The Arkansas Supreme Court amends Rules 3(f), 4(a), and 6(b) of the appellate rules to eliminate the signed-receipt service requirement for notices of appeal and tie cross-appeal and record-designation deadlines to filing rather than receipt.
The Arizona Court of Appeals affirmed the exclusion of a victim’s online adult content under Arizona’s rape shield statute (A.R.S. § 13-1421) in a sexual assault prosecution, holding the defendant failed to meet his burden for admissibility.
The Arkansas Supreme Court adopts sweeping amendments to Rules 11, 26, 33, 34, and 36, adding a proportionality requirement to discovery scope, banning blanket objections, and creating new certification and privilege-log standards.
The Arizona Court of Appeals affirmed a conviction for sexual conduct with a minor, reiterating that the defendant’s knowledge of the victim’s age is not an element of the offense under A.R.S. § 13-1405.
The Arkansas Supreme Court amends Rule 6(d) to clarify that the three-business-day extension for response deadlines applies when documents are served through the court’s electronic filing system.
The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals reversed a hearing officer’s order, holding that a school board provided adequate due process notice of a termination hearing by serving the employee’s attorney of record, and that internal miscommunication among the employee’s multiple lawyers did not create a constitutional violation.
The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals held that estoppel barred a property owners association from requiring removal of a swimming pool it had known about for years, but reversed the trial court’s refusal to enforce covenants against a patio and deck built without any written approval.
In a published opinion, the Arizona Court of Appeals vacated murder sentences a second time after the trial court disregarded a clear appellate mandate limiting sentencing to the presumptive term, reinforcing that trial courts are absolutely bound by appellate directives.
The Appellate Division affirmed jury convictions for fourth-degree obstruction and unlawful possession of a pocketknife stemming from a January 2021 vehicle stop, holding that defendant’s sustained physical resistance and repeated reaching toward the knife while defying repeated officer commands provided sufficient evidence of a purposeful mental state and of possession under circumstances not manifestly appropriate for lawful use.
The Appellate Division reversed a Law Division judgment of possession entered in favor of the Newark Housing Authority after finding the corporate defendants lacked adequate notice of the rescheduled OTSC return date, vacating both the possession order and the denial of defendants’ motion for leave to assert an adverse possession counterclaim, and remanding for a hearing on the merits before a different judge.