Opinion ID: 1295265
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: [4] Before reaching the legal issues presented for review, it is the duty of an appellate court to settle jurisdictional issues presented by a case. State v. Harris, 267 Neb. 771, 677 N.W.2d 147 (2004). The State previously moved for summary dismissal of this appeal on the basis that Bao failed to timely file a notice of appeal. We overruled the State's motion without prejudice. We now determine that given the record and the statutes, Bao timely filed his notice of appeal, and that we have jurisdiction to determine this appeal. The following statutes are at issue in our jurisdictional analysis: Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 25-1329 (Cum. Supp. 2002) and 25-1912(3) (Cum. Supp. 2004). Section 25-1912(3) provides in relevant part: The running of the time for filing a notice of appeal shall be terminated as to all parties (a) by a timely motion for a new trial under section 25-1144.01, (b) by a timely motion to alter or amend a judgment under section 25-1329, or (c) by a timely motion to set aside the verdict or judgment under section 25-1315.02, and the full time for appeal fixed in subsection (1) of this section commences to run from the entry of the order ruling upon the motion filed pursuant to subdivision (a), (b), or (c) of this subsection. Section 25-1329 provides that [a] motion to alter or amend a judgment shall be filed no later than ten days after the entry of the judgment. The State argues that Bao's motion for reconsideration filed on July 25, 2003, was functionally a motion to alter or amend a judgment which was timely filed within 10 days of the July 16 order denying postconviction relief. See § 25-1329. The State notes that § 25-1912(3) provides in part that [t]he running of the time for filing a notice of appeal shall be terminated . . . by a timely motion to alter or amend a judgment . . . . The State acknowledges that the full 30 days for appeal commences to run from the entry of an order ruling upon the motion to alter or amend a judgment. See, § 25-1912(3); DeBose v. State, 267 Neb. 116, 672 N.W.2d 426 (2003). In support of its argument that Bao's notice of appeal was untimely, the State asserts that the withdrawal of a motion to alter or amend is not a ruling upon the motion under § 25-1912(3). The State asserts that although the motion to alter or amend stopped the running of the time to appeal, in the absence of a ruling on the substance of the motion, the withdrawal of the motion causes the 30-day time period to resume but does not start a new and separate 30-day time period. The State claims that because 9 days had elapsed between the July 16 order and the date Bao filed the motion for reconsideration, Bao had 21 days left of his 30-day appeal time to file his notice of appeal after he withdrew his motion on October 16. Bao filed his notice of appeal on November 14, and the State argues that the notice was not timely filed because, although it was filed within 30 days of the withdrawal of the motion, it was not filed within the 21 days that the State argued were all that remained. Relying on statutory language, Bao argues in response that § 25-1912(3) provides that the 30-day time period for filing the notice of appeal is terminated by the timely filing of a motion to alter or amend a judgment and that therefore the act of filing his motion to alter or amend ended the initial 30-day time period to file for appeal. Bao argues that the 9 days between the July 16, 2003, order and his filing the motion should not be counted against the 30-day time for filing a notice of appeal because he obtained a new 30-day time period upon the withdrawal and dismissal of his motion to alter or amend. [5] Regarding the characterization of Bao's pleadings, we agree with the State that Bao's motion for reconsideration should be treated as a motion to alter or amend the judgment. To qualify for treatment as a motion to alter or amend a judgment, a motion must be filed no later than 10 days after the entry of judgment, as required under § 25-1329, and must seek substantive alteration of the judgment. Central Neb. Pub. Power v. Jeffrey Lake Dev., 267 Neb. 997, 679 N.W.2d 235 (2004); State v. Bellamy, 264 Neb. 784, 652 N.W.2d 86 (2002). Bao's motion for reconsideration was filed within 10 days after the July 16, 2003, order denying postconviction relief, and the motion sought substantive alteration of the judgment, because Bao asserted that the court erred in various conclusions and in failing to address certain claims and requested that the July 16 order be vacated and leave be granted to amend the motion for postconviction relief. Regarding the timeliness of Bao's notice of appeal, we agree with Bao that his notice of appeal was timely. Our review of the law and the record shows that the time for filing Bao's notice of appeal was terminated when he filed the motion for reconsideration on July 25, 2003, and that a new full period of 30 days commenced to run on October 16 when the motion was withdrawn and the court ruled that the matter was dismissed. See § 25-1912(3). In reaching our determination, we note that § 25-1912(3) provides in relevant part that [t]he running of the time for filing a notice of appeal shall be terminated . . . by a timely motion to alter or amend a judgment and the full time for appeal fixed in subsection (1) of this section [30 days] commences to run from the entry of the order ruling upon the motion filed pursuant to subdivision (a) [new trial], (b) [alter or amend judgment], or (c) [set aside verdict or judgment]. (Emphasis supplied.) Upon being advised by postconviction counsel on October 16 that Bao's motion for reconsideration was withdrawn, the court entered an order dismissing the motion. For purposes of § 25-1912(3), the filing of the motion terminated rather than merely suspended or tolled the initial 30-day period, and the court's dismissal of the motion was a ruling. Therefore, a new and separate period of 30 days to file a notice of appeal commenced to run on October 16, the date of the entry of the order dismissing the motion to alter or amend. See DeBose v. State, 267 Neb. 116, 672 N.W.2d 426 (2003). Bao had 30 days from October 16 to file his notice of appeal, and therefore the notice of appeal filed November 14 was timely. In reaching our conclusion regarding the timeliness of Bao's notice of appeal, we note that § 25-1912(3) is substantially similar to federal appellate rules of procedure governing time for appeal. We have stated that it is appropriate to look to cases interpreting substantially similar federal procedural rules for guidance in interpreting Nebraska's statutes. Bailey v. Lund-Ross Constructors Co., 265 Neb. 539, 657 N.W.2d 916 (2003). Our conclusion that Bao's notice of appeal was timely appears to be consistent with decisions of federal courts applying federal rules of appellate procedure that are similar to § 25-1912(3). See, Rutledge v. U.S., 230 F.3d 1041 (7th Cir. 2000) (stating that under Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(B), time for filing notice of appeal began to run on day defendant withdrew motion to alter or amend); U.S. v. Rodriguez, 892 F.2d 233 (2d Cir. 1989) (stating that full time for filing appeal under Fed. R. App. P. 4(b) began to run after motion for reconsideration was withdrawn). We note that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit stated in Rodriguez that its conclusion which endorsed a new period of 30 days after withdrawal of the motion for reconsideration was considered sound, at least in the absence of evidence that the motion was filed and then withdrawn in bad faith, as part of some sort of hardball litigation strategy, or as a result of neglect. 892 F.2d at 236. We see no indication that Bao's motion to alter or amend was filed and withdrawn in bad faith, and we therefore conclude that the filing of such motion terminated the time for filing a notice of appeal under § 25-1912(3) and that a new period of 30 days for filing a notice of appeal commenced on October 16, 2003, when the motion was withdrawn and ordered dismissed. Bao's notice of appeal filed November 14 was therefore timely, and this court has jurisdiction over the appeal.