Opinion ID: 1809878
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Jurisdiction of District Court to Review Bail.

Text: As a general rule, a district court loses jurisdiction of the merits of a controversy once an appeal is perfected. State v. Brooks, 630 N.W.2d 815, 818 (Iowa 2001); Shedlock v. Iowa Dist. Ct., 534 N.W.2d 656, 658 (Iowa 1995). An exception to this rule, however, permits the district court to retain jurisdiction over disputes that are collateral to the subject matter of the appeal. Id. This exception exists to expedite the resolution of disputes in cases where collateral matters commonly surface during appeals. Shedlock, 534 N.W.2d at 658. It also allows a district court to address fluid and changing conditions that can arise in cases following the entry of a judgment, and to resolve matters outside the issues on appeal. See In re B.L., 470 N.W.2d 343, 347 (Iowa 1991). Although we have previously addressed the issue of the imposition of terms of bail on appeal by the district court, we have never specifically examined the jurisdiction of the district court to review the terms of bail following the notice of appeal. In this case, we must determine if the district court retained jurisdiction of the issue of bail following the appeal. The right of a defendant to be admitted to bail following a judgment and sentence in certain criminal cases is strictly statutory. See State v. Stradt, 556 N.W.2d 149, 150 (Iowa 1996); see also Iowa Code § 811.1 (bail on appeal is not permitted for certain criminal cases). In Iowa, all bailable defendants must be admitted to bail [a]fter conviction, upon appeal to the appellate court.... Iowa Code § 811.5. Thus, the statute contemplates that a defendant is admitted to bail only after taking an appeal. See State v. Jackson, 488 N.W.2d 701, 704 (Iowa 1992). This is consistent with the purpose of bail on appeal, which is to suspend the execution of the judgment and maintain the status quo pending appellate review. Orr v. Jackson, 149 Iowa 641, 643, 128 N.W. 958, 960 (1910). If no appeal is taken, the judgment and sentence of the court controls, and the issue of bail never arises. Our statutory scheme for bail on appeal clearly reveals that bail is triggered by the filing of a notice of appeal. See Iowa Code § 811.5. Thus, the statute contemplates that bail for the purpose of an appeal is a stand-alone issue. It is separate and independent from the underlying judgment and sentence entered by the court. The statute further reveals that the intent of our legislature was to make bail following conviction collateral to the merits of any issues raised on appeal from the judgment and sentence, and to authorize the district court to consider motions and applications regarding the bail during the appeal. See B.L., 470 N.W.2d at 347 (juvenile code reveals the legislative intent for juvenile court to maintain jurisdiction during pendency of appeal to entertain child's request for status report and review hearing). We recognize, as in this case, that the terms and conditions of bail are normally contained in a judgment and sentence entered prior to the filing of any appeal. Thus, a subsequent notice of appeal from such a judgment and sentence by the district court would permit a defendant to assert a challenge on appeal to the terms and conditions of bail set forth in the judgment. Notice of appeal from a judgment permits the appealing party to raise all issues properly preserved. See Iowa Dep't of Human Servs. ex rel. Greenhaw v. Stewart, 579 N.W.2d 321, 323 (Iowa 1998). Nevertheless, we recognize that rulings on collateral or independent issues after final judgment are separately appealable as final judgments. Bd. of Water Works Trs. v. City of Des Moines, 469 N.W.2d 700, 702 (Iowa 1991). Thus, when a court addresses the issue of bail following the entry of a judgment and sentence, any appeal from a ruling on the issue must be separately appealed. A defendant cannot rely upon the notice of appeal from the judgment and sentence of the district court. We conclude the district court had jurisdiction to rule on the application to review the appeal bond after Formaro filed his notice of appeal from the final judgment and sentence of the district court. However, Formaro never filed a separate notice of appeal from the ruling on the application to review bond. Accordingly, the issue of the additional terms imposed on the bail is not properly before us on this appeal.