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TheImportanceofPreservingIssuesforAppellateReview CommentarybyBradleyA.Muhs, Daily Business Review

BradleyA.MuhsisacommerciallitigatorwithTrenamLawinTampa 

In2014,thelastyearforwhichdataisavailable,Florida'sstatecourtsreceived27,305incomingappellatecases.ThisputFloridasecondinthenationforthenumberofincomingappeals,behindonlyCalifornia.Nationwide,approximatelyoneinfiveciviltrialsresultsinanappeal.Thesenumbersillustratethatlitigantsmustbemindfulofthepossibilitytheircasecouldresultinanappeal.

Preserving Error

Oneofthemostimportantthingsalitigantcandotoprepareforthepossibilityofanappealistopreserveerrorforappellatereview."Preservation"inthelegalcontextstandsforthepropositionthatthetrialcourtshouldhaveanopportunitytoaddressanissueraisedbeforeitpriortoanappellatecourt'sreview.Exceptinrarecircumstances,anappellatecourtwillnotconsideranissuethatwasnotraisedinthetrialcourt.

Floridacaselawhasestablishedfourbasicelementsofpreservingerrorforappellatereview:timeliness,specificity,rulingandrecord.Timelinessrequiresthatthetrialattorneyobjectatorreasonablynearthetimetheerroroccurred,soastoallowthetrialcourtanopportunitytocorrecttheerror.Specificityrequiresthattheexactlegalargumentapartyintendstoraiseonappealmusthavebeenputbeforethetrialcourt.Rulingrequiresadecisionbemadebythetrialcourtonthelitigant'sobjection.Arecordisatranscriptorotherevidenceofthetimely,specificobjectionandruling.Withoutsucharecord,theappellatecourtoftenwillpresumenoerroroccurred.

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Whilethesefactorsdemonstratehowtopreserveerroratahearingortrial,litigantsmustbepreparedtopreserveissuesforappellatereviewatallstagesoflitigation.Forinstance,anappellatecourtwillnotreviewatheoryofliabilityoradefensethatwasnotincludedintheparty'spleadingorraisedbymotion.Atthesummaryjudgmentstage,litigantsmustensurethatallevidenceinsupportordefenseofamotionforsummaryjudgmentisproperlyfiled,servedandidentifiedtomakeaproperrecordfortheappellatecourt.If,indefenseofamotionforsummaryjudgment,alitigantobjectstotheadmissibilityofsupportingevidence,heorshemustmakethatobjectionontherecordorelseriskwaivingtheargumentforappeal.Atjuryselection,ifanobjectiontoaparticularjurorisnotraisedduringvoirdireandthenrenewedbeforethejurypanelissworn,theobjectioniswaivedforappeal.Aftertrial,aninconsistentverdictmustbeobjectedtobeforethejuryisreleasedandamotionforrehearingisrequiredtopreserveerrorsappearingforthefirsttimeinthejudgmentitself.

Determining Case Finality Before Appeal

Inmostcircumstances,anappellatecourtwillnothearacaseuntilafinaljudgmenthasbeenenteredbythetrialcourt.Therequirementof"finality"isnotalwaysaseasytoidentifyasitseems.Forexample,anordergrantingamotionforfinalsummaryjudgmentisnotnecessarily"final"butiftheordergrantingfinalsummaryjudgmentcontainslanguagesignifyingthatthecourtisenteringfinaljudgment,thentheorderisdeemedafinaljudgment.Followingentryofafinaljudgment,thelitiganthasonly30daystofileanoticeofappeal.Understandingwhenacourt'sorderisafinal,appealablejudgmentiscrucialtopreservingtherighttoappeal.

Inlimitedcircumstances,theappellatecourtwillhearcasesonnonfinaltrialcourtorders.TheFloridaRulesofAppellateProcedurecontainalistofenumeratednonfinalordersthattheappellatecourtwillreviewpriortoentryofafinaljudgment,includingordersconcerningvenue,determiningjurisdiction,andgrantingordenyinginjunctiverelief.Othernonfinalordersmaybeheardattheappellatecourt'sdiscretionunderitscertiorarijurisdictionpriortoentryoffinaljudgment,butonlyifthelitigantdemonstratesthatthetrialcourt'sorderwillcauseirreparableharmthatcannotberemediedonappeal.

Conclusion

Whilethisisjustanabbreviatedlookatsomeofthenecessarystepslitigantsshouldbetakingattrialtopreparethemselvesforthepossibilityofappeal,therearemanyotherconsiderationsforthisvitalaspectoflitigation.Preservationoferrorischiefamongthosesteps;withoutproperlypreservinganobjectionorargumentinthetrialcourtbelow,andwithoutmakingarecordshowingthatthespecificobjectionorargumentwasmade,theappellatecourtlikelywillrefusetoreviewtheissue.

Beyondsimplepreservationoferror,navigatingtheappellateprocesscanbeadauntingtaskforanyattorney.Asaresult,manylitigantsconferwithanappellateattorneyduringtrialproceedings,haveanappellateattorneysitatcounseltableduringtrialtoensureallnecessaryproceduralstepsarebeingtaken,orotherwiseoutsourcetheirappellateissuestoattorneyswhospecializeinappellatepractice.Whateveroptionyoutake,besuretoprepareforthepossibilityofanappeal,andtakethestepsnecessarytoprotectyourselfandyourclient.

BradleyA.MuhsisacommerciallitigatorwithTrenamLaw(Tampa).Hemaybereachedat727‐820‐3960orbyemailatbmuhs@trenam.com.