Opinion
Delivered February 13, 1995
On December 12, 1994, we submitted by per curiam order proposals prepared by the Arkansas Supreme Court Committees on Civil and Criminal Practice to divide the Arkansas Rules of Appellate Procedure into Civil and Criminal sections. See In the Matter of Recommendations of the Arkansas Supreme Court Committees on Civil Practice and Criminal Practice to Adopt Revised Rules of Appellate Procedure, 319 Ark. 791, (1994). This was part of a plan to remove from the Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure those rules pertaining to appeals and place them, as revised, in the Arkansas Rules of Appellate Procedure. We asked for comment from the bench and bar and stated that the Rules would become effective January 15, 1995, unless altered by further order. Because of the significance of these changes, we have determined to extend the time for comment from the bench and bar to May 1, 1995.
Rule 3 of the criminal appeals rules and Rule 4 of the civil appeals rules deal with the time for filing a notice of appeal. The two rules pose different requirements. We would like them to be as compatible as possible, given the distinctions, such as the right to cross-appeal generally available in civil but not in criminal cases, between the two areas of the law. For now, we simply call attention to the difference between the proposed civil and criminal rules.
We alter our December 12, 1994 per curiam order and state that the Appellate Rules of Procedure will not become effective January 15, 1995, in light of this extension for additional comment.
Comments and suggestions on these prospective rules changes may be made in writing addressed to:
Clerk, Arkansas Supreme Court Attn: Rules of Appellate Procedure Justice Building 625 Marshall Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201