What is a Bill of Exceptions?

A Bill of Exceptions compiles trial court objections, evidentiary rulings, and related transcript citations so appellate courts can review preserved issues. It must reflect the certified record and follow local court formatting and certification procedures.

When must it be filed?

Filing deadlines vary by jurisdiction—some require immediate posttrial filing or a motion to include exceptions, while others accept certified transcripts in lieu of a bill. Check local appellate rules and the clerk’s office to avoid waiver.

Can courts accept electronic signatures?

Electronic signatures are permitted under ESIGN and UETA where courts accept them, but local filing rules and notarization requirements may restrict use; confirm the court’s e-filing and acceptance policies before proceeding.

What if the transcript is incomplete?

If pages are missing or references are incorrect, promptly contact the court reporter and clerk to obtain corrected transcripts or a certification supplement; unresolved gaps can weaken preserved exceptions on appeal.

Who certifies the Bill?

Certification requirements differ: some jurisdictions require the trial judge to sign, others allow the clerk to certify. Obtain the required seal or signature per local rules prior to appellate filing.

How do I fix a filing error?

Contact the clerk immediately to determine whether an amended or supplemental filing is permitted. Many courts allow corrective filings within specific timeframes; acting quickly reduces the risk that issues will be deemed waived.

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Bill of Exceptions

Bill of Exceptions

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BILL OF EXCEPTIONS

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI

APPELLANT

V.

APPELLEE

NO.

COMES and files this his/her Bill of Exceptions to the action of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen described herein and would show unto the court the following:

1. On the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of , Mississippi enacted an Ordinance entitled "AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY Of MISSISSIPPI'S APPENDIX A ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION 405-PROHIBITED USES IN ALL DISTRICTS." A copy of the Ordinance is attached hereto as Exhibit "". This Ordinance purports to prohibit for a period of () years. Appellant takes exception to the Ordinance and submits that the action of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen in enacting the Ordinance is arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable, unconstitutional as violating the due process requirement of the 14th amendment to the United States constitution and equal protection clause thereof and was enacted contrary to the provisions of Miss. Code Ann. §17-1-17 (1972) and the cases interpreting same.

2. The Ordinance was enacted pursuant to a Notice of Public Hearing, a true and correct copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit "". The Notice of Public Hearing is fatally defective in that it fails to unambiguously inform interested parties of the proposed action. The Notice only states that the hearing will be held regarding "an amendment to the City of MS's, Appendix A Ordinance Section 405-Prohibited Uses in All districts." It fails to state the Nature of the Amendment proposed or the uses to be prohibited. The Notice is therefore invalid to apprise interested parties of the purpose for which the hearing is to be held. The Notice further fails to state that its effect is to repeal the allowed use of in as has been an allowed use in District, . The Notice is entitled "Notice of Public Hearing" and fails to state in the title that the public hearing is to be held by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of . The Notice, to be sufficient at law, should state "City of Notice of Public Hearing" or Notice of Public Hearing before the Mayor and Board of the City of " so as to apprise interested parties of the holder of the public hearing.

3. The Ordinance is also invalid in that is fails to specify in the title the prohibited uses to be included within Section 405 and is therefore fatally defective as failing to give adequate notice to the public of the nature of the Ordinance enacted.

4. Because of the inadequacy of the Notice of Hearing, Appellant was not provided adequate notice and was prohibited from presenting his/her case regarding the proposed amendment. Appellant did not learn of the Amendment or Public hearing until .

5. On the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of enacted a Moratorium prohibiting the placement of within the City of for a period of () years. The moratorium was enacted without public notice or public hearing.

6. On the Mayor and Board of Aldermen extended the Moratorium enacted on for an additional () years. This Moratorium was also enacted without notice or public hearing.

7. Prior to the enactment of the Moratorium on were an allowed use in district, . Appellant is the owner of property within the City of .

8. On Appellant filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Mississippi challenging the enforceability of the Moratorium enacted on and extended on and requesting an injunction and other relief. The case is still pending and is in the discovery phase.

