Court Opinion

ID: 9587170
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:18:42.853271+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:33:04.218290
License: Public Domain

JACKSON, Judge,
dissenting.
I must respectfully dissent from the majority’s decision to invoke Rule 2 to reach the merits of plaintiff’s appeal. For the reasons stated below, I would dismiss.
Rule 28 of the North Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure requires an appellant to include in the body of his argument “citations of the authorities upon which the appellant relies.” N.C. R. App. P. 28(b)(6) (2007). “The function of all briefs ... is to define clearly the questions presented to the reviewing court and to present the arguments and authorities upon which the parties rely in support of their respective positions thereon. Review is limited to questions so presented in the several briefs.” N.C. R. App. P. 28(a) (2007). “Assignments of error ... in support of which no . . . authority [is] cited, will be taken as abandoned.” N.C. R. App. P. 28(b)(6) (2007).
Plaintiff devotes a single page to her sole argument on appeal. That argument is devoid of any supporting legal authority whatsoever. Therefore, as noted in the majority opinion, plaintiff’s argument is subject to dismissal. However, rather than dismissing the argument, the majority addresses it under the auspices of Rule 2.
Pursuant to Rule 2 of the North Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure, the appellate courts may excuse a party’s appellate rules violations when necessary to “prevent manifest injustice to a party” or to “expedite decision in the public interest.” N.C. R. App. P. 2 (2007). However, Rule 2 is to be invoked “cautiously.” Dogwood Dev. & Mgmt. Co., LLC v. White Oak Transp. Co., 362 N.C. 191, 196, 657 S.E.2d 361, 364 (2008). In Dogwood, our Supreme Court reaffirmed “prior cases as to the ‘exceptional circumstances’ which allow the appellate coqrts to take this ‘extraordinary step.’ Id. (citing State v. Hart, 361 N.C. 309, 315-17, 644 S.E.2d 201, 205-06 (2007); Steingress v. Steingress, 350 N.C. 64, 66, 511 S.E.2d 298, 299-300 (1999)).
*699I do not believe this case presents an “exceptional circumstance” warranting the “extraordinary step” of invoking Rule 2. No “manifest injustice to a party” will be prevented by invoking Rule 2; no “decision in the public interest” will be expedited. Accordingly, I would dismiss the appeal.