VA Civ Pro Flashcards
VA Appeals - By Right or Petition
Mostly by Right
Steps to Appeal Civil Case
- File Notice of Appeal in Circuit Court
2. File Appeal Brief in VA Ct of Appeals
Appeals of Right (8 types)
- Final decision of a circuit court in a civil matter.
- Final decision of a circuit court on appeal from a decision of an administrative agency.
- Final decision of circuit ct on appeal from a grievance hearing issued pursuant to Code 2.2-3005 (Public Employees)
- Final decision of Workers’ Compensation Commission.
- Final judgment, order or decree of a circuit ct involving:
a. Application for a concealed weapons permit.
b. Involuntary treatment of prisoners
c. Declaratory or injunctive relief under Code 57-2.02 (Religious Freedom) - Interlocutory decree or order pursuant to 8.01-267.8, 8.01-626, or 8.01-675.5
- Final conviction in a circuit court of a traffic infraction or a crime
- Appeal of a Partial Final J’ment in circuit ct.
Appeals by Petition
- Commonwealth (and county, city or town) criminal appeals that were previously brought by writ of error under Code 19.2-317
- Commonwealth appeals in criminal cases pursuant to Code 19.2-398 (pretrial appeal dismissing warrant, info, summons, etc.)
Original Jurisdiction of Ct of Appeals
- Writs of mandamus, prohibition and habeas corpus in any case in which the Ct of Appeals would have appellate jurisdiction.
- Writs of actual innocence based on non-biological E.
Notice of Appeal Procedure
- Notice of Appeal filed within 30 days after entry of final j’ment or appealable order.
- Notice of Appeal filed in Clerk’s office of trial court, tribunal or commission from which appeal taken.
- Copies of notice and certificate must be delivered to all opposing counsel, unrepresented parties, Clerk of Court of Appeals, and (in crim cases) Atty Gen’l WITHIN 10 DAYS.
- Notice of Appeal must be accompanied by a $50 filing fee.
Appeal Bonds (Civil)
Party filing notice of appeal must SIMULATENOUSLY file in the TRIAL court, lower tribunal or commission an appeal bond of $500 or irrevocable letter of credit. (but clerk of ct of appeals may file notice of appeal even when filing fee is up to 10 days late.)
Party filing appeal bond must give notice in writing to counsel for appellee
Filing of Transcripts
Must be filed w/ clerk of the TRIAL CT within 60 DAYS after final j’ment.
What kind of trial court rulings can be preserved as a BASIS FOR REVERSAL ON APPEAL?
Rulings that HAVE BEEN OBJECTED TO, w/ the GROUNDS GIVEN FOR THE OBJECTION
No ruling of trial ct can be basis of reversal unless objection was STATED W/ REASONABLE CERTAINTY AT THE TIME OF THE RULING.
What are the required contents of an Appellants Opening Brief?
- brief stmt of NATURE OF CASE and of THE MATERIAL PROCEEDINGS IN THE TRIAL COURT
- statement of QUESTIONS PRESENTED ON APPEAL, w/ reference to the transcript, written stmt or other doc where each question was preserved in the trial ct
- STATEMENT OF THE FACTS
- stmt of the PRINCIPLES OF LAW THAT GOVERN CASE; and
- SHORT CONCLUSION that states the RELIEF REQUESTED.
Collateral Estoppel (Gen’l Rule)
ISSUE Preclusion
Final j’ment for the P or D is CONCLUSIVE in a SUBSEQUENT ACTION on a different cause of action between them or their privies as to issues of fact (1) actually litigated and (2) essential to the J’ment in the 1st action.
Precludes parties to a prior action from litigating in a subsequent action any factual issue that was (1) actually litigated, and (2) ESSENTIAL to a valid, final j’ment
Collateral Estoppel (MUTUALITY)
C/E may not be used by a party if MUTUALITY is lacking in earlier proceeding.
Since j’ment can’t be used against a person who wasn’t a party, that person is barred from taking advantage of the j’ment.
A person IN PRIVITY w/ a party in earlier litigation may be subject to C/E
RES JUDICATA
CLAIM Preclusion
precludes parties from relitigating the SAME CAUSE OF ACTION when a FINAL J’MENT was entered.
4 Req’ts for COLLATERAL ESTOPPEL
- Parties to prior and subsequent proceedings (or their privies) must be the same.
- Factual issue sought to be litigated must have been LITIGATED IN THE PRIOR ACTION.
- Factual issue must have been ESSENTIAL TO THE J’MENT in the prior action.
- prior action must have resulted in j’ment that is VALID, FINAL, and AGAINST THE PARTY AGAINST WHOM THE DOCTRINE IS SOUGHT TO BE APPLIED.
Breach of UNWRITTEN K S/L
3 Years
Starts WHEN BREACH OCCURRED
Breach of WRITTEN K S/L WHEN K SIGNED BY PARTY TO BE CHARGED
5 Years
K must be (1) in writing, and (2) signed by the party to be charged
Breach of Written K S/L (Written BUT NOT SIGNED BY PARTY TO BE CHARGED)
3 Years after the cause of action accrued
Defamation S/L
1 Year from when cause of action accrued
Defamation - When does COA accrue?