9. Despite Appellee's knowledge of the Federal suit it took a course of action to prejudice the rights of Appellant by enacting an Amendment to attempt to correct procedural and substantive errors in the enactment of the unlawful Moratorium of and without giving Appellant actual notice of it's proposed actions in violation of the due process clause of the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution and in violation of Mississippi Law, Miss Code Ann. §17-1-17 (1972). accomplished its objective to enact such an Amendment by intentionally failing to properly inform Appellant of the proposed amendment. In addition, to the extent that Miss. Code Ann. §17-1-17 (1972), allows an amendment without actual notice to a person who stands in the shoes of Appellant (i.e. a person who the appellee knew had a special interest in the proposed amendment) that provision should be declared unconstitutional on its face and/or as applied by Appellee.

10. Appellant therefore requests that this court declare the Ordinance enacted on described in paragraph 1 above be declared invalid.

11. Appellant attaches hereto in support of his Bill of Exceptions the following:

(a) Minutes of the meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of Mississippi held on . (Exhibit "")

(b) Copy of the Ordinance enacted on purporting to prohibit in . (Exhibit "")

(C) Notice to the Public of the Hearing to be held on the Ordinance described in 11 (b). (Exhibit "")

(d) Copy of the Complaint filed against in the United States District Court for the District of Mississippi, Cause # . (Exhibit "")

(e) Copy of district of the Ordinance of the City if (Exhibit "")

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLLANT

EXECUTED THIS THE DAY OF ,20 .

MAYOR

What a Bill of Exceptions Is and why it matters

A Bill of Exceptions is a formal legal document used to preserve objections, rulings, and evidentiary matters from a trial court record for appellate review. It identifies the specific portions of testimony, exhibits, or rulings a party contends were erroneous and requests those parts be included in the appellate record. Procedures vary by jurisdiction; some courts rely primarily on certified transcripts and clerk’s records. Preparing a clear, well-indexed Bill of Exceptions helps appellate counsel and the court locate preserved issues efficiently during review.

Why preserving trial rulings with a Bill of Exceptions matters

A properly prepared Bill of Exceptions narrows appellate issues, documents precise trial rulings and objections, and reduces the risk that appellate courts will deem important objections waived for failure to preserve the record.

Who prepares and relies on Bills of Exceptions

Typical users who prepare or request a Bill of Exceptions include litigators, trial counsel, and court clerks handling appellate records.

Appellate attorneys and trial counsel preserving objections and rulings for appeal.
Court clerks responsible for compiling, certifying, and transmitting trial court records.
Court reporters or transcription services producing certified transcripts tied to exceptions.

Correct preparation ensures appellate counsel can rely on a complete, accurately preserved record when framing issues on appeal.

Step-by-step: preparing and filing a Bill of Exceptions

Follow the steps below to assemble, certify, and submit a Bill of Exceptions that preserves trial objections for appellate review.

01

Identify issues: List objections and rulings you want preserved.
02

Locate transcript: Obtain reporter transcript and cite page numbers.
03

Draft exceptions: Draft concise exceptions tied to transcript references.
04

File and certify: File with clerk and obtain clerk certification.

Typical eSubmission workflow for a Bill of Exceptions

An electronic workflow collects transcripts, tags key fields, captures signatures and clerk certification, and preserves an auditable trail for appellate transmission.

Upload record: Attach transcript, exhibits, and pleadings.
Place fields: Tag signature, date, and certification fields.
Authenticate signer: Use email, SMS, or stronger methods.
Clerk certification: Clerk or judge signs and seals the record.

How to configure an electronic Bill of Exceptions workflow

Configure fields and delivery so the document routes to counsel, the court reporter, and the clerk for signature and certification.

Field	Configuration
Signature Field	Require authorized counsel signature
Date Field	MM/DD/YYYY with auto-fill
Clerk Seal	Image upload plus notarization field
Delivery	Email to clerk and all parties

Technical considerations for eSubmission and eSigning

For eSubmission, ensure your eSignature platform supports required formats, integrations, and authentication methods used by the court.

