Opinion ID: 2221665
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: implications of peremptory orders.

Text: The February 10, 2000 decision of the Court of Appeals granting defendant appeal bond purported to consider whether defendant had carried his burden of proof under People v. Giacalone, 16 Mich.App. 352, 355-357, 167 N.W.2d 871 (1969). While we express no opinion about the first, second, or fourth Giacalone factors, we believe it is clear that the analysis employed by the Court of Appeals on the third factor was insufficient and erroneous. The Court of Appeals simply stated: we are not so convinced that defendant's appeal is clearly without arguable merit. [12] The Court of Appeals did not explain or elaborate which issues raised by defendant in his substantive appeal had arguable legal merit. A majority of this Court was convinced that neither the defendant nor the Court of Appeals adequately explained how the defendant had satisfied his burden of proof on this issue. The import of our March 3, 2000, order, which the district court failed to appreciate, was that the defendant in this case failed to carry his burden of proof in the lower courts, and thereby failed to demonstrate that he was deserving of bond. We believe that peremptory orders sometimes issued by this Court must and do convey that this Court has fully considered the arguments presented by the parties. Considering the thousands of applications for leave to appeal and petitions for other forms of relief filed with this Court on a yearly basis, the ability to sometimes issue peremptory orders resolving a party's claims is essential to the efficient and practical administration of justice in this state. Logically, a peremptory order vacating a grant of appeal bond to a defendant must convey, at the very least, that this Court believes the defendant failed to carry his burden of proof in the lower courts.