F. THE RECORD ON APPEAL
(a) Content of the Record. The record on appeal shall consist of: (1) copies, certified by the clerk of the trial court, of all papers filed in the trial court except as hereafter provided; (2) the original of any exhibits filed in the trial court; (3) the transcript or statement of the evidence or proceedings, which shall clearly indicate and identify any exhibits offered in evidence and whether received or rejected; (4) any requests for instructions submitted to the trial judge for consideration, whether expressly acted upon or not; and (5) any other matter designated by a party and properly includable in the record as provided in subdivision (g) of this rule.
The following papers filed in the trial court are excluded from the record: (1) subpoenas or summonses for any witness or for any defendant when there is an appearance for such defendant; (2) all papers relating to discovery, including depositions, interrogatories and answers thereto, reports of physical or mental examinations, requests to admit, and all notices, motions or orders relating thereto; (3) any list from which jurors are selected; and (4) trial briefs; and (5) minutes of opening and closing of court. Any paper relating to discovery and offered in evidence for any purpose shall be clearly identified and treated as an exhibit. No paper need be included in the record more than once.
If less than the full record on appeal as defined in this subdivision is deemed sufficient to convey a fair, accurate and complete account of what transpired with respect to those issues that are the bases of appeal or if a party wishes to include any papers specifically excluded in this subdivision, the party shall, within 15 days after filing the notice of appeal, file with the clerk of the trial court and serve on the appellee a description of the parts of the record the appellant intends to include on appeal, accompanied by a short and plain declaration of the issues the appellant intends to present on appeal. If the appellee deems any other parts of the record to be necessary, the appellee shall, within 15 days after service of the description and declaration, file with the clerk of the trial court and serve on the appellant a designation of additional parts to be included. All parts of the record described or designated by the parties shall be included by the clerk of the trial court as the record on appeal. The declaration and description of the parts of the record to be included on appeal provided in this subdivision may be filed and served with the declaration and description of the parts of the transcript to be included in the record provided in subdivision (b) of this rule. If a party wishes to include any papers specifically excluded in this subdivision, but fails to timely designate such items, the trial court clerk may supplement the record as provided for in subdivision (e) without modifying the previously prepared record.
(b) Transcript of Stenographic or Other Substantially Verbatim Recording of Evidence or Proceedings. Except as provided in subdivision (c), if a stenographic report or other contemporaneously recorded, substantially verbatim recital of the evidence or proceedings is available, the appellant shall have prepared a transcript of such part of the evidence or proceedings as is necessary to convey a fair, accurate and complete account of what transpired with respect to those issues that are the bases of appeal. Unless the entire transcript is to be included, the appellant shall, within 15 days after filing the notice of appeal, file with the clerk of the trial court and serve on the appellee a description of the parts of the transcript the appellant intends to include in the record, accompanied by a short and plain declaration of the issues the appellant intends to present on appeal. If the appellee deems a transcript of other parts of the proceedings to be necessary, the appellee shall, within 15 days after service of the description and declaration, file with the clerk of the trial court and serve on the appellant a designation of additional parts to be included. The appellant shall either have the additional parts prepared at the appellant's own expense or apply to the trial court for an order requiring the appellee to do so. The transcript, certified by the appellant, the appellant's counsel, or the reporter as an accurate account of the proceedings, shall be filed with the clerk of the trial court within 60 days after filing the notice of appeal. Upon filing the transcript, the appellant shall simultaneously serve notice of the filing on the appellee. Proof of service shall be filed with the clerk of the trial court with the filing of the transcript. If the appellee has objections to the transcript as filed, the appellee shall file objections thereto with the clerk of the trial court within fifteen days after service of notice of the filing of the transcript. Any differences regarding the transcript shall be settled as set forth in subdivision (e) of this rule.
Within 15 days after filing the notice of appeal the appellant in a criminal action shall order from the reporter a transcript of such parts of the evidence or proceedings not already on file as the appellant deems necessary. The order shall be in writing and within the same period a copy shall be filed with the clerk of the trial court. If funding is to come from the state of Tennessee, the order shall so state.
