Rule 83.02.Transfer on Order of Court of Appeals.

Rule 83.02 is the main path for moving a case from the court of appeals to the Supreme Court after the court of appeals has already acted — through an opinion, a memorandum decision, a written order, or a dismissal order. The decision to transfer belongs to the judges who heard the case: a majority of the participating judges, whether regular or special, has to agree, whether they are acting on their own initiative or in response to a party's application.

The rule limits the grounds for transfer to two categories: a question of general interest or importance, or the need to reexamine existing law. Those are broader, policy-oriented reasons than the more precedent-specific ground found in the dissent-based transfer of Rule 83.03.

A party who wants to apply has fifteen days from the date the opinion, memorandum decision, written order, or dismissal order is filed. The court of appeals can extend that deadline for good cause. The rule also builds in a deliberately one-sided process: no party has to respond to a transfer application unless the court asks for a response, and the court cannot grant a transfer without having asked for one first. That structure keeps the transfer decision from turning into a full round of adversarial briefing unless the court decides it needs one.

Finally, the rule closes off a common source of repeat filings: once the court has refused an application for transfer, a party cannot file a motion asking the court to reconsider that refusal.