J.F.M. v. C.W.B.

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REL: 05/06/2011 Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e R e p o r t e r o f D e c i s i o n s , A l a b a m a A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may b e made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r . ALABAMA COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS OCTOBER TERM, 2010-2011 2091031 J.F.M. v. C.W.B. Appeal from Perry C i r c u i t (CV-07-39) Court MOORE, J u d g e . J.F.M. a p p e a l s ("the to circuit f r o m an o r d e r o f t h e P e r r y C i r c u i t c o u r t " ) e n t e r e d on A u g u s t 6, 2009, f i n d i n g h i m b e t h e f a t h e r o f C.V.B., a c h i l d mother"), Court born t o C.W.B. ( " t h e a n d a f i n a l j u d g m e n t e n t e r e d b y t h e c i r c u i t c o u r t on 2091031 M a r c h 22, 2010, o r d e r i n g him t o pay postsecondary e d u c a t i o n a l expenses. being untimely The Perry r e c o r d r e v e a l s the f o l l o w i n g . Juvenile Court the We child. child's d i s m i s s the appeal as filed. CS-97-01, e n t e r e d of a p o r t i o n of the ("the On M a r c h 28, the j u v e n i l e c o u r t " ) , i n c a s e number a j u d g m e n t f i n d i n g J.F.M. t o be On 1997, February 2, 2007, J.F.M. the filed father in the j u v e n i l e c o u r t a " m o t i o n t o r e o p e n c a s e # CS-97-01" i n w h i c h he sought to have set aside the March 28, 1997, j u d g m e n t , p u r s u a n t t o § 26-17A-1, A l a . Code 1975; was assigned 1, 2007, t h e c a s e number C S - 9 7 - 0 1 . 0 1 . mother filed i n the 1 paternity that action Thereafter, j u v e n i l e court a on March petition s e e k i n g " p o s t - s e c o n d a r y e d u c a t i o n support" f o r the c h i l d ; a c t i o n was assigned that c a s e number CS-97-01.02. Case Number CS-97-01.02 On A p r i l 26, 2007, t h e j u v e n i l e c o u r t , i n c a s e number 97-01.02, e n t e r e d an o r d e r d i r e c t i n g t h e p a r t i e s and t h e CS- child The j u v e n i l e c o u r t ' s c a s e - a c t i o n - s u m m a r y s h e e t i n c a s e number CS-97-01.01 c o n t a i n s t h e f o l l o w i n g e n t r y : "6/22/07 Dismissed." That e n t r y , however, i s not " s i g n e d or i n i t i a l e d by t h e j u d g e . " See R u l e 5 8 ( b ) , A l a . R. C i v . P. ("A w r i t t e n o r d e r o r j u d g m e n t w i l l be s u f f i c i e n t i f i t i s s i g n e d or i n i t i a l e d by t h e j u d g e "). 1 2 2091031 to appear a t t h e P e r r y County s u b m i t t o DNA t e s t i n g . courthouse on May 2 1 , 2007, t o On May 9, 2007, J.F.M. f i l e d an a n s w e r to the mother's p e t i t i o n f o r postsecondary e d u c a t i o n a l support i n w h i c h he d e n i e d t h e m a t e r i a l a l l e g a t i o n s o f t h e p e t i t i o n ; specifically, he d e n i e d t h a t he was t h e f a t h e r o f t h e c h i l d . On May 2 1 , 2007, J.F.M. f i l e d a " s u p p l e m e n t a l answer a n d b r i e f [ a n d ] motion t o e n j o i n [DNA] t e s t i n g " among o t h e r t h i n g s , t h a t he h a d " f i l e d the case t o p r e s e n t s c i e n t i f i c i n which he a s s e r t e d , a p e t i t i o n t o re-open e v i d e n c e t h a t he was n o t t h e f a t h e r [ o f t h e c h i l d ] , " t h a t t h e mother had " f i l e d a p e t i t i o n for post-secondary answered ... educational denying he was support[, the father," which and m o t h e r ] d i d n o t answer [ h i s ] p e t i t i o n t o r e - o p e n he had] that "[the t h e case and [ h e h a d ] moved f o r a d e f a u l t j u d g m e n t w h i c h i s p e n d i n g b e f o r e th[e] an court." order On t h a t same d a t e , t h e j u v e n i l e directing genetic