(c) Statement of the Evidence When No Report, Recital, or Transcript Is Available. If no stenographic report, substantially verbatim recital or transcript of the evidence or proceedings is available, or if the trial court determines, in its discretion, that the cost to obtain the stenographic report in a civil case is beyond the financial means of the appellant or that the cost is more expensive than the matters at issue on appeal justify, and a statement of the evidence or proceedings is a reasonable alternative to a stenographic report, the appellant shall prepare a statement of the evidence or proceedings from the best available means, including the appellant's recollection. The statement should convey a fair, accurate and complete account of what transpired with respect to those issues that are the bases of appeal. The statement, certified by the appellant or the appellant's counsel as an accurate account of the proceedings, shall be filed with the clerk of the trial court within 60 days after filing the notice of appeal. Upon filing the statement, the appellant shall simultaneously serve notice of the filing on the appellee, accompanied by a short and plain declaration of the issues the appellant intends to present on appeal. Proof of service shall be filed with the clerk of the trial court with the filing of the statement. If the appellee has objections to the statement as filed, the appellee shall file objections thereto with the clerk of the trial court within fifteen days after service of the declaration and notice of the filing of the statement. Any differences regarding the statement shall be settled as set forth in subdivision (e) of this rule.
(d) Procedure When No Transcript or Statement Is to Be Filed. If no transcript or statement of the evidence or proceedings is to be filed, the appellant shall, within 15 days after filing the notice of appeal, file with the clerk of the trial court and serve upon the appellee a notice that no transcript or statement is to be filed. If the appellee deems a transcript or statement of the evidence or proceedings to be necessary, the appellee shall, within 15 days after service of the appellant's notice, file with the clerk of the trial court and serve upon the appellant a notice that a transcript or statement is to be filed. The appellee shall prepare the transcript or statement at the appellee's own expense or apply to the trial court for an order requiring the appellant to assume the expense. The other provisions of subdivisions (b) and (c) of this rule are applicable to the transcript or statement filed by the appellee under this subdivision, except that the appellee under this subdivision shall perform the duties assigned to the appellant in subdivisions (b) and (c) of this rule and the appellant under this subdivision shall perform the duties assigned to the appellee in subdivisions (b) and (c) of this rule.
(e) Correction or Modification of the Record. If any matter properly includable is omitted from the record, is improperly included, or is misstated therein, the record may be corrected or modified to conform to the truth. Any differences regarding whether the record accurately discloses what occurred in the trial court shall be submitted to and settled by the trial court regardless of whether the record has been transmitted to the appellate court. Absent extraordinary circumstances, the determination of the trial court is conclusive. If necessary, the appellate or trial court may direct that a supplemental record be certified and transmitted.
(f) Approval of the Record by the Trial Judge or Chancellor. The trial judge shall approve the transcript or statement of the evidence and shall authenticate the exhibits as soon as practicable after the filing thereof or after the expiration of the 15-day period for objections by appellee, as the case may be, but in all events within 30 days after the expiration of said period for filing objections. Otherwise the transcript or statement of the evidence and the exhibits shall be deemed to have been approved and shall be so considered by the appellate court, except in cases where such approval did not occur by reason of the death or inability to act of the trial judge. In the event of such death or inability to act, a successor or replacement judge of the court in which the case was tried shall perform the duties of the trial judge, including approval of the record or the granting of any other appropriate relief, or the ordering of a new trial. Authentication of a deposition authenticates all exhibits to the deposition. The trial court clerk shall send the trial judge transcripts of evidence and statements of evidence.
(g) Limit on Authority to Add or Subtract from the Record. Nothing in this rule shall be construed as empowering the parties or any court to add to or subtract from the record except insofar as may be necessary to convey a fair, accurate and complete account of what transpired in the trial court with respect to those issues that are the bases of appeal.
(h) Filing of Transcript or Statement; Service of Notice to Parties. Nothing in this rule shall be construed as prohibiting any party from preparing and filing with the clerk of the trial court a transcript or statement of the evidence or proceedings at any time prior to entry of an appealable judgment or order. Upon filing, the party preparing the transcript or statement shall simultaneously serve notice of the filing on all other parties, accompanied by a short and plain declaration of the issues the party may present on appeal. Proof of service shall be filed with the clerk of the trial court with the filing of the transcript or statement. Any differences regarding the transcript or statement shall be settled as set forth in subdivision (e) of this rule.
[As amended effective July 1, 1980; as amended effective May 7, 1981, and by order entered January 21, 1988, effective August 1, 1988; and by order entered February 18, 1996, effective July 1, 1996; as amended effective July 1, 2000, and by order filed January 6, 2005, effective July 1, 2005.]
Advisory Commission Comments.
General Note. This rule seeks to provide a method of preparation of the record that is both inexpensive and simple, and to provide that the record conveys an accurate account of what transpired in the trial court.
