Briefing; Court Determination of Whether to Answer Question Certified

(A) Brief (1) The parties shall brief the merits of the issue certified in accordance with Section 16. The petitioner shall proceed under the provisions of Section 16 that are applicable to an appellant and the respondent shall proceed under the provisions applicable to an appellee, except that petitioner shall file a merit brief within forty days after a certification order is filed with the Supreme Court. (2) A friend of the court may file a brief in accordance with Rule 16.06. 57 (B) Court determination The Supreme Court will review briefs and issue an order identifying the question or questions it will answer or decline to answer. The Clerk of the Supreme Court shall send a copy of the order to the certifying court and to all parties or their counsel. Effective Date: June 1, 1994 Amended: April 1, 1996; July 1, 2004; January 1, 2008; January 1, 2010; January 1, 2013; April 1, 2025