In Re Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Civil Practice – Recommendations to Revise Rule 5 of the Arkansas Rules of Appellate Procedure–civil And Rules 5, 6, 26, and 54 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure

2024 Ark. 115
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJune 13, 2024
StatusPublished

This text of 2024 Ark. 115 (In Re Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Civil Practice – Recommendations to Revise Rule 5 of the Arkansas Rules of Appellate Procedure–civil And Rules 5, 6, 26, and 54 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure) 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
In Re Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Civil Practice – Recommendations to Revise Rule 5 of the Arkansas Rules of Appellate Procedure–civil And Rules 5, 6, 26, and 54 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure, 2024 Ark. 115 (Ark. 2024).

Opinion

Cite as 2024 Ark. 115 SUPREME COURT OF ARKANSAS

Opinion Delivered: June 13, 2024 IN RE ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT COMMITTEE ON CIVIL PRACTICE – RECOMMENDATIONS TO REVISE RULE 5 OF THE ARKANSAS RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE–CIVIL; AND RULES 5, 6, 26, AND 54 OF THE ARKANSAS RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE

PER CURIAM

Today, the court publishes for comment proposed amendments to Rule 5 of the

Arkansas Rules of Appellate Procedure–Civil, and Rules 5, 6, 26, and 54 of the Arkansas

Rules of Civil Procedure.

We express our gratitude to the members of the Supreme Court Committee on Civil

Practice for their work. The amendments are set out below in “line-in, line-out” fashion

with new material underlined and deleted material struck through.

Comments should be made in writing on or before August 15, 2024, addressed to

Kyle E. Burton, Clerk of the Arkansas Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, 625 Marshall

Street, Suite 130, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201, or by email: rulescomments@arcourts.gov.

Arkansas Rules of Appellate Procedure—Civil

Rule 5. Record; Time for Filing.

(a) When filed. The record on appeal shall be filed with the clerk of the Arkansas Supreme Court and docketed therein within 90 days from the filing of the first notice of appeal, unless the time is extended by order of the circuit court as hereinafter provided. When, however, an appeal is taken from an interlocutory order under Rule 2(a)(6) or (7), the record must be filed with the clerk of the Supreme Court within thirty (30) days from the filing of the first notice of appeal.

(b) Extension of time.

(1) If any party has designated stenographically reported material for inclusion in the record on appeal, tThe circuit court, by order entered before expiration of the period prescribed by subdivision (a) of this rule or a prior extension order, may extend the time for filing the record only if it makes the following findings:

(A) The appellant has filed a motion explaining the reasons for the requested extension and served the motion on all counsel of record;

(B) The time to file the record on appeal has not yet expired;

(C) All parties have had the opportunity to be heard on the motion, either at a hearing or by responding in writing;

(D) The appellant, in compliance with Rule 6(b), has timely ordered the any stenographically reported material that is designated for inclusion in the record from the court reporter and made any financial arrangements required for its preparation; and

(E) An extension of time is necessary for the court reporter to include the stenographically reported material in the record on appeal or for the circuit clerk to compile the record.

(2) In no event shall the time be extended more than seven (7) months from the date of the filing of the first notice of appeal.

(3) If the appellant has obtained the maximum seven-month extension available from the circuit court, or demonstrates (by affidavit or otherwise) an inability to obtain entry of an order of extension, then before expiration of the period prescribed by subdivision (a) of this rule or a prior extension order, the appellant may file with the clerk of the Supreme Court a petition for writ of certiorari pursuant to Rule 3-5 of the Rules of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.

(c) Partial record. Prior to the time the complete record on appeal is filed with the clerk of the Arkansas Supreme Court as provided in this rule, any party may docket the appeal to make a motion for dismissal or for any other intermediate order by filing a partial record with the clerk. At the request of the moving party, the clerk of the circuit court that entered the judgment, decree, or order from which the appeal is taken shall certify the portion of the record designated by that party as being a true and correct copy. It shall be the

2 responsibility of the moving party to transmit the certified partial record to the clerk of the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Addition to Reporter’s Notes, 2012 Amendment: Arkansas Rule of Appellate Procedure– Civil 5(b)(1)(E) is revised to give the circuit court authority to extend the time for filing the record on appeal when necessary for the circuit clerk to compile the record. The rule previously gave that authority to the circuit court only when necessary for the court reporter to include the stenographically reported material in the record on appeal. However, in its per curiam opinion of Bowman v. Centennial Bank, 2011 Ark. 34, the Arkansas Supreme Court noted that the rule failed to address the situation when the circuit clerk needs additional time to compile the record. To extend the time for filing the record on appeal because the circuit clerk needs additional time, the circuit court must make the same prerequisite findings under Rule 5(b)(1)(A) through (E) required for granting extension of time for filing the record when the court reporter needs additional time to compile the record. Addition to Reporter’s Notes, 2024 Amendment: As set forth in the addition to the Reporter’s Notes, 2012 Amendment, Rule 5(b)(1)(E) was amended in 2012 to allow an extension of time when the clerk needs additional time to compile the record. However, that amendment retained the precondition in 5(b)(1) that before any extension would be allowed, a party must designate stenographically reported material for inclusion in the record. This amendment eliminates that precondition and allows an extension when the clerk needs one even if no stenographically reported material is designated in the record.

Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure

Rule 5. Service and filing of pleadings and other papers.

....

5(b) Service: Serving an Attorney or a Party and How Service is Made.

(1) (A) Whenever under this rule or any statute service is required or permitted to be made upon a party represented by an attorney, the service shall must be upon the attorney.,

(B) except that However, service shall must be upon the party:

(i) if the court so orders; or

(ii) the action is one in which a final judgment has been entered and more than 90 days have passed since the entry of the final judgment has been entered and the court has continuing jurisdiction.

3 (C) In the event the attorney-client relationship has terminated between an attorney served and the client against whom relief is requested, the attorney must file a notice, to be served upon the client, within five days of service advising the court and the adverse party that the relationship has terminated and that the party must be served.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3) (6) of this subdivision, service upon the attorney or upon the party shall must be made by delivering a copy to him the attorney or the party or by sending it to him the attorney or the party by regular mail or commercial delivery company at his the attorney’s or the party’s last known address or, if no address is known, by leaving it with the clerk of the court. Delivery of a copy for purposes of this paragraph means either:

(A) handing it to the attorney or to the party;

(B) by leaving it at his the attorney’s or the party’s office with his the attorney’s or the party’s clerk or other person in charge thereof; or,

(C) if the office is closed or the person has no office, leaving it at the attorney’s or the party’s dwelling house or usual place of abode with some person residing therein who is at least 14 years of age residence with any member of the attorney’s or the party’s family who is at least 18 years of age.

(3) Service by mail is presumptively complete upon mailing, and service by commercial delivery company is presumptively complete upon depositing the papers with the company.

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Related

Atkinson v. Ledbetter
2014 Ark. App. 245 (Court of Appeals of Arkansas, 2014)
Michael Sean Mullenix v. Jennifer Mayberry
2023 Ark. App. 139 (Court of Appeals of Arkansas, 2023)

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2024 Ark. 115, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-arkansas-supreme-court-committee-on-civil-practice-recommendations-ark-2024.