2:5-1. Notice of Appeal; Order in Lieu Thereof; Case Information Statement
(a) Service and Filing in Judicial Proceedings. An appeal from the final judgment of a court is taken by serving a copy of a notice of appeal and the request for transcript upon all other parties who have appeared in the action and, in adult criminal matters, upon the Appellate Section of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, and by filing the originals with the appellate court and a copy of the notice of appeal and the transcript request with the court from which the appeal is taken. In criminal matters when bail pending appeal is sought, the party seeking bail shall present to the sentencing judge a copy of the notice of appeal with a certification thereon that the original has been filed with the appellate court. A notice of appeal to the Appellate Division shall have annexed thereto a Case Information Statement in the form prescribed by paragraph (f) of this rule, and the respondent shall file such a Case Information Statement within 15 days after service upon him of the notice of appeal.
(b) Notice to Trial Judge or Agency. In addition to the filing of the notice of appeal the appellant shall mail a copy thereof, with a copy of the Case Information Statement annexed, by ordinary mail to the trial judge. If the appeal is taken directly from the decision or action of an administrative agency or officer, the appellant shall mail a copy of the notice of appeal, with a copy of the Case Information Statement annexed, to the agency or officer, except that if the appeal is taken from the Division of Workers' Compensation, a copy of the notice of appeal shall also be sent to the Workers' Compensation judge who decided the matter. Within 15 days thereafter, the trial judge, agency or officer, may file and mail to the parties an amplification of a prior statement, opinion or memorandum made either in writing or orally and recorded pursuant to R. 1:2-2. If there is no such prior statement, opinion or memorandum, the trial judge, agency or officer shall within such time file with the Clerk of the Appellate Division and mail to the parties a written opinion stating findings of fact and conclusions of law. The appellate court shall have jurisdiction of the appeal notwithstanding a failure to give notice to the trial judge, agency or officer, as required by this rule.
(c) Service in Capital Cases. In criminal actions in which the death penalty has been imposed the defendant's attorney shall forthwith serve upon the principal keeper of the state prison a copy of the notice of appeal, certified to be a true copy by the clerk of the Supreme Court.
(d) Service in Juvenile Delinquency Actions. If the appeal is from a judgment in a juvenile delinquency action, a copy of the notice of appeal shall be served, within 3 days after the filing thereof, upon the county prosecutor, who shall appear and participate in the appellate proceedings.
(e) Service and Filing in Administrative Proceedings. An appeal to the Appellate Division to review the decision, action or administrative rule of any state administrative agency or officer is taken by serving copies of the notice of appeal upon the agency or officer, the Attorney General and all other interested parties, and by filing the original of the notice with the Appellate Division. Service on the Attorney General shall be made pursuant to R. 4:4-4(a)(7). On an appeal from the Division of Workers' Compensation the Division shall not be considered a party to the appeal, and the notice of appeal shall not be served upon the Attorney General unless representing a party to the appeal.
(f) Contents of Notice of Appeal and Case Information Statement; Form; Certifications.
1. Form of Notice of Appeal. A notice of appeal to the Appellate Division may be in the form prescribed by the Administrative Director of the Courts as set forth in Appendix IV of these Rules. The use of said form shall be deemed to be compliance with the requirements of subparagraphs 2 and 3 hereof. A notice of appeal to the Supreme Court shall meet the requirements of subparagraph 3(i), (ii) and the portions of (iii) that address service of the notice and the payment of fees. Notices of appeal in capital causes shall also include the appropriate attorney's certification in respect of transcripts. The notice of appeal to the Appellate Division shall have annexed thereto a Case Information Statement as prescribed by subparagraph 2 of this rule.