Subdivision (a). Under this subdivision the parties need do nothing (other than order preparation of a transcript) if the full record is deemed necessary for the appeal. The full record consists of: (1) copies of all papers filed in the trial court, (2) the original of any exhibits, (3) the transcript or statement of the evidence or proceedings, and (4) any other matter designated by a party and properly includable in the record. Certain papers filed in the trial court, such as subpoenas, summonses, papers relating to discovery, and jury lists, are automatically excluded from the record since they are typically unnecessary. However, if any party desires such matters to be included in the record on appeal, the party may have them included by designating in writing that such matters are to be included.
In some situations it may not be desirable to prepare a full record as defined in the first paragraph of this subdivision. The third paragraph of this subdivision gives the parties the opportunity to designate which matters are to be included in the record on appeal. All matters designated by the parties are included by the clerk in the record on appeal.
Subdivision (b). Because of the need to have an exact record of what transpired in the trial court and to avoid the inaccuracies that inevitably attend preparation of a narrative record, this subdivision requires a verbatim transcript if a stenographic report or other contemporaneously recorded, substantially verbatim recital of the evidence or proceedings is available. This subdivision does not require that a stenographic report be made of all the evidence or proceedings. If a stenographic or other substantially verbatim record is not available, subdivision (c) establishes a procedure for generating a narrative record.
The procedure for preparing a verbatim transcript of the proceedings is similar to the procedure specified in subdivision (a) for taking an appeal on less than a full record as defined in that subdivision. Each party has the option to designate and have included whatever portions of the transcript the party deems relevant and appropriate for the appellate court to consider. The designation of the parts of the record to be included on appeal may be filed and served with the designation of the parts of the transcript to be included in the record.
Subdivision (c). This subdivision is available only in those situations in which a stenographic report or other substantially verbatim recital or transcript of the evidence is unavailable. It permits the preparation of a narrative record of the evidence or proceedings.
Subdivision (e). This subdivision sets forth the procedure to be followed if it is necessary to correct or modify the record. Omissions, improper inclusions, and misstatements may be remedied at any time, either pursuant to stipulation of the parties or on the motion of a party or the motion of the trial or appellate court. If it is necessary to inform the appellate court of facts that have arisen after judgment in the trial court, resort should be made not to this subdivision but to Rule 14 of these rules.
Subdivision (f). This subdivision preserves the current requirement that the record be approved by the trial judge. This rule makes clear it is unnecessary for the judge or chancellor who presided at the trial to approve the record if such approval cannot be obtained by reason of the death or inability to act of the presiding judge or chancellor. In such circumstances any successor or replacement judge or chancellor may approve the record, though in some circumstances the fact that the judge or chancellor who presided at the proceedings is unavailable may require the ordering of a new trial. If, however, a stenographic transcript of the proceedings is available, only rarely would it be necessary to order a new trial due to the death or inability to act of the presiding judge or chancellor.
Subdivision (g). Under subdivision (a) the parties are empowered to designate any matter to be included in the record on appeal even though it is not automatically includable under the provisions of that subdivision. This subdivision makes clear, however, that the ability to designate additional parts to be included in the record extends only insofar as it is necessary to convey a fair, accurate and complete account of what transpired in the trial court. The ability to designate additional parts under subdivision (a) does not permit a party to augment the record by evidence entered ex parte.
Subdivision (h). This subdivision permits the preparation of a transcript or statement of the evidence prior to the entry of an appealable judgment if it is deemed desirable to do so. It would only be in unusual cases that it would be necessary to resort to this subdivision if a stenographic report of the proceedings is made.
Advisory Commission Comments [1980].
Most of the changes in Rule 24 amount to a simple relettering of subdivisions. There is an addition to Rule 24(b), which requires appellant in a criminal action to order the transcript from the court reporter within 15 days after filing notice of appeal, so that the court reporter will not be notified at the last minute of the need for a transcript. The only other change of substance in Rule 24 is the addition of a new subdivision (d). In some cases, no transcript or statement of the evidence or proceedings will be filed. For example, an action may be dismissed on a pretrial motion without a hearing in open court. This subdivision sets forth the procedure to be followed in such cases and any other case in which no transcript or statement is to be filed.
Advisory Commission Comment [1986].
Amended T.R.Civ.P. 30.02(4)(B) allows for videotape depositions without a stenographic record at the parties' option. Because the appellate courts generally do not review lengthy videotapes, however, an appellant must make certain that relevant portions of any videotape deposition introduced in evidence be presented to the appellate tribunal in written form. Usually the court reporter at trial should take down the testimony while the videotape is being played in the courtroom.
Advisory Commission Comments [1988].
