| State Appellate Court Performance Standards |
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| The appellate court system's role is to review the decisions of trial courts and administrative agencies. Most states have a two-tier appellate court system that consists of an intermediate appellate court (usually called the court of appeals) and a court of last resort (usually called the supreme court). The trial court or administrative decision is first appealed to the intermediate appellate court. A further appeal is then available to the court of last resort. The Appellate Court Performance Standards Commission was set up to recommend performance standards for state appellate courts. More... |
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| Bias in the Courts |
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| Various task forces, commissions, and committees have studied racial and ethnic bias in the courts. The issue is an important one because the perception of bias undermines public trust in the judicial system. A lack of confidence in the system affects a person's participation in the justice system. Individuals who perceive bias in the justice system may have doubts about the fairness of court procedures and outcomes. They may also be less willing to report crimes, file lawsuits, and serve as jurors. More... |
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| Dismissal of Appeals |
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| Both the plaintiff (the person suing) and the defendant (the person being sued) have a right to appeal to a higher court if they think there was a legal error in the trial. Generally, a notice of appeal has to be filed within 30 days after the trial court enters a judgment in the lawsuit. Most states have a two-tier system for appellate review of a judgment. The federal court system also has two different levels of appellate review. The appeal is first filed in an intermediate appellate state or federal court or court of appeals. After the court of appeals reviews the judgment, a further appeal is possible to a court of last resort, the state supreme court for state court appeals or the Supreme Court of the United States for federal court appeals. More... |
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| Federal Appellate Procedure |
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| A litigant can file an appeal after a United States District Court, which is the federal trial court, enters a final judgment in the case. The person filing the appeal is called the appellant, and the other party is called the appellee. This article discusses the steps in the federal appellate procedural process when a case is appealed from the United States District Court to the United States Court of Appeals. More... |
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| Judgments by Confession and Judgments by Warrant of Attorney |
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| A confession of judgment means the entry of a judgment on the confession (admission) of the defendant, usually a debtor. The defendant admits his or her liability for the debt. Judgments by confession are void as against public policy in some states, while other states permit judgments by confession. A warrant of attorney is a written document that gives an attorney the power to confess judgment against the defendant on a debt. More... |
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