DE · rules
Del. Ct. Com. Pl. Civ. R. 72.2
Expedited procedure for appeals on the record
(a) Application of rule. This rule shall apply to appeals to the Court of Common Pleas from certain
commissions, boards, agencies and courts from which an appeal may at any time lie to the Court of
Common Pleas to be tried or heard on the record below.
(b) Motion to affirm. Within 10 days after receipt of appellant’s opening brief, appellee may, in lieu of a
brief, serve and file a motion to affirm the order, award, determination, or decree or part thereof appealed
from. The filing of the motion tolls the time for filing of appellee’s brief. The sole ground for such motion
shall be that it is manifest on the face of appellant’s brief that the appeal is without merit because:
(1) The issue on appeal is clearly controlled by settled Delaware law;
(2) The issue on appeal is factual, and clearly there is substantial evidence to support the findings of
fact below; or
(3) The issue on appeal is one of judicial or administrative discretion, and clearly there was no abuse
of discretion. The motion to affirm shall state the ground or grounds on which it is based together
with citation of authorities and record references to evidence relied upon. It shall not be a brief and
shall not contain argument. There shall be no briefing, argument or response to the motion unless
requested by the Court. If the motion to affirm shall be granted by the Court, an order or opinion will
be entered affirming the order, award, determination, or decree or part thereof appealed from. If the
motion shall be denied, the appellee’s brief will be due within 20 days after such denial, and the
appeal will proceed through briefing, oral argument and disposition as provided in these Rules.
(c) Affirmance sua sponte. After filing of the appellant’s opening brief, the Court may, sua sponte, enter
an order, award, determination, or decree or part thereof appealed from for the reason that it is manifest
on the face of the appellant’s opening brief that the appeal is without merit because:
(1) The issue on appeal is clearly controlled by settled Delaware law;
(2) The issue on appeal is factual, and clearly there is substantial evidence to support the findings of
fact below; or
(3) The issue on appeal is one of judicial or administrative discretion, and clearly there was no abuse
of discretion.
(d) Expedited scheduling. Upon motion for good cause shown or upon the Court’s order sua sponte, the
Court may order an expedited schedule of any or all procedures, including a shortened time for the filing
of briefs and other papers, in any appeal or other proceeding.
History
Amended Mar. 18, 2010, effective Apr. 30, 2010.
Provenance
- Source
- courts.delaware.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-23
- Edition
- 2026-09-23
- Content hash
9ae858c26da2ffae7f74e0af7ce4db89f4b9aec092b50f8c03e6a116509b0e74
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