Court Opinion

ID: 9371794
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-02-16 21:06:06.5343+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:30.386625
License: Public Domain

ORIGINAL                                                                         02/16/2023

           IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
                                                                                            Case Number: DA 22-0629

                                          DA 22-0629

BILLY BUDD SULLIVAN and
                                                                         FILPD
HARRY RICHARDS,                                                          FE3 16 2023
                                                                       Bow ,
                                                                                  :2nvv0OCI
                                                                                _,,erne Court
             Plaintiffs and Appellants,                                         vinntana

      v.                                                              ORDER

ALICIA DORMAN and
JASON FORTNEY,

             Defendants and Appellees.

       Appearing as self-represented litigants, Appellants Billy Budd Sullivan and Harry
Richards filed a Request for Production of Transcripts along with their Notice of Appeal on
November 22, 2022. They requested the transcript of the September 1, 2022 hearing that
occurred in the District Court. However, instead of certifying that they made arrangements
with the court reporter to pay for the transcripts, one of the Appellants wrote "NO I have
NOT" on the form.
       As Appellants, Sullivan and Richards bear the responsibility to make arrangements to
pay the court reporter to prepare the transcripts. M. R. App. P. 8(3) and 9(1). Although
Appellants requested, and obtained, waiver of the filing fee for appeal to this Court, such
waiver does not entitle the party to waive other fees or costs, including the cost of transcript
preparation. M. R. App. P. 5(5). Although we recognize the burden on litigants of limited
means when they must procure funds on their own to secure a transcript for appeal, there is
no provision in Montana law that allows transcripts to be provided in a civil matter such as
this one at no cost to the appellant.
       Aside from the transcript, the District Court transmitted the remainder ofthe record to
this Court on January 6, 2023. Appellants must either timely make payment arrangements
with the court reporter for preparation of the transcript or proceed with this appeal on the
remainder of the record.
       IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that, on or before March 16, 2023, Appellants shall
file a report on th'e status of this appeal that informs the Court as to the status of the
transcripts. Failure to file a statUs report within that time will result in dismissal of this
appeal with prejudice and without further notice.
       The Clerk is directed to provide a copy of this Order to counsel of record, and to Billy
Budd Sullivan and Harry Richards:
       DATED this 16th day of February,, 2023.

                                                  For the Court,

                                                                   Chief Justic

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