Nevada Supreme Court, 2019

Smith (Joshua) Vs. State

Smith (Joshua) Vs. State
Nevada Supreme Court · Decided October 15, 2019

Smith (Joshua) Vs. State

Opinion

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEVADA

JOSHUA LEWIS SMITH, No. 79334 Appellant, VS. THE STATE OF NEVADA, Respondent.

No. 79337

JOSHUA LEWIS SMITH, No. 79339 if Appellant, VS. THE STATE OF NEVADA, Respondent.

FILED OCT 1 5 2019 ELIZABETH A. BROWN CLERK 0f SUREME COURT By . CAA-A-WI DEPUTY CLERK

ORDER DISMISSING APPEALS These are pro se appeals from a single district court order denying motions to correct an illegal sentence. Second Judicial District Court, Washoe County; Connie J. Steinheimer, Judge.

The district court entered the order denying appellant's motions on June 28, 2019. The notices of appeal were therefore due by July 29,•2019.

See NRAP 4(b). The notice of appeal was filed in the district court August 2, 2019, four days after the expiration of the relevant appeal period. See NRAP 4(b)(1)(A).

Because appellant signed his notices of appeal on July 29, 2019, SUPREME COURT OF within the prescribed appeal period, this court entered an order directing NEVADA

0) 1947A AP. the attorney general to provide this court with a copy of the notice of appeal log or other mail log maintained by the prison indicating the actual date upon which appellant delivered his notice of appeal to a prison official. See NRAP 4(d) (a notice of appeal filed by an inmate confined in an institution is tiinely "if it is delivered to a prison official for mailing on or before the last day for filing"); Kellogg v. Journal Communications, 108 Nev. 474, 477, 835 P.2d 12, 13 (1992) (providing that a notice of appeal is deemed "filed" when it is delivered to a prison official).

Having considered the attorney general's response, the prison's outgoing legal mail log indicates that appellant sent unidentified legal mail on July 31, 2019, to the Second Judicial District Court, and appellant did not use the prison's notice of appeal log within the relevant time period.

Even assuming the mail•sent on July 31, 2019, was appellant's notices of appeal, they were sent beyond the relevant appeal period.1 Because there is no record that appellant timely delivered his notices of appeal to a prison official, the August 2, 2019, date controls. See NRAP 4(d) (an inmate must use the notice of appeal log or other system designed for legal mail to receive the benefit of the rule). Appellant's notices of appeal were untimely filed. Accordingly, this court lacks jurisdiction, see

1Appellant points out in his response filed October 10, 2019, that the notice of entry of the appealed orders states that a notice of appeal must be filed within 33 days of the date the notice was mailed to appellant. He asserts that the notices of appeal were timely filed within 33 days, i.e., before August 5, 2019. However, the statement in the notice of entry of order regarding the time to appeal is incorrect. A notice of appeal from an order denying a motion to correct an illegal sentence must be filed within days of entry of the order. NRAP 4(b)(1)(A); Edwards, 112 Nev. at 709, P.2d at 325.

Lozada v. State, 110 Nev. 349, 352, 871 P.2d 944, 946 (1994) (IA]n untimely notice of appeal fails to vest jurisdiction in this court"), and ORDERS these appeals DISMISSED.

J.

Pickering

'cili•AGLA64keg"'7"J.

Parraguirre • J.

Cadish

cc: Hon. Connie J. Steinheimer, District• Judge Karla K. Butko Attorney General/Carson City Washoe County District Attorney Washoe District Court Clerk

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