Opinion ID: 322490
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: parties to appeal

Text: 15 Before discussing appellants' contentions, it is necessary to dispose of a jurisdictional objection raised by the appellees in their brief. Appellees argue that only appellants Alfredo Parrish and Henry Thompson are properly before this Court, because the plaintiffs' notice of appeal and amended notice of appeal expressly named only Parrish and Thompson. 2 However, although Parrish and Thompson are the only parties named in the text of the notices, the captions of the notices named ALFREDO G. PARRISH, ET AL., Plaintiffs. 16 The Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure require that The notice of appeal shall specify the party or parties taking the appeal. Rule 3(c). The objective of this provision, and of Rule 3 generally, is two-fold: to notify the Court of the taking of an appeal, and to notify the opposing party of the taking of the appeal. Cobb v. Lewis, 488 F.2d 41, 45 (5th Cir. 1974). There can be no doubt that the caption, if not necessarily the text, put defendants on notice that all of the plaintiffs intended to take appeal. Appellees have now shown that they were prejudiced or mis-led in any way by appellants' technical non-compliance with Rule 3(c). 17 Although some other circuits may take a much more formalistic view, 3 this Court has long held that irregularities in form or procedure in filing a notice of appeal will be disregarded, when the interests of substantive justice requires it, as long as there is substantial compliance with the rules. Des Isles v. Evans, 225 F.2d 235, 236 (5th Cir. 1955). See also Crump v. Hill, 104 F.2d 36, 37-38 (5th Cir. 1939); Jones v. Chaney & James Construction Co., 399 F.2d 84, 86 (5th Cir. 1968); Cobb v. Lewis, supra, 488 F.2d at 44-46. As we said in Jones, 399 F.2d at 86: 18 The notice of appeal . . . should not be used as a 'trap for unwary draftsmen', Wright, Federal Courts, § 104 at 406 (1963); and decisions on merits should not be avoided on the basis of 'mere technicalities', Foman v. Davis, (1962) 371 U.S. 178, 181 (83 S.Ct. 227, 9 L.Ed.2d 222). 19 Therefore, we hold that there was adequate compliance with Rule 3(c) to put the defendants on notice that all plaintiffs intended to appeal, and that all eight named plaintiffs and the ABLA are properly before this Court. Accordingly, we proceed to the merits.