Cite as: 507 U. S. 234 (1993)
Rehnquist, C. J., dissenting
U. S. 140, 146 (1985). The only limit on this authority is that the rules may not violate the Constitution or a statute, and must be reasonable in light of the concerns they are designed to address. See id., at 146-148. There can be no argument that the fugitive dismissal rule employed by the Eleventh Circuit violates the Constitution because a convicted criminal has no constitutional right to an appeal. Abney v. United States, 431 U. S. 651, 656 (1977). Nor is the rule inconsistent with 28 U. S. C. § 1291, which grants to criminal defendants the right of appeal, because that section does not set forth the procedural requirements for perfecting an appeal. Those requirements are set forth in the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure and the local rules of the courts of appeals. Indeed, under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 47, each court of appeals has authority to make rules "governing its practice" either through rulemaking or adjudication.
The fugitive dismissal rule is reasonable in light of the interests it is designed to protect. In Molinaro v. New Jersey, 396 U. S. 365 (1970), we declined to adjudicate a defendant's case because he fled after appealing his state conviction. We reasoned that by absconding, the defendant forfeited his right to "call upon the resources of the Court for determination of his claims." Id., at 366. And in Estelle v. Dorrough, 420 U. S. 534 (1975), we upheld a Texas statute that mandated dismissal of an appeal if the defendant fled after invoking the jurisdiction of the appellate court. We recognized that Texas reasonably has an interest in discouraging felony escape, encouraging voluntary surrenders, and promoting the "efficient, dignified operation of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals." Id., at 537. Both Molinaro and Estelle are premised on the idea that a reviewing court may invoke procedural rules to protect its jurisdiction and to ensure the orderly and efficient use of its limited resources.
While we agree with the Court that there must be some connection between fugitivity and the appellate process in
253
Page: Index Previous 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 NextLast modified: October 4, 2007