Also known as: appeal courts · appeals court · appeals courts · appellate court · court of appeal
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A court that hears and decides appeals from judgments or orders of lower courts. The court reviews the record for legal error and may affirm, reverse, or remand the case for further proceedings.
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Andre Antoine obtained a district court judgment against Avalon Pharmaceuticals. After the appeal was docketed, the clerk discovered a decimal-point error in the damages amount. The appeal court granted leave for the district court to correct the judgment under the applicable rule.
Adrian Aguilar was sentenced in district court after a jury found a sentencing enhancement. The appeal court examined whether the enhancement facts had been submitted to the jury and reversed the sentence because the district court had not followed the required procedure.
Amber Alonzo challenged state abortion restrictions in district court. The appeal court reviewed the district court's application of the undue-burden standard and affirmed the injunction after determining that the regulations imposed substantial obstacles.
Atlas Ventures sued Asahi Metal Industry in California state court. The appeal court evaluated whether the defendant's contacts satisfied due process and held that jurisdiction was improper because the stream-of-commerce theory alone was insufficient.
Austin Abbott challenged legislative districting in federal district court. The appeal court considered whether the claims presented a justiciable controversy and reversed the dismissal after finding that the issues were capable of judicial resolution.
Alice Atkins sued Byrd v. Blue Ridge Rural Electrical Cooperative in federal court under diversity jurisdiction. The appeal court decided that the state rule allocating fact-finding authority between judge and jury was substantive and therefore binding on the federal court.
An appeal court may grant leave for the district court to correct a clerical mistake or oversight in a judgment after the appeal has been docketed. The rule allows the district court to act on motion or on its own initiative once leave is obtained. Without such leave the district court lacks authority to make the correction while the appeal remains pending.
…the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. In 2012, the Sixth Circuit, in a 2–1 decision, became the first federal appellate court to reject a claim that a state’s ban on same-sex marriage violated the Constitution. See DeBoer v. Snyder , 772 F. 3d 388 (2014). The cases now before the Court present the same…