Supported formats: PDF, Word DOCX, PDF/A
Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace
Authentication methods: Email, SMS, knowledge-based, 2FA

Comparison: signNow and other eSignature vendors for appellate workflows

Overview comparing plan pricing and core features of signNow against other common eSignature vendors to support document signing and filing workflows.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No envelope cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Security and compliance attributes relevant to electronic Bills of Exceptions

In-transit encryption: TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 encrypt data in transit

At-rest encryption: AES-256 encryption secures stored documents

Audit and logs: Full audit trails record timestamp and IP

Regulatory certs: SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications

Health data: HIPAA compliance available with a BAA

eSignature law: ESIGN and UETA support electronic signatures

Penalties and risks from incorrectly prepared Bills of Exceptions

Waiver of issue: Objection may be deemed waived

Dismissal risk: Appeal may be dismissed for inadequate record

Document rejection: Clerk may reject noncompliant filings

Delay in appeal: Missing items can cause briefing delays

Sanctions: Court may impose procedural sanctions

Increased cost: Corrective filings and counsel fees rise

Common mistakes to avoid when preparing a Bill of Exceptions

Failing to tie exceptions to precise transcript pages or exhibit numbers, which makes appellate review difficult and risks waiver.
Omitting required court certifications or clerk signatures, which can render the bill uncertified and unacceptable to the appellate court.
Using informal or inconsistent party names across documents, leading to misfiling or confusion over the parties on appeal.
Assuming all courts accept electronic signatures or remote notarization without verifying the court’s e-filing and acceptance rules first.

Practical examples of preserved exceptions used on appeal

These short scenarios show how precise exceptions and certified transcripts support appellate briefing and judicial review.

Case Study 1

A trial attorney compiled a Bill of Exceptions tied to specific transcript pages and exhibits, documenting repeated hearsay rulings that were objected to at trial.

Preserved three principal objections for appeal.
On appeal, counsel used the certified exceptions to focus briefing on two reversible errors; the appellate court reviewed the certified portions and remanded for further proceedings on one preserved issue.

Case Study 2

Plaintiff’s counsel identified a series of adverse evidentiary rulings and obtained corrected transcript certifications before filing the Bill of Exceptions, ensuring the record was complete for review.

Ensured corrected transcript was certified.
The appellate court accepted the certified record, allowing counsel to present argument on preserved procedural errors without additional record supplementation.

Who can sign and certify a Bill of Exceptions

Appellate Attorney

Appellate attorneys prepare Bills of Exceptions to preserve trial objections, index transcript citations, and coordinate certification with the clerk; they rely on precise drafting and verified submission to ensure issues are preserved for appellate briefing and oral argument.

Court Clerk

Court clerks receive, certify, and file Bills of Exceptions and associated transcripts; they verify docket numbers, seals, and signatures, and ensure the certified record is transmitted to the appellate court according to local rules and timing requirements.

FAQs: common questions about Bills of Exceptions and quick solutions

Answers to frequent procedural and technical questions about preparing, certifying, and submitting Bills of Exceptions.

Need help? Contact support

What is a Bill of Exceptions?
A Bill of Exceptions compiles trial court objections, evidentiary rulings, and related transcript citations so appellate courts can review preserved issues. It must reflect the certified record and follow local court formatting and certification procedures.
When must it be filed?
Filing deadlines vary by jurisdiction—some require immediate posttrial filing or a motion to include exceptions, while others accept certified transcripts in lieu of a bill. Check local appellate rules and the clerk’s office to avoid waiver.
Can courts accept electronic signatures?
Electronic signatures are permitted under ESIGN and UETA where courts accept them, but local filing rules and notarization requirements may restrict use; confirm the court’s e-filing and acceptance policies before proceeding.
What if the transcript is incomplete?
If pages are missing or references are incorrect, promptly contact the court reporter and clerk to obtain corrected transcripts or a certification supplement; unresolved gaps can weaken preserved exceptions on appeal.
Who certifies the Bill?
Certification requirements differ: some jurisdictions require the trial judge to sign, others allow the clerk to certify. Obtain the required seal or signature per local rules prior to appellate filing.
How do I fix a filing error?
Contact the clerk immediately to determine whether an amended or supplemental filing is permitted. Many courts allow corrective filings within specific timeframes; acting quickly reduces the risk that issues will be deemed waived.

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