Plain-English summary
Notice of appeal filed after deadline but before court reopens period is valid, Court holds
The Court ruled that when a party files a notice of appeal after the ordinary appeal deadline but before a district court reopens the appeal period under 28 U.S.C. §2107(c) and Rule 4(a)(6), that original notice is effective and does not need to be refiled after reopening. The decision reverses the Fourth Circuit and remands the case to the lower court.
Why this matters
This ruling removes a trap for litigants who file a late notice of appeal while seeking district-court relief to reopen the appeal period. It preserves appellate rights for people who acted promptly to seek reopening and filed a notice before the court decided their motion, avoiding forfeiture caused by procedural timing.
Who may feel it
- Civil and criminal litigants seeking to appeal federal district-court judgments
- Defense attorneys and prosecutors in federal cases
- Federal district courts and courts of appeals
- Appellate practitioners and public defenders
Key questions
- Does a notice of appeal filed after the ordinary appeal deadline but before a district court reopens the appeal period under §2107(c) and Rule 4(a)(6) need to be refiled after reopening?