Begins to run from the date injury is sustained
NOT when resulting damage is discovered
COA accrues on date THE DEFAMATORY ACTS OCCURRED
What is a Nonsuit?
So long as no x-claims or counterclaims, P has absolute right to request dismissal w/o prejudice & has right to re-file claim
P may take 1 nonsuit as a matter of right (w/ limitations
When must nonsuits be taken
before
(1) a motion to strike the E has been sustained,
(2) jury retires from the bar or,
(3) if no jury, before submitted to the court for decision
Nonsuits - def’n of “the action”
Means only the action pending in the court –> only counts or claims remaining in a case at the time nonsuit is requested
Claims that have been dismissed with prejudice NOT part of pending action
Where may sheriff serve summons/complaint
Only in her own county/city OR in a contiguous county/city
Nonsuits - Period of Refiling
Longer of
(1) 6 months, or
(2) Remaining S/L period
Who may serve complaint papers
Anyone OVER 18 and who IS NOT A PARTY or OTHERWISE INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CONTROVERSY
Service on foreign corporation - who can be served?
Process must be served on “any officer, director, or registered agent of the foreign corp.”
When must service occur
Within 1 year of filing lawsuit
Service of Process when Service was Improper
Still effective if rec’d within 1 year of filing lawsuit if D received summons and complaint in timely manner –> would mean improper service of no consequence
Forgiveness of improper service does not pertain to cases of divorce and annulment of marriage
S/L - Personal Injury
2 years
S/L - Fraud
2 years
S/L - Injury to Property
5 years
S/L - Wrongful Death
2 years
S/L - Claims for sale of goods under UCC
4 years
S/L - Right of contribution among tortfeasor
3 years
S/L - Br of Unwritten K
3 years
S/L - Domestic and Foreign Judgments
20 years
Waiver of SMJ vs. Venue
SMJ - NOT Waivable –> can be attacked AT ANY TIME
Venue - defects may be waived if not objected in a timely manner
What are the common types of suits w/ Category A (Preferred Venue) venue locations?
D may challenge venue if suit brought at location other than specified venue in following cases:
Land - Where land located
Wills - where will was PROBATED (or could’ve been offered for probate)
Injunctions - where subject proceeding/judgment is
VA Tort Claims Act - claim against state can be brought where claimaint resides or act/omission occurred
Divorce and Annulment - where last cohabitation occurred or where D resides
VENUE - Category B
If not Cat A venue, D may object to venue if suit brought at a location other than :
- where D RESIDES or has principal place of e’ment (if not ind’l, where D has principal office or PPB)
- Where D has REGISTERED OFFICE, AGENT
- Where D conducts substantial business activity
- Where action or any part thereof arose (For K, action arises both where K entered into and where Br occurred)
- Actions against FIDUCIARIES APPOINTED UNDER CT ORDER
- Where PERSONALTY LOCATED
- for delivery of goods, WHERE GOODS REC’D
- to PARTITION PERSONALTY, where personalty located or where E located; otherwise, where P resides
- OTHERWISE, where D has property or debts owing to him
- If all Ds UNKOWN, where P resides
VENUE - Multiple Defendants
Venue proper if 1 party entitled to Class A location and suit brought there
Otherwise, wherever venue is proper for any party if venue proper as to at least 1 resident defendant
When must D make Objections to Venue and what must they include in objection?
D must object within 21 days (or w/i period of extension of time to file responsive pleadings).
D must set forth where he believes venue is proper
Demurrer
Tests legal sufficiency of complaint/aggressive pleadings
Assumes all well-pleaded facts in complaint are true (even if true, complaint doesn’t state valid claim for relief)
Even if sustained, J will likely grant leave to amend to cure
What is a Motion to Strike the Evidence?
Suggests a failure to prove a NEC element, and ct will grant the motion IF A JURY COULD PROPERLY FIND ONLY ONE WAY
Intervention
3rd party can file motion to intervene
Requires LEAVE OF CT
Ct has considerable discretion in deciding such request
Treated as pleading
May assert any claim or defense germane to subject matter of suit
What must P show to get an Injunction?
P must show:
- allege facts showing RECOGNIZED LEGAL RIGHT
- NO ADEQUATE LEGAL REMEDY
- injunction FEASIBLE, PRACTICABLE, and EFFECTIVE to vindicate right
- BALANCE OF EQUITIES WEIGHS IN P’s FAVOR
- wouldn’t ADVERSELY AFFECT PUBLIC INTEREST
- NO EQUITABLE DEFENSES
Types of Responsive Pleadings
Answer Demurrer Special Plea MTD Bill of Particulars
Demurrer vs. MTD
DEMURRER - Equivalent of MTD for failure to state a claim
MTD - For other legal defenses (jurisdiction, venue, and service)