(a)  Grounds.- On motion or on its own initiative, the Court may dismiss an appeal for any of the following reasons: 

(1) the appeal is not allowed by these rules or other law; 

(2) the appeal was not properly taken pursuant to Rule 8-201; 

(3) the notice of appeal was not filed with the lower court within the time prescribed by Rule 8-202; 

(4) the appellant has failed to comply with the requirements of Rule 8-205; 

(5) the record was not transmitted within the time prescribed by Rule 8-412, unless the court finds that the failure to transmit the record was caused by the act or omission of a judge, a clerk of court, the court reporter, or the appellee; 

(6) the contents of the record do not comply with Rule 8-413; 

(7) a brief or record extract was not filed by the appellant within the time prescribed by Rule 8-502; 

(8) the style, contents, size, format, legibility, or method of reproduction of a brief, appendix, or record extract does not comply with Rules 8-112, 8-501, 8-503, or 8-504; 

(9) the proper person was not substituted for the appellant pursuant to Rule 8-401; or 

(10) the case has become moot. 
 

Cross References.

    Rule 8-501 (m). 

(b)  Determination by Court.- An order of the Court dismissing an appeal or denying a motion to dismiss an appeal may be entered by the Chief Judge, an individual judge of the Court designated by the Chief Judge, or the number of judges required by law to decide an appeal. 
 

Cross References.

    For the number of judges required by law to decide an appeal, see Maryland Constitution, Article IV, § 14 and Code, Courts Article, § 1-403. 

(c)  Reconsideration of dismissal.-  

(1) Motion for Reconsideration.- No later than 10 days after the entry of an order dismissing an appeal, a party may file a motion for reconsideration of the dismissal. 

(2) Number of Judges; Exception.- A motion for reconsideration shall be determined by the number of judges required by law to decide an appeal, except that an individual judge who entered an order of dismissal may rescind the order and reinstate the appeal.  The judges who determine the motion for reconsideration may include one or more of the judges who entered the order of dismissal. 

      Although an individual judge who entered an order of dismissal may rescind the order and reinstate the appeal upon a timely filed motion for reconsideration, a motion for reconsideration of the dismissal may be denied only by the number of judges required by law to decide an appeal. 

(3) Determination of Motion for Reconsideration.- The Court shall rescind an order of dismissal if: 

(A) the Court determines that the appeal should not have been dismissed; 

(B) the appeal was dismissed pursuant to subsection (a)(4), (a)(5), or (a)(7) of this Rule and the Court finds that there was good cause for the failure to comply with the applicable subsection of the Rule; or  

(C) the appeal was dismissed pursuant to subsection (a)(4), (a)(5), (a)(6), (a)(7), (a)(8), or (a)(9) of this Rule and the Court finds that the interests of justice require reinstatement of the appeal. 

(4) Reinstatement.- If an order of dismissal is rescinded, the case shall be reinstated on the docket on the terms and conditions prescribed by the Court. 

(5) No Further Reconsideration by the Court.- If an order dismissing an appeal is reconsidered under this section, the party who filed the motion for reconsideration may not obtain further reconsideration of the motion. 

(d)  Judgment entered after notice filed.- A notice of appeal filed after the announcement or signing by the trial court of a ruling, decision, order, or judgment but before entry of the ruling, decision, order, or judgment on the docket shall be treated as filed on the same day as, but after, the entry on the docket. 

(e)  Entry of judgment not directed under Rule 2-602.-  

(1) If the appellate court determines that the order from which the appeal is taken was not a final judgment when the notice of appeal was filed but that the lower court had discretion to direct the entry of a final judgment pursuant to Rule 2-602 (b), the appellate court may, as it finds appropriate, (A) dismiss the appeal, (B) remand the case for the lower court to decide whether to direct the entry of a final judgment, (C) enter a final judgment on its own initiative or (D) if a final judgment was entered by the lower court after the notice of appeal was filed, treat the notice of appeal as if filed on the same day as, but after, the entry of the judgment. 

(2) If, upon remand, the lower court decides not to direct entry of a final judgment pursuant to Rule 2-602 (b), the lower court shall promptly notify the appellate court of its decision and the appellate court shall dismiss the appeal. If, upon remand, the lower court determines that there is no just reason for delay and directs the entry of a final judgment pursuant to Rule 2-602 (b), the case shall be returned to the appellate court after entry of the judgment. The appellate court shall treat the notice of appeal as if filed on the date of entry of the judgment. 

(3) If the appellate court enters a final judgment on its own initiative, it shall treat the notice of appeal as if filed on the date of the entry of the judgment and proceed with the appeal. 

[Amended Mar. 30, 1993, effective July 1, 1993; Dec. 10, 1996, effective July 1, 1997; Apr. 8, 1997, effective Oct. 1, 1997; Oct. 31, 2002, effective Jan. 1, 2003; April 5, 2005, effective July 1, 2005; amended Sept. 10, 2009, effective Oct. 1, 2009.]