston . While the trial court in this case erred by including language in the order purporting to vacate and reinstate the judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals, we agree with the State that this inappropriate language did not invalidate that portion of the trial court's order granting Evans a delayed appeal. Accordingly, Evans's Rule 11 application for permission to appeal was properly filed in this Court. The State properly points out, however, that Rule 28, section (9)(D) is silent as to several important issues such as the content and filing of the record in delayed appeal cases and the procedure by which the State may challenge a lower court's decision granting a delayed appeal. Acknowledging that these issues are not presented in this case, the State nonetheless urges this Court to amend Rule 28, section (9)(D) to address these concerns. The State has raised valid concerns, and as a result, we have filed contemporaneously with this opinion an order publishing for public comment a proposed amendment to Rule 28, section (9)(D). The amendment addresses the State's concerns, as well as other procedural issues likely to arise in the delayed appeal context. The Court solicits comments from all interested parties.