What Happens in the Appellate Courts?

The Court of Appeals will look at the evidence presented in your case and review how the District Court judge applied the law in reaching his or her decision. The Court of Appeals will only review the evidence as it was presented to the District Court judge – it will not review new evidence or testimony. Generally, the appellate review is made on the written record with no oral arguments.

After the appellate review is completed, the Court of Appeals will decide to either reverse, remand, affirm or affirm and modify the District Court’s order. The appellate order may pertain to all of, or only parts of, the District Court’s decision.

The Court of Appeals will reverse the decision in your case if it finds the District Court decided your case wrongly. (At that point, the decision in your case will be vacated.) Your case will be remanded if the Court of Appeals decides the District Court needs to rehear your case. The decision in your case will be affirmed if the Court of Appeals finds the District Court was correct in its ruling. The Court of Appeals may also modify parts of the District Court’s decision.