Rule 8-111. Designation of Parties;  References

(a) Formal Designation

(1) No Prior Appellate Decision When no prior appellate decision has been rendered, the party first appealing the decision of the trial court shall be designated the appellant and the adverse party shall be designated the appellee. Unless the Court orders otherwise, the opposing parties to a subsequently filed appeal shall be designated the cross-appellant and cross-appellee.

(2) Prior Appellate Decision In an appeal to the Supreme Court from a decision by the Appellate Court or by a circuit court exercising appellate jurisdiction, the party seeking review of the most recent decision shall be designated the petitioner and the adverse party shall be designated the respondent. Except as otherwise specifically provided or necessarily implied, the term “appellant” as used in the Rules in this Title shall include a petitioner and the term “appellee” shall include a respondent.

(b) Alternative References In the interest of clarity, the parties are encouraged to use the designations used in the trial court, the actual names of the parties, or descriptive terms such as “employer,” “insured,” “seller,” “husband,” and “wife” in papers filed with the Court and in oral argument.

(c) Victims and Victims' Representatives Although not a party to a criminal or juvenile proceeding, a victim of a crime or a delinquent act or a victim's representative may: (1) file an application for leave to appeal to the Appellate Court from an interlocutory or a final order under Code, Criminal Procedure Article, § 11-103 and Rule 8-204; or (2) participate in the same manner as a party regarding the rights of the victim or victim's representative.

Committee Notes

Cross reference: See Rule 8-305 for designation of parties in cases certified pursuant to the Maryland Uniform Certification of Questions of Law Act. Cross reference: See Rule 8-305 for designation of parties in cases certified pursuant to the Maryland Uniform Certification of Questions of Law Act. Cross reference: See Rule 1-326 for service and notice to attorneys for victims and victims' representatives regarding the rights of victims and representatives. Source: This Rule is derived as follows: Section (a) is derived in part from former Rule 827 and in part new. Section (b) is derived from Fed. R. App. P. 28 (d). Section (c) is new.