Court Opinion

ID: 9391726
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-03 00:07:30.440143+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:44.112800
License: Public Domain

05/02/2023

            IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA                                 Case Number: DA 23-0063

                                         DA 23-0063

 JOE LEE,
                                                                               F
                                                                                MAY 0 2 2023
              Plaintiff and Appellant,                                       Bovve:1;
                                                                           Clerk of Suprerne Coun
                                                                              State of Montana
       v.

 DEAN SKINNER,
                                                                     ORDER
              Defendant and Appellee,
 and

 CHRIS SKINNER,
                                                                                ►
              Defendant.

       Through counsel, Appellee Dean Skinner (Skinner) moves this Court to dismiss this
appeal because self-represented Appellant Joe Lee (Lee) has not filed his opening brief.
Skinner represents that Lee opposes the motion. Lee has not filed a response.
       Skinner cites M. R. App. P. 13(3), noting that Lee did not file his opening brief on
or before the April 3, 2023 due date or file a timely request for an extension of time to file
his opening brief. Upon review of this Court's docket, this Court observes that Lee
attempted to file a timely motion for extension, but the Clerk of the Supreme Court returned
it for lack of service. Skinner filed his instant motion two days later. The following
business day, April 10, Lee filed a motion for an extension of time and included a certificate
of service. This Court granted Lee's motion to file his opening brief on or before May 11,
2023, with the statement that no further extension of time would be allowed unless Lee
includes notice that he has contacted Skinner's counsel about the motion and whether there
is any objection, pursuant to M. R. App. P. 16(1). Given the extension of time already
granted,
      IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Skinner's Motion to Dismiss Appeal is
DENIED.
      The Clerk is directed to provide this Order to all counsel of record and to Joe Lee
along with a copy of this     urt's Civil Appellate Handbook.
      DATED this            day of May, 2023.

                                                    "Old/2•A
                                                                Chief Justice

                                                                 Justices