Court Opinion

ID: 9446486
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 21:55:33.165198+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:30:39.952901
License: Public Domain

WILBUR K. MILLER, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
The concluding sentence of Rule 45(b) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure contains this unequivocal statement: “but the court may not enlarge the period * * * for taking an appeal.” I think this forbids the District Court either to enlarge the time for taking an appeal on application therefor made before the expiration of the appeal period, or to enlarge the period after its expiration for excusable neglect or on any other ground.
There is no reason apparent to me why the District Court should be permitted on any ground to extend the time for appeal after its expiration, when it may not do so before its expiration.
The time for taking an appeal is arbitrarily fixed by Rule 37(a) of the Criminal Rules and is jurisdictional; it may not be changed either by the parties or by the court. United States v. Bloom, 2 Cir., 1947, 164 F.2d 556; Richards v. United States, 1951, 89 U.S.App.D.C. 354, 192 F.2d 602, 30 A.L.R.2d 880; Lujan v. United States, 10 Cir., 1953, 204 F.2d 171; Wagner v. United States, 4 Cir., 1955, 220 F.2d 513; Brainard v. Joy Mfg. Co., D.C.M.D.Ohio 1949, 9 F.R.D. 625, Wilken, J.
Rule 6(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure also has to do with the enlargement of time in which an act is required or allowed to be done, and provides in two clauses that the court may (1) order the period enlarged before the expiration of the period originally prescribed or as extended by a previous order, or (2) permit the act to be done after the expiration of the specified or extended period where failure to act was the result of excusable neglect. When adopted, Rule 6(b) of the Civil Rules, like Rule 45(b) of the Criminal Rules, expressly denied power to the court to “enlarge the period” for taking an appeal. Rule 6(b) was subsequently amended so that the phrase “extend the time” was substituted for “enlarge the period" in the limiting provision. It is noted by the Advisory Committee on Rules of Civil Procedure that this amendment was made because “extend the time” is “a more suitable expression and relates more clearly to both clauses (1) and, (2).” (My emphasis.) See Notes of Advisory Committee on Rules, Fed.R.Civ.P., Rule 6, 28 U.S.C.A. 235.
The Advisory Committee on Rules of Criminal Procedure notes that Rule 45 of the Criminal Rules “is in substance the same as Rule 6 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.” The Committee adds, “It seems desirable that matters covered by this rule should be regulated in the same manner for civil and criminal cases, in order to preclude the possibility of confusion.” See Notes of Advisory Committee on Rules, Fed.R.Crim.P., Rule 45, 18 U.S.C.A. 504.
In my opinion the District Court has no power to grant these appeals out of time because of neglect of counsel, even if it should find the neglect excusable. *721It follows that we have no jurisdiction here.
Even if this were not so, I do not believe the failure of appellants’ two employed attorneys1 to file notices of appeal in time because they were ignorant of the Rule’s requirement can be said to be excusable neglect, in view of the fact that the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure have been in effect about twelve years. Burke v. Canfield, 1940, 72 App.D.C. 127, 111 F.2d 526; Maghan v. Young, 1946, 80 U.S.App.D.C. 395, 154 F.2d 13; Christoffel v. United States, 1950, 88 U.S.App.D.C. 1, 190 F.2d 585; Sieb’s Hatcheries, Inc., v. Lindley, D.C.W.D.Ark.1952, 13 F.R.D. 113; Ohlinger v. United States, D.C.S.D.Idaho 1955, 135 F.Supp. 40; 1 Barron and Holtzoff, Federal Practice and Procedure § 216.
I would grant the appellee’s motion to dismiss.

. These lawyers, retained by the appellants, were present and active throughout the trial, and also represent them on appeal.