Clark v. Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

2011 Ark. 279, 383 S.W.3d 362, 2011 Ark. LEXIS 250
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJune 23, 2011
DocketNo. 10-1182
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2011 Ark. 279 (Clark v. Arkansas Game & Fish Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Clark v. Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, 2011 Ark. 279, 383 S.W.3d 362, 2011 Ark. LEXIS 250 (Ark. 2011).

Opinion

ROBERT L. BROWN, Justice.

hThe issue in this case is whether the appellee, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC), can cancel a hunting season after it has already been approved. Because we conclude that Clark’s notice of appeal did not substantially comply with Rule 3(e) of the Arkansas Rules of Appellate Procedure-Civil (2010), we dismiss the appeal.

On March 26, 2009, AGFC amended AGFC Codes 02.04 and 28.01, thereby approving a Fall Wild Turkey Archery/Crossbow Hunting Season in seventeen zones and a Fall Wild Turkey Firearm Hunting Season in four zones. The Archery/Crossbow season was scheduled to run from October 1, 2009, through February 28, 2010. The Firearm season was scheduled to run from October 26, 2009, through November 1, 2009.

During AGFC’s August 20, 2009 meeting, a proposal was made by a commissioner to close the Fall 2009 turkey hunting season statewide. On September 24, 2009, that proposal 12passed by a vote of four to three. After the vote, AGFC amended Code sections 02.04 and 23.01 to close wild turkey hunting in all zones throughout the state for the fall 2009 season.

On September 30, 2009, the appellant David Clark filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of Phillips County, claiming that the decision to close wild turkey season was ultra vires, in bad faith, and arbitrary and capricious. Clark also claimed that he had expended time and money in preparing to engage in turkey hunting. He requested an immediate temporary injunction directing AGFC not to implement the action taken on September 24, 2009, until a full hearing on the merits had been held. In addition, Clark requested a final hearing for a permanent injunction directing AGFC “not to close the Fall 2009 archery and modern gun turkey season unless and until proper notice is given to the public and the public is afforded an opportunity to be heard.” The complaint finally requested “[s]uch monetary damage as he [Clark] may prove at trial.”

On September 30, 2009, AGFC moved to dismiss Clark’s complaint for improper venue. An order granting that motion was entered, and the case was transferred to Pulaski County Circuit Court. On October 2, 2009, a hearing was held before the Pulaski County Circuit Court. Clark’s request for a temporary injunction was denied by the circuit court. However, a hearing on the permanent injunction was scheduled. On November 25, 2009, Clark filed an amended complaint, which incorporated the allegations made in his first complaint.

|sOn January 28, 2010, AGFC moved to dismiss the amended complaint and asserted the defenses of sovereign immunity, lack of subject-matter jurisdiction, and failure to state facts upon which relief can be granted. On February 19, 2010, the circuit judge entered an order dismissing Clark’s claim for a refund or a reimbursement of license fees without prejudice. The circuit judge, however, denied AGFC’s motion to dismiss Clark’s claims for in-junctive relief, finding that, if proven, the claims would fall within a recognized exception to the sovereign-immunity doctrine. On the same date, the circuit judge denied Clark’s motion for reconsideration of his request for a temporary injunction.

On April 19, 2010, the circuit court granted AGFC’s motion to dismiss the amended complaint. The court first found that Clark’s sole remaining claim was for a permanent injunction directing AGFC not to close the fall 2009 and subsequent years’ archery and modern gun turkey seasons. In regards to the fall 2009 season, the circuit court concluded that Clark’s claim was moot because the dates for which the season would have been open had completely passed. Moreover, the circuit court found that the fall 2009 season was not a situation that was capable of repetition yet evading review. As to future seasons, the circuit court concluded that the issue was not ripe for review because AGFC had not made any decisions with respect to subsequent years’ fall turkey hunting seasons. In conclusion, the circuit court dismissed all remaining claims in Clark’s complaint and amended complaint as to the fall 2009 turkey season with prejudice and without prejudice as to turkey seasons in subsequent years.

14Clark presents multiple points on appeal to this court, but we do not reach them because we conclude, as already stated, that Clark’s appeal must be dismissed.

AGFC moves this court to dismiss Clark’s appeal or, in the alternative, to strike portions of his brief on appeal. In its motion to dismiss, AGFC claims that Clark failed to contact and pay court reporters as he represented in his notice of appeal, failed to file a complete record with this court, and supported arguments in his brief with documents that were never made a part of the record below. Because Clark’s notice of appeal does not substantially comply with the requirements of Rule 3(e) of the Arkansas Rules of Appellate Procedure-Civil, we dismiss his appeal.

AGFC first claims that Clark’s notice of appeal is deficient because it contains statements that are untrue. Specifically, AGFC emphasizes the following language in the notice of appeal filed by Clark’s attorney, David Carruth:

David Sheffield Clark has contacted Mrs. Kim Hardin, Ms. Amber Speer and Ms. Amanda Poe, the certified court reporters in this matter for the purpose of ordering the transcript herein and the record has been ordered from the Circuit Clerk. As to both the court reporter and the Clerk of this Court, David Sheffield Clark has communicated with both regarding the necessary financial arrangements to be made with each pursuant to A.C.A. § 16 — 13—510(c).

Rule 3(e) requires that such language be included in the notice of appeal. Although AGFC concedes that Rule 3(e) only requires substantial compliance with the rule, it argues that Clark’s attorney failed to order the transcript and failed to communicate with the court reporters about making the necessary financial arrangements. Accordingly, we examine the history of this case relating to the record.

| ¿Clark’s notice of appeal was filed on May 18, 2010, and also on that date, Mr. Carruth left a voice message to one of the court reporters, Kim Hardin, that he wanted the transcript. A handwritten note, dated May 18, 2010, listing the dates of certain proceedings relating to this case, the case style, and the contact information for Mr. Carruth was left in Ms. Hardin’s box at the courthouse. Ms. Hardin requested a deposit of $1000 before she would begin work. Despite repeated efforts to contact Clark’s attorney by the court reporters, nothing more was done by Clark to arrange payment for the transcripts until July 28, 2010, when Ms. Hardin received a $1000 deposit for the transcript. The day before, on July 27, 2010, Clark’s attorney moved for an extension of time to file the record. In that motion, he said, “... he contacted the court reporter and made the necessary arrangements as required by Rule 6(b) of the Arkansas Rules of Appellate Procedure-Civil. Part of the transcript has been prepared but other parts are still being transcribed.” The circuit court granted the extension by order entered on August 16, 2010.

AGFC points to the affidavits of the three court reporters, Linda Whitefield, Amanda Poe, and Kim Hardin, to support its argument that Clark’s attorney failed to comply substantially with Rule 3.

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Bluebook (online)
2011 Ark. 279, 383 S.W.3d 362, 2011 Ark. LEXIS 250, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clark-v-arkansas-game-fish-commission-ark-2011.