Lisa Ann Rivers v. State of Arkansas

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SUPREME COURT OF ARKANSAS  No.  CR07­1126  Opinion Delivered January 17, 2008  LISA ANN RIVERS,  APPELLANT,  PETITION FOR WRIT OF  CERTIORARI  VS.  STATE OF ARKANSAS,  APPELLEE,  PETITION GRANTED; MOTION FOR  RULE ON CLERK GRANTED.  PER CURIAM  Appellant Lisa Rivers, by and through her attorney Denny Hyslip, has filed a petition  for writ of certiorari to complete the record.  On March 28, 2007, a criminal conviction was  entered against Rivers in the Madison County Circuit Court.  A timely notice of appeal was  filed on April 27, 2007.  Under Ark. R. App. P.–Civ. 5(a), the record had to be filed within  ninety days of April 27, 2007, unless the time period was extended by the circuit court.  There were difficulties in getting the record completed, and on July 25, 2007, Rivers  obtained an order purporting to grant the maximum seven­month extension  permitted under  Ark. R. App. P.–Civ. 5(b)(2).  This was intended to extend the time within which to file the  record until October 28, 2007.  On October 1, 2007, the court reporter informed Rivers that  due to her workload, the record could not be completed by October 28, 2007.  On October 26, 2007, Rivers filed a partial record with this court to confer jurisdiction  and a petition for a writ of certiorari seeking an order from this court under Ark. Sup. Ct. R.  3­5 for an extension of time for the court reporter to complete the record.  However, the matter  was  remanded  by  this  court  for  failure  to  comply  with  Ark.  R.  App.  P.–Civ.  5(b)(1)(C),  which  requires  that  the  circuit  court  order  under  Ark.  R.  App.  P.–Civ.  5(a)  extending time to file the record show that all parties have had the opportunity to be heard  on the motion either at a hearing or by responding in writing.  In other words, this matter was  remanded for Rivers to return to this court with evidence that all parties to the July 25, 2007  order granting the seven­month extension of time had an opportunity to be heard on the  motion either at  a  hearing or by responding in writing.  We are instead provided with a  December 12, 2007 order granting an extension to December 15, 2007, within which to file  the record.  The record was tendered on December 14, 2007.  On December 12, 2007, the  circuit court lacked jurisdiction to grant an extension because more than seven months had  passed from the date of the filing of the notice of appeal.  See Ark. R. App. P.–Civ. 5(b)(2).  The December 12, 2007, order does not resolve the question of whether all parties had an  opportunity to be heard on the July 25, 2007 order.  We require strict compliance with Rule 5(b); the granting of an extension is not a  mere formality.  Roy v. State, 367 Ark. 178, 144 S.W.3d 738 (2006).  The record has now  been tendered, but it was untimely when tendered on December 14, 2007.  Therefore, the  petition for writ of certiorari is granted to order the record be filed in this court.  However,  it is apparent on the record that counsel is at fault for the failure to timely file the record.  See  MacDonald  v.  State,  356  Ark.  106,  146  S.W.3d  883  (2004).  Therefore,    as  to  attorney  Hyslip we will treat this petition for writ of certiorari as a motion for rule on clerk.  We grant  the motion.  A copy of this opinion will be forwarded to the Committee on Professional Conduct.

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