Court Opinion

ID: 9621974
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 06:10:26.813548+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:11.524310
License: Public Domain

Tom Glaze, Justice. dissenting. The court reporter in this case has again obtained the maximum seven-months’ extension to file a complete record. This court’s per curiam sets out at least five other appeals filed in 2004 in which the same court reporter was unable to furnish a compete record within the seven-month period required under Rule 5(b). Here, the trial court granted the appellant seven months, and at the same time appellant filed a partial record and asked for another thirty days via a petition for writ of certiorari from our court. In Coggins v. Coggins, 354 Ark 431, 108 S.W. 3d 588 (2003), the court made it clear that the procedures provided in Rule 5(b) would not be circumvented by filing a scant partial record in this court at the last minute. While the court in its per curiam states the appellant complied with the four requirements in Coggins, the appellant’s only reason for failing to lodge a complete record was that “the court reporter has indicated the record cannot be prepared in such time to have it lodged by the current due date.” The trial court summarily found that the “extension is necessary in order to allow the court reporter to finish compiling the record.” These summary remarks, in no way explain the reasons for requesting an extension. Again as this court said in Coggins, it does not view the granting of extensions as mere formality, and this court will strictly enforce the requirements of Rule 5(b). This court is slow to intercede in matters involving a court reporter’s preparation of a record on appeal because that responsibility is best overseen by the trial judge, as is provided under Rule 5(b). However, when delays tend to become a common matter in a judicial district, it behooves this court to inquire why the delays are recurring and what can be done to remedy the problem. For these reasons, and because this appeal is now before this court requesting a further extension, I would have the appellant and the court reporter appear and show why the appellant continues to require extensions and why a complete record has yet to be tendered to this court’s clerk. Sending this matter to our court reporter’s committee is certainly appropriate in this case, but it does little to resolve the issues in this case. While the appellant is clearly entitled to an appeal and will be allowed one, the court should first set an immediate date for a hearing so these issues can be resolved.