Miss. R. App. P. 17

As amended through October 31, 2024

Rule 17 - Review in the Supreme Court Following Decision by the Court of Appeals

(a) Decisions of Court of Appeals Reviewable by Writ of Certiorari. A decision of the Court of Appeals is a final decision which is not reviewable by the Supreme Court except on writ of certiorari. Review on writ of certiorari is not a matter of right, but a matter of judicial discretion. The Supreme Court may grant a petition for writ of certiorari on the affirmative vote of four of its members and may, by granting such writ, review any decision of the Court of Appeals. Successive review of a decision of the Court of Appeals by the Supreme Court will ordinarily be granted only for the purpose of resolving substantial questions of law of general significance. Review will ordinarily be limited to:

(1) cases in which it appears that the Court of Appeals has rendered a decision which is in conflict with a prior decisions of the Court of Appeals or published Supreme Court decision;

(2) cases in which it appears that the Court of Appeals has not considered a controlling constitutional provision;

(3) cases which should have been decided by the Supreme Court because:

(i) the statute or these rules require decision by the Supreme Court, or

(ii) they involve fundamental issues of broad public importance requiring determination by the Supreme Court.

Notwithstanding the presence of one or more of these factors, the Supreme Court may decline to grant a petition for certiorari for review of the decision of the Court of Appeals. The Court may, in the absence of these factors, grant a writ of certiorari.

(b) Time for Filing Petition for Writ of Certiorari; Content and Length of Petition. A party seeking review of a judgment of the Court of Appeals must first seek review of that court's decision by filing a motion for rehearing in the Court of Appeals. If a party seeks review in the Supreme Court, a petition for a writ of certiorari for review of the decision of the Court of Appeals must be filed in the Supreme Court and served on other parties within fourteen (14) days from the date of entry of judgment by the Court of Appeals on the motion for rehearing, unless extended upon motion filed within such time. An untimely petition may be summarily dismissed by a single justice of the Supreme Court. The petition for writ of certiorari may not exceed ten (10) pages in length and must briefly and succinctly state the precise basis on which the party seeks review by the Supreme Court, and may include citation of authority in support of that contention. No citation to authority or argument may be incorporated into the petition by reference to another document. The petitioner must file an original and ten (10) copies of the petition. The petitioner must attach, as appendices to the petition, a copy of the opinion and judgment of the Court of Appeals, and a copy of the motion for rehearing filed in the Court of Appeals.

(c) Briefs and Oral Argument Not Permitted. Neither briefs nor oral argument shall be allowed in support of a petition for a writ of certiorari, unless requested by the Supreme Court.

(d) Response to Petition for Writ of Certiorari. Within 7 days after the filing of an application for a writ of certiorari, any other party to the case may, but need not, file and serve an original and 10 copies of a written response in opposition to the petition. The response may not exceed ten (10) pages in length. No citation to authority or argument may be incorporated into the response by reference to another document. The respondent may attach, as an appendix, his or her response to the petition for rehearing filed in the Court of Appeals.

(e) Decision by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court shall act upon a petition for a writ of certiorari within ninety (90) days of the filing of the response provided for in subsection (d) above, or, should no response be filed, the final date upon which such response could be filed. The failure of the Court to issue such a writ within that period shall constitute a rejection of the petition and the petition shall be deemed denied.

(f) Reconsideration Not Permitted. Neither an acceptance nor a rejection of a petition for certiorari shall be subject to further pleading by a party for rehearing or reconsideration. Prior to final disposition, the Supreme Court may, on its own motion, find there is no need for further review and may dismiss the certiorari proceeding.

(g) Notification of Grant of Petition for Certiorari. Upon the Supreme Court's disposition of a petition for a writ of certiorari, the clerk of the Supreme Court shall immediately notify the parties.

