Rule 60(a) corrections may be made by the court on its own or on motion, but if an appeal has been docketed such correction requires what?

• A. The appellate court's leave
• B. The trial court's consent
• C. The parties' agreement
• D. Automatic correction by the clerk

Answer: (A)

Rule 60(a) lets a court correct clerical mistakes in a judgment, order, or other part of the record either on its own or on motion. But once an appeal has been docketed, the district court may not unilaterally amend the judgment or the record during the appeal; any such correction requires leave from the appellate court. This preserves the integrity of the appellate record and gives the appellate court oversight of changes that could affect the appeal. So the correct requirement is obtaining the appellate court’s permission before making the correction.