APPELLATE COURTS 

I.          The appellate process is an integral part of the court system.

            A.        Functions

                        1.         Correct errors made by lower courts.

                        2.         Formulate policy

            B.        Losing parties have a minimum right of one appeal.

            C.        General rule is that interlocutory (non-final) orders cannot be appealed.

            D.        Two types of appellate jurisdiction

                        1.         Mandatory—court must hear appeal

                        2.         Discretionary—court may choose which appeals to hear

                                      a.       Usually appellate courts of last resort only

                                      b.       Usually reserved for important cases

II.        The appellate process consists of a number of steps.

A.                 First step is the losing party files notice of appeal.

B.                 Parties on appeal

1.                  Appellant—losing party bringing the appeal

2.                  Appellee (respondent)—winning party, opposing appeal

C.                 Parties will file written briefs with appellate court.

D.                Parties argue case in person before judges (oral argument).

E.                 Majority opinion announces decision.

F.                  Dissenting opinions express disagreement with majority.

G.                Dispositions on appeal

1.                  Affirmed—appellate court agrees with lower court

2.                  Reversed—appellate court overturns decision of lower court

3.                  Remanded—case sent back to lower court for further action

H.                Types of errors

1.                  Reversible error—error by lower court requires new trial

2.                  Harmless error—error not serious enough to change result

III.       Most appeals are civil, but criminal appeals have been rising since 1960s.

A.                 Warren Court decisions provided additional grounds for criminal appeals and free services to indigent convicts.

B.                 Defendants win on appeal only about one out of eight times.

IV.       After all appeals are exhausted; convicts may still challenge their convictions through post conviction remedies such as habeas corpus.

A.                 Warren Court expanded use of habeas corpus.

B.                 Conservative Rehnquist and Burger Courts have limited habeas corpus.

C.                 Congress has also limited ability of convicts to use habeas corpus.

V.        Every state has an appellate court of last resort (usually Supreme Court).

            A.        Many states also have intermediate appellate courts.

                        1.         Appellate jurisdiction mandatory for intermediate appellate courts.

                        2.         Appellate courts of last resort have much discretionary jurisdiction.

B.        Some state Supreme Courts have been active in policymaking in recent years.

1.         As U.S. Supreme Court turned conservative, liberals turned to state supreme courts.

2.         New judicial federalism—liberal and conservative state supreme courts use state constitutions to make policy.

                        3.         State courts on the death penalty

                                      a.       Liberal judges and courts tend to overturn death sentences.

b.       Conservative judges and courts tend to uphold death sentences.

VI.       U.S. Supreme Court decisions have played a major role in shaping criminal justice policy.

A.                 The Warren Court (1953-1969) expanded civil liberties and rights of defendants.

B.                 The Burger Court (1969-1986) was more moderate, but there was no counterrevolution.

C.                 Rehnquist Court (1986+) more conservative than Burger Court, but conservatives views do not always prevail (e.g., Lawrence v. Texas, Grutter v. Bollinger).

D.                Voting blocs on current Rehnquist Court

1.                  Conservative—Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas, and occasionally Kennedy

2.                  Liberals—Stevens, Ginsburg, Breyer and Souter

3.                  Swing votes—O’Connor and sometimes Kennedy

E.                 In Bush v. Gore (2000), conservatives hand election to Bush, liberal’s dissent.

F.                  Over the long run, Supreme Court decisions swing like a pendulum from liberal to moderate to conservative and then back again.