Rule 1113. Time for Petitioning for Allowance of Appeal.
(a) General rule.—Except as otherwise prescribed by this rule, a petition for allowance of appeal shall be filed with the Prothonotary of the Supreme Court within 30 days after the entry of the order of the Superior Court or the Commonwealth Court sought to be reviewed.
(1) If a timely application for reargument is filed in the Superior Court or Commonwealth Court by any party, the time for filing a petition for allowance of appeal for all parties shall run from the entry of the order denying reargument or from the entry of the decision on reargument, whether or not that decision amounts to a reaffirmation of the prior decision.
(2) Unless the Superior Court or the Commonwealth Court acts on the application for reargument within 60 days after it is filed, the court shall no longer consider the application, it shall be deemed to have been denied, and the prothonotary of the appellate court shall forthwith enter an order denying the application and shall immediately give notice of entry of the order denying the application to each party who has appeared in the appellate court. A petition for allowance of appeal filed before the disposition of such an application for reargument shall have no effect. A new petition for allowance of appeal must be filed within the prescribed time measured from the entry of the order denying or otherwise disposing of such an application for reargument.
(3) In a children’s fast track appeal, unless the Superior Court acts on the application for reargument within 45 days after it is filed, the court shall no longer consider the application, it shall be deemed to have been denied, and the Prothonotary of the Superior Court shall forthwith enter an order denying the application and shall immediately give notice of entry of the order denying the application to each party who has appeared in the appellate court. A petition for allowance of appeal filed before the disposition of such an application for reargument shall have no effect. A new petition for allowance of appeal must be filed within the prescribed time measured from the entry of the order denying or otherwise disposing of such an application for reargument.
(b) Cross-petitions.—Except as otherwise prescribed in paragraph (c) of this rule, if a timely petition for allowance of appeal is filed by a party, any other party may file a cross-petition for allowance of appeal within 14 days of the date on which the first petition for allowance of appeal was served, or within the time otherwise prescribed by this rule, whichever period last expires.
(c) Special provisions.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this rule, a petition for allowance of appeal from an order in any matter arising under any of the following shall be filed within ten days after the entry of the order sought to be reviewed:
1. Pennsylvania Election Code.
2. Local Government Unit Debt Act or any similar statute relating to the authorization of public debt.
(d) Nunc pro tunc filing.—In addition to the right of any petitioner to seek nunc pro tunc relief in compliance with the standard set forth in case law, in a criminal case, a party may, (either pro se or through counsel) file an application for permission to file a petition for allowance of appeal nunc pro tunc if the party directed counsel to file a petition for allowance of appeal but counsel did not do so timely. If the Court cannot determine whether nunc pro tunc relief is appropriate from the information provided, the Court may remand to the trial court for factual findings.
Official Note
See note to Pa.R.A.P. 903 (time for appeal).
Paragraph (b)—A party filing a cross-petition for allowance of appeal should identify it as a cross-petition to assure that the prothonotary will process the cross-petition with the initial petition. See also Pa.R.A.P. 511 (cross-appeals), Pa.R.A.P. 2136 (briefs in cases involving cross-appeals), and Pa.R.A.P. 2322 (cross- and separate appeals).
Paragraph (d)—An application for nunc pro tunc relief pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 123 should contain averments and documentation in support of the request. Such an application may eliminate the need for a criminal defendant to vindicate the right to file a petition for allowance of appeal through post-conviction proceedings and preserve judicial resources. This method is available because the Supreme Court has recognized that a criminal defendant has a right to have counsel petition for allowance of appeal. Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure 120 and 122 require counsel to represent clients through all stages of a direct appeal, and this places on counsel an obligation to file a petition for allowance of appeal if the client requests one, and to represent the client in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, if allowance of appeal is granted. Parties seeking nunc pro tunc relief must act promptly to assert such a right upon learning of the existence of the basis for such relief. See, e.g., Commonwealth v. Bassion, 568 A.2d 1316 (Pa. Super. 1990). Additionally, nothing in this rule is intended to expand upon the jurisdictional time limitations of the Post-Conviction Relief Act, 42 Pa.C.S. § § 9541 et seq.
(Editor’s Note: The following order was published at 54 Pa.B. 5611 (September 7, 2024):
Temporary Modification and Suspension of the Rules of Appellate Procedure and Judicial Administration for Appeals Arising under the Pennsylvania Election Code; No. 622 Judicial Administration Docket
Order
Per Curiam
And Now, this 27th day of August, 2024, upon consideration of the requirements of the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, see 3 U.S.C. § 5, to expedite appeals in matters arising under the Pennsylvania Election Code with respect to the November 5, 2024 General Election, and pursuant to Article V, Section 10 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, it is Ordered as follows:
Rule 903(c)(1)(ii) of the Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate Procedure, which provides for a 10-day appeal period from an order in any matter arising under the Pennsylvania Election Code, is Temporarily Modified to provide for a 3-day appeal period; further, Pa.R.A.P. 1113(c)(1), which provides for a 10-day period for filing a petition for allowance of appeal from an order in any matter arising under the Pennsylvania Election Code, is Temporarily Modified to provide for a 3-day period. All cross-appeals and cross-petitions for allowance of appeal must also be filed within 3 days of the challenged order.
Additionally, Pa.R.A.P. 107 and Pa.R.J.A. 107 are Temporarily Suspended to the extent they specify that weekends and holidays are to be excluded in calculating the above 3-day periods.
Answers to jurisdictional statements and petitions for allowance of appeal, and separate motions to quash or dismiss appeals, will not be received in these matters. Any objection to the propriety of the appeal, including questions surrounding the appellate court’s jurisdiction, are to be raised in the appellees’ merits briefs.
In appeals that fall within the purview of this order, appellants shall file briefs within 24 hours of the filing their notice of appeal and, where applicable, jurisdictional statement. Appellees’ briefs are due within 24 hours of the filing of appellants’ briefs. Further, Pa.R.A.P. 2113 (regarding reply briefs) is Temporarily Suspended in these matters; no reply briefs will be permitted absent order of court.
All filings related to matters encompassed by this order shall be filed electronically when counsel or the litigants have a PACFile account. Otherwise, counsel or the litigants shall contact the relevant filing office to make alternative arrangements to ensure that the filing office receives the submissions by the applicable deadline.
Pa.R.A.P. 1931(a) and (c) (regarding the deadline for transmittal of the record when complete) are Temporarily Suspended in matters subject to this order, and the record shall be transferred as soon as practicable. The lower court may transmit partially completed records in the interest of facilitating prompt resolution of any appeal in these matters.
Applications for reconsideration or reargument will not be received on matters falling under this order.
Any court deciding a matter that arises under the Pennsylvania Election Code in relation to the November 5, 2024 General Election shall append a copy of this order to its decision.
This order shall be effective August 29, 2024, and shall apply to appeals or petitions for allowance of appeal filed from orders entered after that date.
This order shall remain in effect pending further order of this Court.
Source The provisions of this Rule 1113 amended through April 26, 1982, effective September 12, 1982, 12 Pa.B. 1536; amended October 18, 2002, effective December 2, 2002, 32 Pa.B. 5402; amended January 13, 2009, effective as to all appeals filed 60 days or more after adoption, 39 Pa.B. 1094; amended April 9, 2012, effective in 30 days, 42 Pa.B. 2269; amended January 7, 2020, effective May 1, 2020, 50 Pa.B. 535. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (372656) and (389947).
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