Court Opinion

ID: 9393385
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-09 23:04:59.726642+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:52.975494
License: Public Domain

05/09/2023

            IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
                                                                                           Case Number: DA 23-0242

                                         DA 23-0242

 SHIRLEY CHAMBERS YOST,                                                       FLED
               Petitioner and Appellant,
                                                                               MAY 0 9 2023
                                                                            Bowen Greenwood
                                                                          Clerk of Supreme Court
                                                                             State of Montana
       v.
                                                                       ORDER
 MARTIN GUHL, DPHHS, and
 TERRESSA McDANIEL,

               Respondents and Appellees.

       Appearing pro se, Shirley Chambers Yost petitions this Court for an out-of-time
appeal. She sought judicial review of a Final Agency Decision issued March 23, 2022,
which denied her Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits for 12 months. The
Butte-Silver Bow County District Court dismissed her petition on November 18, 2022,
after concluding that it was filed one week late.
       Petitioner apparently fried to file an appeal of the District Court's dismissal order to
this Court on January 23, 2023. However, the appeal was returned by the Office of the
Clerk of the Supreme Court because it had not been filed within 30 days of the District
Court's order. Petitioner explains that she "read Rule #4" and believes she has 60 days,
not 30 days to file an appeal. She states that because governmental employees are involved,
"[t]he 60 day rule should have been applied." Petitioner requests some leniency because
she filed her initial Notice of Appeal timely, but it was returned for untimeliness.
       Petitioner is correct that she had 60 days within which to file her appeal. The
relevant rule, M. R. App. P. 4(5)(a)(i), provides: "In civil cases, . . . , the notice of appeal
shall be filed with the clerk of the supreme court within 30 days from the date of entry of
the judgment or order from which the appeal is taken. In all other cases in which the United
States of America or the State of Montana, or any political subdivision thereof, or any
officer or agency thereof is a party, the notice of appeal shall be filed within 60 days from
the entry of the judgment or order from which appeal is taken." The Department of Public
Health and Human Services of the State of Montana and its officers are parties.
       M. R. App. P. 4(6) allows this Court to grant an out-of-time appeal "[i]n the
infrequent harsh case and under extraordinary circumstances amounting to a gross
miscarriage of justice[1" Here, we conclude the initial Notice of Appeal was timely and
was inadvertently returned. Petitioner has demonstrated extraordinary circumstances,
amounting to a gross miscarriage of justice. Accordingly,
      IT IS ORDERED that the Petition for an Out-of-Time Appeal is GRANTED.
      IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Shirley Chambers Yost shall prepare, file, and
serve a Notice of Appeal on or before Thursday, June 8, 2023.
      The Clerk of the Supreme Court is directed to provide a copy of this Order to counsel
of record and to Petitiwlong with a copy of this Court's Appellate Handbook.
      DATED this 1         day of May, 2023.

                                                                Chief Justice

                                                                 Justices