Appeal bond struck down

Imagine our surprise when we checked the docket in the Bachman case in late July (after checking it weekly since we filed our appeal) and learned that the judge had backdated an order requiring us to file a $325,000 appeal bond and then never served it on us or had it placed in the docket until a month later. We moved the Missouri appellate court to vacate the bond; plaintiffs cross-moved to dismiss our appeal for failure to pay the bond. Friday, the Missouri appellate court followed the law and struck down the illegal bond: there was no request for a stay of execution, and plaintiffs cannot self-impose a stay of execution by ripping off the class and then demand a bond to prevent an appeal of their own failure to look out for the class's interests. We're looking forward to the appellate court considering the problems with this class action settlement.