Rule 37. Appeals from County Court

(a) Filing Notice of Appeal and Docketing Appeal. The district attorney may appeal a question of law, and the defendant may appeal a judgment of the county court in a criminal action under simplified procedure to the district court of the county. To appeal the appellant shall, within 35 days after the date of entry of the judgment or the denial of posttrial motions, whichever is later, file notice of appeal in the county court, post such advance costs as may be required for the preparation of the record and serve a copy of the notice of appeal upon the appellee. He shall also, within such 35 days, docket the appeal in the district court and pay the docket fee. No motion for new trial or in arrest of judgment shall be required as a prerequisite to an appeal, but such motions if filed shall be pursuant to Rule 33(b) of these Rules.

(b) Contents of Notice of Appeal and Designation of Record. The notice of appeal shall state with particularity the alleged errors of the county court or other grounds relied upon for the appeal, and shall include a stipulation or designation of the evidence and other proceedings which the appellant desires to have included in the record certified to the district court. If the appellant intends to urge upon appeal that the judgment or a finding or conclusion is unsupported by the evidence or is contrary to the evidence, the appellant shall include in the record a transcript of all evidence relevant to such finding or conclusion. The appellee shall have 14 days after service upon him of the notice of appeal to file with the clerk of the county court and serve upon the appellant a designation of any additional parts of the transcript or record which he deems necessary. The advance cost of preparing the additional record shall be posted by the appellant with the clerk of the county court within 7 days after service upon him of the appellee's designation, or the appeal will be dismissed. If the district court finds that any part of the additional record designated by the appellee was unessential to a complete understanding of the questions raised by the appeal, it shall order the appellee to reimburse the appellant for the cost advanced for the preparation of such part without regard to the outcome of the appeal.

(c) Contents of Record on Appeal. Upon the filing of a notice of appeal and upon the posting of any advance costs by the appellant, as are required for the preparation of a record, unless the appellant is granted leave to proceed as an indigent, the clerk of the county court shall prepare and issue as soon as possible a record of the proceedings in the county court, including the summons and complaint or warrant, the separate complaint if any has been issued, and the judgment. The record shall also include a transcription or a joint stipulation of such part of the actual evidence and other proceedings as the parties designate. If the proceedings have been recorded electronically, the transcription of designated evidence and proceedings shall be prepared in the office of the clerk of the court, either by him or her or under his or her supervision, within 42 days after the filing of the notice of appeal or within such additional time as may be granted by the county court. The clerk shall notify in writing the opposing parties of the completion of the record, and such parties shall have 14 days within which to file objections. If none are received, the record shall be certified forthwith by the clerk. If objections are made, the parties shall be called for hearing and the objections settled by the county judge and the record then certified.

(d) Filing of Record. When the record has been duly certified and any additional fees therefor paid, it shall be filed with the clerk of the district court by the clerk of the county court, and the opposing parties shall be notified by the clerk of the county court of such filing.

(e) Briefs. A written brief setting out matters relied upon as constituting error and outlining any arguments to be made shall be filed in the district court by the appellant within 21 days after certification of the record. A copy of the appellant's brief shall be served upon the appellee. The appellee may file an answering brief within 21 days after such service. A reply brief may be filed within 14 days after service of the answering brief. In the discretion of the district court, the time for filing briefs and answers may be extended.

(f) Stay of Execution. Pending the docketing of the appeal, a stay of execution shall be granted by the county court upon request. If a sentence of imprisonment has been imposed, the defendant may be required to post bail, and if a fine and costs have been imposed, a deposit of the amount thereof may be required by the county court. Upon a request for stay of execution made any time after the docketing of the appeal, such action may be taken by the district court. Stays of execution granted by the county court or district court and, with the written consent of the sureties if any, bonds posted with such courts shall remain in effect until after final disposition of the appeal, unless modified by the district court. 227 Appeals from County Court Rule 37

(g) Trials de Novo; Penalty Not Increased. If for any reason an adequate record cannot be certified to the district court the case shall be tried de novo in that court. No action on appeal shall result in an increase in penalty.

(h) Judgment; How Enforced. Unless there is further review by the Supreme Court upon writ of certiorari pursuant to the rules of such court, after final disposition of the appeal the judgment on appeal entered by the district court shall be certified to the county court for action as directed by the district court, except in cases tried de novo by the district court or in cases in which the district court modifies the county court judgment, and in such cases, the judgment on appeal shall be that of the district court and so enforceable.

(i) Appeals to Superior Court. In counties in which a superior court has been established, appeals from the county court shall be taken to the superior court rather than the district court. All of the provisions of this section governing appeals from the county court to the district court are applicable when the appeal is taken to the superior court, and the term ''district court'' as used in this section shall be understood to include the superior court.

Committee Notes

Source: (a), (b), (c), and (e) amended and adopted December 14, 2011, effective July 1,