Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield v. Freeway Surgery Center

2023 Ark. App. 25
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arkansas
DecidedJanuary 25, 2023
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2023 Ark. App. 25 (Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield v. Freeway Surgery Center) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield v. Freeway Surgery Center, 2023 Ark. App. 25 (Ark. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

Cite as 2023 Ark. App. 25 ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS No. CV-22-515

ARKANSAS BLUE CROSS Opinion Delivered January 25, 2023 AND BLUE SHIELD APPELLANT APPEAL FROM THE PULASKI COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT, FIFTH V. DIVISION [NO. 60CV-21-2725] FREEWAY SURGERY CENTER; SCOTT SCHLESINGER, M.D.; FAIR PARK HONORABLE WENDELL GRIFFEN, SURGERY CENTER; CENTERVIEW JUDGE SURGERY CENTER; SOUTH ARKANSAS SURGERY CENTER; MOTION TO DEEM THE RECORD ADVANCED AMBULATORY SURGERY COMPLETE IS GRANTED; BRIEFING CENTER; EXECUTIVE PARK SCHEDULE ORDERED; SHOW-CAUSE SURGERY CENTER OF FORT SMITH; ORDER ISSUED GASTROENTEROLOGY AND SURGERY CENTER OF ARKANSAS; MOUNTAIN HOME SURGERY CENTER; HARRISON SURGERY CENTER; BOZMAN-HOF EYE CENTER; PHYSICIANS DAY A/K/A MCFARLAND EYE CENTER; SPRING CREEK SURGERY CENTER; TAYLOR PLASTIC SURGERY; SURGERY CENTER OF NORTHEAST TEXAS; ADVANCED INTERVENTIONAL PAIN MANAGEMENT; PRECISION SURGICAL OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS; EXECUTIVE SURGERY CENTER OF LITTLE ROCK; CENTRAL ARKANSAS SURGERY CENTER A/K/A ARKANSAS SPINE AND PAIN; AND ARKANSAS CENTER FOR SURGICAL EXCELLENCE APPELLEES

AND

ALAN MCCLAIN, ARKANSAS INSURANCE COMMISSIONER INTERESTED PARTY PER CURIAM

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield moves this court to enforce a writ of certiorari

we issued to court reporter Neva Warford to complete the transcript of an oral argument

held before the circuit court—a command we first made four months ago. Alternatively,

the parties jointly move that we set a briefing schedule based on the “record pleadings”

already on file with this court’s clerk and deem the tardy transcript inessential to the appeal

under Ark. R. App. P.–Civ. 6(c). Because Warford’s failure to comply with the original

writ and subsequent extensions is good cause to accept the parties’ Rule 6 alternative, we

grant that request and direct the clerk to set a briefing schedule forthwith. And for the

reasons provided below, we order Neva Warford to appear before this court on 7 February

2023, at 9:30 a.m., in the courtroom of the Arkansas Supreme Court and Court of Appeals

(Justice Building, 625 Marshall Street, Little Rock, AR 72201), and show cause why she

should not be held in contempt for failing to comply with the original writ of certiorari and

extensions.

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been trying to appeal an eight-page order

entered more than one year ago. On 16 August 2022, as the deadline to lodge the record

in this court approached after seven months of extensions by the circuit court, it

simultaneously filed in this court a partial record and petition for a writ of certiorari directing

court reporter Warford to complete the transcript portion of the record in this civil appeal.

We granted the petition on September 7 and ordered, by way of a writ of certiorari, that

the supplemental record be completed and filed within thirty days.

2 When the thirtieth day arrived, Warford had not completed her task, so Blue Cross

and Blue Shield moved, on October 7, to enforce the writ. We granted that motion on

October 25 and allowed Warford thirty days. 1 But no transcript was prepared. So Blue

Cross and Blue Shield returned on November 22 with another request that we enforce the

writ. In response, this court extended Warford’s deadline to 6 January 2023 and expressly

told her that it was a final extension. 2 Again, she failed to comply, which required Blue

Cross and Blue Shield to file another motion—and the parties to pivot to Ark. R. App. P.–

Civ. 6(c) as a last-ditch effort to “complete” the record and move this appeal forward.

Despite Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s continued efforts and this court’s prior

commands, the designated transcript has remained unavailable for filing because Warford

has seemingly ignored this court’s orders. Having received no communication from

1 The docket entry (26 October 2022) states:

Appellant’s motion to enforce writ of certiorari and extend time is granted. Gruber, J., not participating.

Electronic supplemental record is due in thirty days (November 25, 2022). The clerk is directed to set a briefing schedule after the writ is returned and the electronic supplemental record is filed.

This court has now granted the court reporter two extensions from the record’s original due date of August 18, 2022. 2 The docket entry (7 December 2022) states:

Appellant’s second motion to enforce writ of certiorari and extend time. Granted final extension of thirty days (January 6, 2023). Barrett and Hixson, JJ., would issue a show-cause order to the court reporter. Gruber, J., not participating.

This court has now granted the court reporter three extensions from the record’s original due date of August 18, 2022.

3 Warford to explain the repeated delay and perceived insubordination, good cause exists for

this show-cause order. See James Tree & Crane Serv., Inc. v. Fought, 2015 Ark. 6 (show-cause

order issued to court reporter); see also Woolford v. State, 2022 Ark. App. 463 (show-cause

order issued to court reporter Neva Warford).

Given the recent history with a court reporter’s repeated inability to comply with

this court’s writs and orders, Woolford, 2022 Ark. App. 463, we point out, for example, that

the Regulations of the Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners provide for penalties

as severe as revoking a reporter’s certification for shirking his or her duties. Regs. Ark. Bd.

Certified Ct. Rep. Examiners § 19. 3 If that were not enough, the Arkansas Code of Judicial

Conduct requires judges to ensure their employees do not interfere with the timely

administration of justice. See, e.g., Ark. Code Jud. Conduct R. 2.12(A) (Supervisory

Duties). To that end, this court’s clerk routinely sends our writs and related orders to the

3 Section 19 states in part:

[T]he Board may issue an admonition or revoke or suspend any certificate issued after proper notice and hearing, on the following grounds:

....

c. any intentional violation of, noncompliance with or gross negligence in complying with any rule or directive of the Supreme Court of Arkansas, any other court of record within this State, or this Board.

d. fraud, dishonesty, gross incompetence or habitual neglect of duty.

e. unprofessional conduct, which shall include, but not be limited to:

1. failing to deliver a transcript to a client or court in a timely manner as determined by statute, court order, or agreement[.]

4 court reporter to whom they are primarily directed and to the presiding circuit judge. Here,

the writ and orders that have been issued to Warford and the presiding judge since

September 2022 are attached to this order.

NEVA WARFORD IS FURTHER NOTIFIED that her failure to appear on 7

February 2023, at 9:30 a.m., could result in the issuance of a bench warrant for her arrest,

with directions to the appropriate law enforcement authority to arrange for her delivery to

this court so a show-cause hearing can be conducted as soon as possible.

Motion to deem the record complete is granted; briefing schedule ordered; show-

cause order issued.

BROWN, J., dissents without opinion.

GRUBER, J., not participating.

5 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS 625 MARSHALL STREET LITTLE ROCKs AR 72201

SEPTEMBER 7,2022

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Related

Gene Jackson v. State of Arkansas
2023 Ark. App. 505 (Court of Appeals of Arkansas, 2023)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2023 Ark. App. 25, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/arkansas-blue-cross-blue-shield-v-freeway-surgery-center-arkctapp-2023.