Court Opinion

ID: 9363969
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-17 22:04:25.475597+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:15:35.035795
License: Public Domain

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                                   C                                                              01/17/2023

            IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA                                      Case Number: DA 23-0024

                                        DA 23-0024
                                                                   FILED
 STATE OF MONTANA,                                                     JAN 1 7 2023
                                                                  Bowen    Ci ,, ,i2nyvuOCI
                                                                    : c f SL,prerrie Court
              Plaintiff and Appellee,                              Stale of fVlontans

       v.                                                              ORDER

 MATTHEW ANDREW SOTTO,

              Defendant and Appellant.

       Chad Wright, Appellate Defender, petitions for an out-of-time appeal for Matthew
Andrew Sotto frorn the order entered on November 4, 2022, by the Eighth Judicial District
Court, Cascade County, in Cause No. CDC 21-601. The Attorney General's Office does
not object to this rnotion.
       Wright asserts that Sotto did not decide to appeal his conviction until near the end
of the 60-day time period for filing notices of appeal. M. R. App. P. 4(5)(b). Sotto's trial
attorney quickly referred Sotto's case to the Appellate Defender Division (ADD) but there
was insufficient tirne for ADD to file the Notice of Appeal timely.
       Wright asserts that it would be unjust to deny Sotto the right to appeal in these
circumstances.
       We grant out-of-time appeals under M. R. App. P. 4(6) when an appellant
establishes the existence of "extraordinary circumstances amounting to a gross miscarriage
of justice," which would exist if we were to deny the petition here.
       IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the petition for an out-of-time appeal is
GRANTED.
       IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Office of Appellate Defender shall have 30
days from the date of this Order within which to prepare, file, and serve a Notice of Appeal
and a Request for Transcripts, if necessary, in cornpliance with the Montana Rules of
Appellate Procedure.
      The Clerk is directed to provide copies of this Order to all counsel of record.
      DATED this       t ay ofJanuary, 2023.

                                                               Chief Justice

                                                                 Justices

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