Opinion · Supreme Court of the United States

Lemke v. United States

Lemke v. United States, 346 U.S. 325 (1953)

Type
Opinion
Court
Supreme Court of the United States
Jurisdiction
Federal
Date
1953-10-12
Topic
general

How later courts describe this case

  • treating as an “irregularity" the premature filing of a notice of appeal in violation of former Fed.R.Crim.P. 37(a)(2) (current Fed.R.App.P. 4(b))
  • see majority opinion, note 2

Citator

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Cited by
73 opinions

Headnotes

  1. Criminal Law & Procedure — Perfecting an Appeal Under Rule 37(a)(2) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, a defendant's appeal may be taken within 10 days after entry of the judgment or order appealed from. 346 U.S. at 325
  2. Criminal Law & Procedure — Harmless Error An error, defect, irregularity, or variance that does not affect substantial rights must be disregarded under Rule 52(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. 346 U.S. at 326
  3. Criminal Law & Procedure — Notice of Appeal A notice of appeal filed before entry of the judgment is not fatal to the appeal; where the notice remains on file after entry of the judgment and gives full notice of the sentence and judgment challenged, the prematurity is an irregularity that does not affect substantial rights and must be disregarded rather than resulting in dismissal of the appeal. 346 U.S. at 326
LEMKEv. UNITED STATES,346 U.S. 325(1953)
74 S.Ct. 1,14 Alaska 423
LEMKEv. UNITED STATES.
ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT
OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT.
No. 109.
Decided October 12, 1953.
Petitioner was convicted of a crime and sentenced to imprisonment. He filed his notice of appeal the next day; but judgment was not entered until several days later.Held:Though Rule37(a)(2) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure provides that such appeals may be taken "within 10 days after entry of the judgment," the irregularity in noting the appeal prematurely should have been disregarded under Rule 52(a), as it did not "affect substantial rights," and the appeal should not have been dismissed. Pp. 325-326.203 F.2d 406, reversed.
Bailey E. Bellfor petitioner.Acting Solicitor General Davis, Assistant AttorneyGeneral Olney, Beatrice RosenbergandRobert G.Maysackfor the United States.
PER CURIAM.
This case is here on a petition for certiorari to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which dismissed an appeal as premature. Rule37(a)(2) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure provides that "An appeal by a defendant may be taken within 10 days after entry of the judgment or order appealed from . . . ."Page 326

On March 10, 1952, petitioner was sentenced to six months in jail after a jury verdict finding him guilty of violating § 65-5-81 of the Alaska Compiled Laws Ann., 1949. On March 11, 1952, petitioner filed his notice of appeal. The judgment, however, was not entered until March 14, 1952. Since no notice of appeal was filed after that time, the appeal was dismissed as premature, Judge Pope dissenting.

The notice of appeal filed on March 11 was, however, still on file on March 14 and gave full notice after that date, as well as before, of the sentence and judgment which petitioner challenged. We think the irregularity is governed by Rule 52(a) which reads "Any error, defect, irregularity or variance which does not affect substantial rights shall be disregarded."

Accordingly we grant the petition for certiorari, reverse the judgment below, and remand the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

THE CHIEF JUSTICE took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.Page 327