Court Opinion

ID: 9366172
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-25 23:04:23.790089+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:15:50.406259
License: Public Domain

A         71         I, \ I s
                                       u            L :Lida
                                                                                            01/25/2023

             IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MOI i                           hii   D
                                                                                        Case Number: DA 22-0558

                                                DA 22-0558
                                                                           JAN 2 5 2023
 IN RE THE MARRIAGE OF:                                                  Bowen Greenwood
                                                                       Clerk of Supreme Court
                                                                          Stifle of Montana

 EDWARD DANIEL ELDRIDGE,

              Petitioner and Appellee,
                                                                      ORDER
       and

 ANGELINA KATHRYN ELDRIDGE,

              Respondent and Appellant.

       Appellee Edward Eldridge moves to dismiss Appellant Angelina Eldridge's appeal
                                                                                                in
this case for failing to comply with the Rules of Appellate Procedure and
                                                                             for attempting to
appeal a non-appealable order. Angelina, who is self-represented on appeal,
                                                                            has responded
to the motion and objects to dismissal.
       In September 2022, Angelina filed a notice of appeal of the Twenty-first
                                                                                       Judicial
District Court's August 23, 2022 order adopting the Guardian ad Litem's
                                                                           recommendations
as amendments to the Interim Parenting Plan the court previously had entere
                                                                              d in the parties'
marital dissolution case. The court ordered that the Interim Parenting Plan
                                                                            otherwise remain
in effect with the newly ordered provisions regarding the minor childr
                                                                          en's residence and
Angelina's supervised parenting time. The order fiirther directed Angel
                                                                        ina to undergo a
psychological evaluation, upon completion of which Angelina could reques
                                                                            t the District
Court to consider modifying the parenting schedule.
       At-the time Angelina filed her notice of appeal of the August order, the dissolu
                                                                                      tion
case remained pending. The trial court had conducted a bench trial on Septem
                                                                             ber 19, 2022,
and both parties had submitted their proposed findings of fact, conclu
                                                                           sions of law, and
dissolution decree. This Court initially rejected Angelina's opening brief
                                                                                on appeal for
failure to include a certificate of service noting that she had served Edwar
                                                                             d's counsel. We
 issued another order on November 28, 2022, addressing her failure to provide the Amend
                                                                                            ed
 Certificate of Service and her obligation to order appropriate transcripts. Edward
                                                                                    represents
 that Angelina has not filed the Amended Certificate of Service but acknowledges
                                                                                      that she
 sent her Opening Brief to Edward's counsel, who received it on November 28, 2022.
                                                                                           This
 Court's docket reflects that Angelina filed on December 2, 2022, a corrected notice
                                                                                       of appeal
 and Request for Production of Transcripts, which her certificates of service indicat
                                                                                      e she
 mailed directly to Edward but not to his lawyer.
        Edward protests that Angelina's appeal of the August 2022 order is premature;
                                                                                           that
 her apparent attempt to appeal separate orders regarding temporary orders of
                                                                                 protection is
 either time-barred or—in the case of an order at issue in the dissolution
                                                                             matter—also
 premature; and that even if the Court accepts her appeal, it is impossible for
                                                                                Edward to
 prepare and file an Answer Brief unless Angelina submits a brief in compliance
                                                                                  with the
rules and transcripts are prepared. In the alternative, Edward requests that
                                                                             the appellate
briefing schedule be vacated until Angelina shows compliance with the require
                                                                               d appellate
rules.
      Having reviewed the procedural posture of the case, the order Angelina appeal
                                                                                   ed, and
the parties' filings, we conclude that Angelina's appeal is premature. With
                                                                                 specified
exceptions that do not apply here, the Montana Rules of Appellate Procedure permit
                                                                                       appeals
only from a final judgment in an action. M. R. App. P. 6(1). The dissolution
                                                                                case awaits
final judgment, including a final parenting plan. The District Court's August 23,
                                                                                  2022 order
adopting amendments to the Interim Parenting Plan is not a final order. Angeli
                                                                                   na has the
right to appeal the court's final judgment in the case after entry of the Dissolution
                                                                                      Decree
and Final Parenting Plan, if it is unfavorable to her.
       IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that this appeal is DISMISSED without prejudice to
the parties' right of appeal from final orders and judgments in the marital dissolution
                                                                                        case.
       The Clerk of this Court is directed to provide a copy of this Order to the Clerk of
District Court for the Twenty-first Judicial District for filing in Ravalli County Cause
                                                                                         No.
DR-21-144; to counsel of record; and to Angelina Katheryn Eldridge personally.
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DATED this ?...b day of January, 2023.

                                              Chief Justice

                                         94   in -041 4-
                                               Justices

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