Rule 14. Appeals of Right from Court of Appeals to Supreme Court under

N.C.G.S. § 7A-30

(a) Notice of Appeal; Filing and Service . Appeals of right from the Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court are taken by filing notices of appeal with the clerk of the Court of Appeals and with the clerk of the Supreme Court and serving notice of appeal upon all other parties within fifteen days after the mandate of the Court of Appeals has been issued to the trial tribunal. For cases which arise from the Industrial Commission, a copy of the notice of appeal shall also be served on the Chair of the Industrial Commission. The running of the time for filing and serving a notice of appeal is tolled as to all parties by the filing by any party within such time of a petition for rehearing under Rule 31 of these rules, and the full time for appeal thereafter commences to run and is computed as to all parties from the date of entry by the Court of Appeals of an order denying the petition for rehearing. If a timely notice of appeal is filed by a party, any other party may file a notice of appeal within ten days after the first notice of appeal was filed. A petition prepared in accordance with Rule 15(c) for discretionary review in the event the appeal is determined not to be of right or for issues in addition to those set out in the notice of appeal may be filed with or contained in the notice of appeal.

(b) Content of Notice of Appeal .

(1) [Reserved]

(2) Appeal Presenting Constitutional Question . In an appeal which is asserted by the appellant to involve a substantial constitutional question, the notice of appeal shall specify the party or parties taking the appeal; shall designate the judgment of the Court of Appeals from which the appeal is taken; shall state the issue or issues which are the basis of the constitutional claim and which are to be presented to the Supreme Court for review; shall specify the articles and sections of the Constitution asserted to be involved; shall state with particularity how appellant's rights thereunder have been violated; and shall affirmatively state that the constitutional issue was timely raised (in the trial tribunal if it could have been, in the Court of Appeals if not) and either not determined or determined erroneously.

(c) Record on Appeal .

(1) Composition . The record on appeal filed in the Court of Appeals constitutes the record on appeal for review by the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court may note de novo any deficiencies in the record on appeal and may take such action in respect thereto as it deems appropriate, including dismissal of the appeal.

(2) Transmission; Docketing; Copies . Upon the filing of a notice of appeal, the clerk of the Court of Appeals will forthwith transmit the original record on appeal to the clerk of the Supreme Court, who shall thereupon file the record and docket the appeal. The clerk of the Supreme Court will procure or reproduce copies of the record on appeal for distribution as directed by the Court, and may require a deposit from appellant to cover the cost of reproduction.

(d) Briefs .

(1) Filing and Service; Copies . In an appeal based upon the existence of a substantial constitutional question, the appellant shall file and serve a new brief within thirty days after entry of the order of the Supreme Court which determines for the purpose of retaining the appeal on the docket that a substantial constitutional question does exist. Within thirty days after service of the appellant's brief upon appellee, the appellee shall similarly file and serve copies of a new brief. An appellant may file and serve a reply brief as provided in Rule 28(h). The clerk will reproduce and distribute copies of the briefs as directed by the Court, billing the parties pursuant to these rules.

(2) Failure to File or Serve . If an appellant fails to file or serve its brief within the time allowed, the appeal may be dismissed on motion of an appellee or on the Court's own initiative. If an appellee fails to file and serve its brief within the time allowed, it may not be heard in oral argument except by permission of the Court.