Opinion ID: 2197244
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Jurisdiction Pending Bail Appeal

Text: The defendant contends that it was error for the trial court to assert its jurisdiction to proceed with trial while an appeal to this Court was pending. The defendant points out that on October 12, 1992, he filed a motion for release on bail, which, after a subsequent hearing, was denied by the trial court on October 21, 1992. The defendant then requested an interlocutory appeal as to the denial of bail, which the trial court found it unnecessary to rule upon, informing the defendant that he was free to pursue a regular appeal. On October 26, 1992, the defendant filed a praecipe for transcript of record and proceedings, filing the record on appeal with this Court on November 9, 1992. Trial commenced on November 11, 1992, at which time the defendant objected, asserting that the trial court was without jurisdiction due to the pending appeal as to bail. The defendant contends, citing Powers v. State (1991), Ind. App., 579 N.E.2d 81, that when an action is pending in this Court, any action taken in the same cause by the lower court is void for lack of jurisdiction. We note that an appeal of a conviction or final judgment has the effect of transferring general jurisdiction of a case to the appellate court, thereby suspending any further trial court jurisdiction over the action. Ind.Appellate Rule 3(A). See Bright v. State (1972), 259 Ind. 495, 289 N.E.2d 128 and Stephenson v. State (1932), 205 Ind. 141, 179 N.E. 633. However, there are situations in which a trial court may retain jurisdiction and act notwithstanding an appeal. For example, the trial court may proceed during an interlocutory appeal of an order deciding a question of improper venue. Ind.Trial Rule 75(E). The trial court may also retain jurisdiction to perform other tasks, such as reassessing costs, correcting the record, or enforcing the judgment, State ex rel. Fairchild v. Criminal Court (1952), 230 Ind. 307, 309, 103 N.E.2d 352, 352, although a trial court is not permitted to intermeddle with the subject-matter of the appeal. Id. at 309, 103 N.E.2d at 353. The denial of bail is deemed a final judgment appealable immediately, without waiting for the final judgment following trial. Bozovichar v. State (1952), 230 Ind. 358, 103 N.E.2d 680. This is so because it is entirely independent of the issues to be tried. Id. at 363, 103 N.E.2d at 682. The rationale supporting an immediate appeal from the denial of bail simultaneously authorizes the trial court to proceed with trial during the pendency of such appeal. Such proceeding does not constitute intermeddling with the bail appeal. We decline to hold that an appeal from the denial of bail impinges the jurisdiction of the trial court to proceed.