2. Form of the Case Information Statement; Sanctions. The Case Information Statement shall be in the form prescribed by the Administrative Director of the Courts as set forth in Appendix VII and VIII of these Rules (civil and criminal appeals, respectively). The appellant's Case Information Statement shall have annexed to it a copy of the final judgment, order, or agency decision appealed from except final judgments entered by the clerk on a jury verdict. In the event there is any change with respect to any entry on the Case Information Statement, appellant shall have a continuing obligation to file an amended Case Information Statement on the prescribed form. Failure to comply with the requirement for filing a Case Information Statement or any deficiencies in the completion of this statement shall be ground for such action as the appellate court deems appropriate, including rejection of the notice of appeal, or on application of any party or on the court's own motion, dismissal of the appeal.
3. Requirements of Notice of Appeal.
A. Civil Actions. In civil actions the notice of appeal shall set forth the name and address of the party taking the appeal; the name and address of counsel, if any; the names of all other parties to the action and to the appeal; and shall designate the judgment, decision, action or rule, or part thereof appealed from, the name of the judge who sat below, and the name of the court, agency or officer from which and to which the appeal is taken.
B. Criminal, Quasi-Criminal and Juvenile Delinquency Actions. In criminal, quasi-criminal and juvenile delinquency actions the notice of appeal shall set forth the name and address of the appellant; the name and address of counsel, if any; a concise statement of the offense and of the judgment, giving its date and any sentence or disposition imposed; the place of confinement, if the defendant is in custody; the name of the judge who sat below; and the name of the court from which and to which the appeal is taken.
C. All Actions. In addition to the foregoing requirements, the notice of appeal in every action shall certify service of a copy thereof on all parties, the Attorney General if necessary, and the trial judge, agency or officer. In all appeals from adult criminal convictions the notice of appeal shall certify service of a copy thereof and of a copy of the Case Information Statement upon the appropriate county prosecutor and the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, Appellate Section. In all actions the notice of appeal shall also certify payment of filing fees required by N.J.S.A. 22A:2. The notice of appeal shall also certify compliance with R. 2:5‑1(f)(2) (filing of Case Information Statement), affixing a copy of the actual Case Information Statement to the notice of appeal. In all actions where a verbatim record of the proceedings was taken, the notice of appeal shall also contain the attorney's certification of compliance with R. 2:5-3(a) (request for transcript) and R. 2:5-3(d) (deposit for transcript), or a certification stating the reasons for exemption from compliance. Certifications of compliance shall specify from whom the transcript was ordered, the date ordered, and the fact of deposit, affixing a copy of the actual request for the transcript to the notice of appeal.
(g) Order in Lieu of Notice of Appeal. An order of the appellate court granting an interlocutory appeal or, on an appeal by an indigent, waiving the payment of filing fees and the deposit for costs shall serve as the notice of appeal if no notice of appeal has been filed, and, except as otherwise provided by R. 2:7-1, the date of the order shall be deemed to be the date of the filing of the notice of appeal for purposes of these rules. Within 10 days of the entry of such order, the appellant must file and serve the prescribed Case Information Statement in accordance with these rules. Upon the entry of such order the appeal shall be deemed pending, and the appellant, or the clerk of the appellate court if the appellant appears pro se, shall forthwith so notify all parties or their attorneys; the clerk of the court or state administrative agency or officer from which the appeal is taken; the trial judge if the appeal is from a judgment or order of a trial court sitting without a jury or if in an action tried with a jury, the appeal is from an order granting or denying a new trial or a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict; and the principal keeper of the state prison if the appeal is in a criminal action in which the death penalty has been imposed. The trial judge shall file an opinion or may supplement a filed opinion as provided in paragraph (b) of this rule.
(h) Attorney General and Attorneys for Other Governmental Bodies. If the validity of a federal, state, or local enactment is questioned, the party raising the question shall serve notice of the appeal on the appropriate official as provided by R. 4:28-4 unless he or she is a party to the appeal or has received notice of the action in the court below. The notice shall specify the provision thereof that is challenged and shall be mailed within five days after the filing of the notice of appeal, but the appellate court shall have jurisdiction of the appeal notwithstanding a failure to give the notice required by this rule.
