Appeals trial court

Each side is given a short time — usually about 15 minutes — to present arguments to the court. Most appeals are final. The court of appeals decision usually will be the final word in the case, unless it sends the case back to the trial court for additional proceedings, or the parties ask the U.

Supreme Court to review the case. In some cases the decision may be reviewed en banc, that is, by a larger group of judges usually all of the court of appeals for the circuit. A litigant who loses in a federal court of appeals, or in the highest court of a state, may file a petition for a "writ of certiorari," which is a document asking the Supreme Court to review the case. The Supreme Court, however, does not have to grant review. The Court typically will agree to hear a case only when it involves an unusually important legal principle, or when two or more federal appellate courts have interpreted a law differently.

There are also a small number of special circumstances in which the Supreme Court is required by law to hear an appeal. The defendant may appeal a guilty verdict, but the government may not appeal if a defendant is found not guilty.

Although not required, the Appeals Court encourages all e-filed briefs and record appendices to contain bookmarks and internal links. The Appeals Court has posted a guide that explains the benefits of these features and how to add them to a brief and record appendix. The guide is available here.

Beginning with appeals argued in January , recordings of oral argument will be available on the appellate courts' website. To read the announcement and learn how to access oral argument recordings online, click here. Announcement of New Court Administrator. Read the entire press release here. Staggered Start Times for Oral Argument. Following a successful pilot program, the Appeals Court is pleased to announce staggered start times for oral argument for all panel sittings of the Appeals Court.

For more information about what time parties should arrive for oral argument, click here. Amicus Briefs. The Appeals Court is currently soliciting amicus briefs. Click here to view amicus invitations. Visit the Appeals Court Help Center for a collection of guides, informational pages, and other resources providing information about how the appeals process works. Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about the appeals process.

Electronic Filing at the Appeals Court. See this page for instructions, guidance, and updates regarding electronic filing at the Appeals Court. Key Legal Resources Appellate Opinion Portal - The Appellate Opinion Portal is maintained by the Office of the Reporter of Decisions and contains links to view both recent decisions and the archives of Massachusetts published opinions and unpublished decisions.

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