Corp. After performed by completed, the j u v e n i l e 2007, s t a t i n g , Lab that testing the be court entered scheduled and testing was genetic c o u r t e n t e r e d an o r d e r i n pertinent on June 22, part: " T h i s c a s e was opened t o c o n s i d e r t h e i s s u e s o f p o s t - s e c o n d a r y s u p p o r t and p a r e n t a g e . The p a r t i e s s u b m i t t e d t o DNA t e s t i n g on May 2 1 , 2007. The DNA t e s t r e s u l t s have b e e n r e t u r n e d t o t h e C o u r t w i t h 3 2091031 their respective findings wherein [J.F.M.] i s e x c l u d e d as t h e f a t h e r o f [ t h e c h i l d ] . Accordingly, t h i s c a s e i s due t o be and t h e same i s h e r e b y ORDERED DISMISSED." On J u l y 3, 2007, t h e m o t h e r f i l e d the circuit assigned court for a c a s e number trial de a n o t i c e of appeal t o novo; that appeal was CV-07-39. Case Number CV-07-39 The c i r c u i t a scheduling conference continuances, November 8, court i n i t i a l l y on s e t c a s e number CV-07-39 f o r August 9, 2007; after numerous t h e s c h e d u l i n g c o n f e r e n c e was e v e n t u a l l y h e l d on 2007, M a r c h 17, 2008. and the case The t r i a l was was scheduled continued for trial numerous times, on but i t was e v e n t u a l l y h e l d on J u l y 24, 2009, and M a r c h 16, 2010. Following ore tenus proceedings 2009, t h e c i r c u i t court entered stating, that the matter i n part, conducted an o r d e r was on July on A u g u s t 6, before 24, 2009, the court on J.F.M.'s " P e t i t i o n t o Re-open t h e P a t e r n i t y Case o r t o P r e s e n t Scientific child]"; Evidence the Excluding circuit court Him found as that the Father of [ t h e "the r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n [ J . F . M . ] and [ t h e c h i l d ] was an open r e l a t i o n s h i p and that [J.F.M.] held o u t [ t h e c h i l d ] as h i s n a t u r a l c h i l d f o r y e a r s even i n t h e f a c e of g e n e t i c 4 t e s t i n g e x c l u d i n g him that 2091031 he h a d k n o w l e d g e o f i n 1991 the presumption and 1992," and i t concluded t h a t J.F.M. i s t h e c h i l d ' s f a t h e r had n o t b e e n r e b u t t e d by c l e a r and c o n v i n c i n g e v i d e n c e . also concluded petition that for the The testimony postsecondary " i n s u f f i c i e n t upon w h i c h a status to rule," the c i r c u i t granted $8,000 t h r o u g h May April the court mother's support was i t set the matter for and $250 1, 2011, 2010, per an order on M a r c h 22, the 2010, and o r d e r e d J.F.M. to post-secondary education beginning month 1, April 2010, f o r post-secondary education expense[s]." J.F.M. filed judgments e n t e r e d mother and, on j u d g m e n t t h a t , among o t h e r "accumulated filed v a c a t e on J u n e 28, 2010. entered 2010, the mother's p e t i t i o n for 15, o r d e r s and 2010"; and the ore tenus p r o c e e d i n g s court entered a f i n a l expense[s], On regarding circuit conference. m o t h e r ' s p e t i t i o n on M a r c h 16, pay The educational c i r c u i t court conducted things, that a a motion ... and made f i n a l response to deny J.F.M. f i l e d h i s n o t i c e o f a p p e a l 2010. 