Opinion

Skelton v. City of Tuscaloosa

  • 46 Ala. App. 404
  • 243 So. 2d 388
  • 1971 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 417
Court
Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
Filed
Jan 12, 1971
Status
Published
Author
Almon
On the bench
Almon
Cited by
2 cases
Authority
More cited than 47.5%

Overruled — as noted by 2 later courts

Later courts went against this

  • Overruled — as noted by 2 later courts

    Our supreme court’s decision in Gaines v. Gaines, supra, indicates that Dexter Service Co. and Skelton are no longer binding authority.
    2 citing opinions

The opinion

ALMON, Judge.

This is an appeal from a trial de novo in the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County where appellants were convicted of violating a Tuscaloosa City Ordinance requiring them to wear protective helmets while driving motorcycles.

Appellee, the City of Tuscaloosa, has moved to dismiss this appeal because of appellants’ failure to serve a copy of their brief on the City Attorney. According to the Certificate of Service in appellants’ brief, a copy of their brief was served on the Attorney General of the State of Alabama rather than the City Attorney representing the City of Tuscaloosa.

Prosecutions under City Ordinance have long been deemed quasi-criminal in nature and on appeal to this Court are subject to the rules governing civil appeals. Alabama Digest, Municipal Corporations, <§^642(1).

It follows then that this appeal is governed by Supreme Court Rule 11, which is as follows:

“Each brief shall be signed by the party filing the same or his attorney and shall contain a certificate at the end thereof, signed by the party or his attorney, that a copy thereof has been delivered or mailed to one of the attorneys for the opposing party, if represented by counsel, or to the opposing party if not so represented and his address is known; and the certificate shall show the date of such delivery or mailing and the person to whom delivered or mailed.”

Therefore, appellants’ failure to serve appellee with a copy of their brief within the time prescribed requires dismissal of this appeal. Dexter Service Co. v. Thames Lumber & Mfg. Co., 281 Ala. 451 , 204 So.2d 147 ; Board of Com’rs of City of Montgomery v. Crenshaw, 270 Ala. 598 , 120 So.2d 870 .

Appeal dismissed.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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