3.C appellate process Flashcards
two purposes
- correct mistakes in law
- provide for uniformity in the law
(policy making is not a primary purpose it is a byproduct)
what cases are more appealed nationally
criminal
most important factor to appeal
financial cost
what are the 2 major cost in filing an appeal
- attorney fee
2. cost of transcript
first level appellate court/intermediate
- get case by appeal
- gets no discretion has to take all cases
ex: U.S court of appeals & MD court of special appeals
second level appellate court
gets all/ nearly all cases by petition
ex: U.S. supreme court & MD court of appeals
Party who appeals
Appellant
Appellant v. Appelle
appellants brief
sets forth the mistakes in law that have been made and offers legal support
-prepared by lawyer
legal support
usually offered in appellate court opinions of any type as they contain legal reasoning
who prepares the appellant and brief and transcript
lawyer
what does the appellees brief show
there is not a mistake in law
reply brief
appellants brief lawyer can send a reply brief to the appellees lawyer
-don’t ignore cases that favor the appellee, meet head on
amicus curiae briefs
“friend of the court” not a party but has information
- can do any time
- interest groups/ individual need to get courts permission or permission from the party they are submitting on behalf
- very little impact on judges decision
oral argument in first level appellate courts
- may or may not occur
- each side gets same amount of time
- appellants lawyer first (show burden of proof)
- appellate lawyer asks questions of lawyer- lawyer must answer
- Socratic method used in law school to prepare for this
- ONLY time for direct interaction between lawyers and judges in appellate case
- judges meet at a later time to discuss case and decide who wins then designate a judge to write majority opinion
majority opinion
entails who wins case with legal reasoning