(h) Record on Review. Upon notice of a grant of certiorari, any party may, whether requested by the Court or not, within 10 days, file an original and 10 copies of a supplemental brief not to exceed 10 pages. No additional time or pages shall be allowed for supplemental briefs. The Supreme Court may require supplemental briefs on the merits of all or some of the issues for review. The Supreme Court's review on the grant of certiorari shall be conducted on the record and briefs previously filed in the Court of Appeals and on any supplemental briefs filed. The Supreme Court may limit the question on review.

(i) Oral Argument; Supplemental Briefs. Oral argument shall not be allowed, unless requested by the Supreme Court. The Court may require oral argument.

(j) Mandate. The timely filing of a petition for a writ of certiorari shall stay the issuance of the mandate of the Court of Appeals. Upon the issuance of an order of denial of a petition for a writ of certiorari or upon the expiration of the period allowed for the Supreme Court's consideration of such a petition, the clerk of the Supreme Court shall issue the mandate, pursuant to M.R.A.P. 41.

(k) Motions to dismiss or withdraw opinion filed after petition for writ of certiorari. Where motions to dismiss an appeal or motions to withdraw or alter an opinion of the Court of Appeals are filed after a petitions for writ of certiorari have been filed in the Supreme Court, the proceedings on the petitions for writ of certiorari will be suspended and the cases will be remanded to the Court of Appeals to address the motions. After the Court of Appeals has addressed the motions, the matter shall proceed in the Supreme Court, and, if the motion to dismiss the case has been granted, the petition may be dismissed as moot.

Miss. R. App. P. 17

Adopted to govern matters filed on or after January 1, 1995; amended February 10, 1995; amended effective 9/28/1995; amended 6/21/1996; amended 10/15/1998, effective from and after1/1/1999; amended 6/24/1999; amended effective 1/3/2002; amended effective 7/1/2012 to revise subsection (f).

ADVISORY COMMITTEE HISTORICAL NOTE

Effective January 3, 2002, a new Rule 17(k) was adopted. 803-804 So.2d XIX (West Miss.Cases 2002).

Effective June 24, 1999, Rule 17(b) was amended to effect editorial changes. 735 So.2d XIX (West Miss.Cases 1999).

Effective January 1, 1999, Rule 17(b) was amended to provide that untimely certiorari petitions may be summarily dismissed by a single justice and to provide that motions to extend the time to file a certiorari petition must be made within the original 14 days. 717-722 So.2d XXVII (West Miss.Cases 1998).

Effective January 1, 1999, Rule 17(e) was amended to effect a technical change. So.2d 717-722 XXVII (West Miss.Cases 1998).

Effective June 21, 1996, Rule 17(e) was amended to enlarge the period for acting on certiorari petitions from sixty to ninety days. In addition, Rule 17(b) was amended to redesignate rehearing "petitions" as "motions," and Rule 17(d) was amended to consistently designate certiorari "petitions" as "petitions" and effect another technical change. 673-678 So.2d XXXIX-XL (West Miss. Cases 1996).

Effective September 25, 1995, Rule 17(b) was amended to make clear that the time for filing a petition a writ of certiorari begins to run with the entry of the judgment of the Court of Appeals on the required petition for rehearing, and to effect unrelated technical changes. 660 So.2d LXXXIII-LXXXIV (West Miss.Cases 1995).

Effective February 10, 1995, Rule 17(j) was amended to state that the clerk shall issue the mandate in accordance with Miss.R.App.P. 41. 648 So.2d XXXII (West Miss.Cases 1995).

Effective January 1, 1995, the Supreme Court promulgated Miss.R.App.P. 17, entitled "Review in the Supreme Court Following Decision by the Court of Appeals." Miss.Sup.Ct.R. 17 had been designated reserved. 644-647 So.2d LI-LIII (West Miss.Cases 1994).

Comment

Rule 17 provides a procedure by which parties may seek Supreme Court review of a judgment of the Court of Appeals. Section (a) follows Miss. Code Ann. § 9-4-3(2)(Supp. 1994) which provides that "[d]ecisions of the Court of Appeals are final and are not subject to review by the Supreme Court, except by [grant of] writ of certiorari . . . by the affirmative vote of four (4) of [the Supreme Court's] members."

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