5 the to t h i s "[the] on M a r c h J.F.M.'s On J u l y 12, 2010, purporting to to vacate motion the c i r c u i t motion to 22, to court vacate. c o u r t on J u l y 28, 2091031 The timely filing jurisdictional. App. 1985). of a notice Rudd v. Rudd, 467 So. 2d 964, The mother's appeal of j u d g m e n t d e t e r m i n i n g t h a t J.F.M. was and dismissing s u p p o r t was of her petition 965 not the is (Ala. Civ. juvenile child's f o r postsecondary proceeding i n the c i r c u i t a t r i a l de novo. the appeal court's father educational c o u r t as an a p p e a l f o r The R u l e s o f J u v e n i l e P r o c e d u r e a p p l y i n an appeal t o the circuit Specifically, Rule c o u r t of a j u v e n i l e 1 ( B ) , A l a . R. J u v . P., c o u r t ' s judgment. provides that the " [ p ] r o c e d u r e s h a l l be u n i f o r m i n a l l j u v e n i l e c o u r t s , w h e t h e r at the c i r c u i t or d i s t r i c t c o u r t l e v e l by t r i a l de n o v o . " (Emphasis or i n the c i r c u i t c o u r t added.) " R u l e 4 ( a ) ( 1 ) , A l a . R. App. P., p r o v i d e s f o r a p e r i o d o f 14 d a y s f o r t h e f i l i n g o f a n o t i c e o f a p p e a l t o t h i s c o u r t from a judgment of t h e j u v e n i l e c o u r t . T h i s 14-day p e r i o d b e g i n s t o r u n on t h e day on w h i c h t h e j u v e n i l e c o u r t ' s f i n a l j u d g m e n t i s e n t e r e d . See Gamble v. F i r s t A l a b a m a Bank, 404 So. 2d 688 ( A l a . C i v . App. 1981) . 'The f i l i n g o f a p o s t - j u d g m e n t m o t i o n p u r s u a n t t o R u l e s 50, 52, 55 o r 59 o f t h e A l a b a m a R u l e s o f C i v i l P r o c e d u r e (ARCP) s h a l l suspend the r u n n i n g of the time f o r f i l i n g a n o t i c e o f a p p e a l . ' R u l e 4 ( a ) ( 3 ) , A l a . R. App. P. See a l s o Gamble, s u p r a ; C i t y o f T a l l a d e g a v. McRae, 375 So. 2d 429 ( A l a . 1 9 7 9 ) . However, R u l e 1 ( B ) , A l a . R. J u v . P., p r o v i d e s t h a t ' [ a ] l l p o s t - j u d g m e n t motions .. . must be f i l e d w i t h i n 14-days a f t e r e n t r y o f j u d g m e n t ' (emphasis a d d e d ) , and t h e t i m e p e r i o d f o r taking an appeal w i l l n o t be suspended i f a p o s t j u d g m e n t m o t i o n i s n o t t i m e l y f i l e d . See B i c e v. 6 2091031 SCI A l a b a m a F u n e r a l Home S e r v s . , 764 So. 2 d 1 2 8 0 , 1281 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2000) ('[T]he t i m e f o r a p p e a l may be e x t e n d e d where a p a r t y f i l e s a timely p o s t j u d g m e n t m o t i o n p u r s u a n t t o R u l e 50, 52, 55, o r 59, A l a . R. C i v . P.' (Emphasis a d d e d . ) ) . " D.O.L. v . J.M.P.H., 874 So. 2d 560, 561-62 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2003). As p r e v i o u s l y n o t e d , t h e c i r c u i t c o u r t e n t e r e d i t s f i n a l judgment on postjudgment March 22, 2 0 1 0 . J.F.M. d i d not f i l e h i s m o t i o n t o v a c a t e u n t i l A p r i l 15, 2010, b e y o n d t h e 14-day p e r i o d a l l o w e d b y R u l e 1 ( B ) , A l a . R. J u v . P. J.F.M.'s p o s t j u d g m e n t toll the time judgment. So. m o t i o n was n o t t i m e l y f i l e d , for taking Because i t d i d not an a p p e a l f r o m t h e M a r c h 22, 2010, See B i c e v . SCI A l a b a m a F u n e r a l Home S e r v s . , 7 64 2 d 1280, 1281 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2 0 0 0 ) . J.F.M.'s n o t i c e o f a p p e a l , f i l e d As a on J u l y 28, 2010, result, was f i l e d more t h a n 14 d a y s a f t e r t h e e n t r y o f t h e c i r c u i t c o u r t ' s f i n a l judgment. R u l e 2 ( a ) ( 1 ) , A l a . R. App. P., p r o v i d e s t h a t " [ a ] n a p p e a l shall be d i s m i s s e d i f t h e n o t i c e of appeal filed t o invoke of the appellate the j u r i s d i c t i o n This court i s without j u r i s d i c t i o n ; 7 was n o t t i m e l y court." therefore, t h i s appeal i s 2091031 due t o be d i s m i s s e d . 60 ( A l a . C i v . App. Asam v. C i t y o f T u s c a l o o s a , 585 So. 2d 1991). APPEAL DISMISSED. Thompson, P . J . , and Pittman, concur. 8 Bryan, and Thomas, J J . ,

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