Subdivision (a). The new fourth category of documents constituting the record makes clear that special requests for jury instructions automatically go to the appellate court. Probably that has always been the case, because the first category consists of papers "filed," which under Tenn. R. Civ. P. 5.06 includes papers filed with the trial judge as well as those filed with the clerk. The request need not be made an exhibit to the transcript of evidence, although that is a permissible procedure.
The amendment requires only submission to the judge of written requests for a jury charge under Tenn. R. Civ. P. 51 or Tenn. R. Crim. P. 30; the judge's failure to expressly deny a request does not affect inclusion of the request in the record. The traditional judicial method of writing the action, date, and signature on the document itself continues to be a desirable but not essential procedure under the amendment. The important element is that the judge be made aware of the request and be given an opportunity to charge it or decline. If the requested instruction is submitted at a pretrial proceeding or simply filed with the clerk before trial, the better practice would be to specifically direct the judge's attention to the document, but that practice is not mandatory. Again, the only criterion is that the request be "submitted to the trial judge for consideration."
Trial briefs are superfluous in view of appellate briefs, and they should not be sent to the appellate court absent unusual circumstances.
Subdivision (f). The next-to-last sentence in (f) was added to relieve the trial judge from any supposed duty to separately authenticate each deposition exhibit. If a document was made an exhibit during the deposition and the deposition is authentic, the exhibits become part of the transcript of evidence.
Advisory Commission Comments [1996].
The final sentence of Rule 24(f) ensures that trial judges will have a record in chambers to approve.
Advisory Commission Comments [2000].
The amendment excludes from the appellate record various items, including minutes of opening and closing of court. The third paragraph provides for inclusion at a party's request.
Advisory Commission Comments [2004].
Termination of Parental Rights Proceedings. Rule 8A imposes special requirements governing the appeal of any termination of parental rights proceeding. In particular, Rules 8A(c) and 8A(d) impose special provisions regarding the content and preparation of the record in such an appeal.
Advisory Commission Comments [2005].
Paragraph (h) is amended to remove obsolete references to “bills of exception” and “wayside bills of exception.”
Advisory Commission Comments [2007].
A transcript or statement of the evidence must be filed with the trial court clerk within 60 days after the filing of the notice of appeal unless extended by the court. The period was formerly 90 days.
Advisory Commission Comments [2012].
Tenn. R. App. P. 3(b) and (c), as well as Tenn. R. Crim. P. 36, were amended in 2012 to provide for an appeal as of right from the trial court’s filing of a corrected judgment or order.
Tenn. R. App. P. 24(a) lists the items which must be included in the record on appeal. In an appeal as of right from the entry of a corrected judgment or order pursuant to Tenn. R. Crim. P. 36, the record on appeal should include the listed items (e.g., papers filed in the trial court, exhibits, transcript or statement of the evidence or proceedings, etc.) pertaining to the original judgment or order, as well as those items pertaining to the corrected judgment or order. As provided by Tenn. R. App. P. 24(a), however, the parties may designate that only certain items be included “[i]f less than the full record on appeal. . .is deemed sufficient to convey a fair, accurate and complete account of what transpired with respect to those issues that are the bases of appeal[.]”
Advisory Commission Comments [2014].
Subdivision (b). Tenn. R. App. P. 24(b) was amended to cross-reference subdivision (c), which sets out an exception to subdivision (b)’s requirement that the appellant prepare a “stenographic report or other contemporaneously records, substantially verbatim recital of the evidence or proceedings [,]” if “available.”
Subdivision (c). Tenn. R. App. P. 24(c) was amended to provide that a statement of the evidence or proceedings may be filed in a civil case – instead of a stenographic report or other contemporaneously recorded, substantially verbatim recital of the evidence or proceedings – if the trial court determines, in its discretion, that the cost to obtain the stenographic report is beyond the financial means of the appellant or that the cost is more expensive than the matters at issue on appeal may justify. In making its determination, the trial court should start with the presumption that the cost to obtain the stenographic report is beyond the financial means of an appellant who is appealing as an indigent person is allowed by Tenn. R. App. P. 18. The amendment to subdivision (c) is limited to civil cases because matters pertaining to the transcript in criminal proceedings are governed by statute and by case law. See Title 40, Chapter 14, Part 3 (“Transcripts and Court Reporters”), Tennessee Code Annotated; Britt v. N. Carolina, 404 U.S. 226 (1971) (stating, “the State must, as a matter of equal protection, provide indigent prisoners with the basic tools of an adequate defense or appeal, when those tools are available for a price to other prisoners”); accord State v. Elliott, 524 S.W.2d 473, 475 (Tenn. 1975).