Court Opinion

ID: 9855553
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:27:13.904379+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:36:12.333039
License: Public Domain

TURSI, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
The issue before us is whether a premature notice of appeal must be dismissed because of lack of jurisdiction. I submit that the jurisdiction of this court does attach on the filing of a notice of appeal. See C.A.R. (3)(a).
Further, I find guidance in Lewis v. B.F. Goodrich Co., 850 F.2d 641 (10th Cir.1988). Lewis overruled A.O. Smith Corp. v. Sims Consolidated, Ltd., 647 F.2d 118 (10th Cir.1981) which had held a perfected final judgment to be jurisdictional. The Lewis court surveyed all other federal appellate courts which had addressed the issue and determined that none of them hold dismissal of an appeal to be mandated because of a technical defect in the entry of a final judgment. The Lewis court concluded, and I agree, that a dismissal not only places undue financial burden on litigants but is also an unnecessary waste of judicial resources. Hence, I would not follow Fiebig v. Wheat Ridge Regional Center, — P.2d - (Colo.App. No. 87CA1897, April 27, 1988).
Therefore, I would remand to the trial court for purposes of curing the technical defect needed here to perfect a final judgment.