What is the appellate court’s jurisdiction over a case?

The appellate court’s jurisdiction over a case in California refers to the court’s authority to accept and decide appeals from the lower courts. An appeal is a request to the appellate court to review the decision made in a lower court. The appellate court has the power to affirm or reverse the decision of the lower court or to remand (send back) the case to the lower court for further proceedings. Generally, appeals may be taken from any final decision of the lower court. Most of the time these are civil matters such as divorce or contract disputes. In criminal cases, appeals may be taken from the finding of guilt, sentencing, or both. The appellate court, however, cannot review all matters. Its jurisdiction is limited and it cannot consider evidence not presented to the trial court, unless it was excluded by the trial court in error. Nor can the court consider evidence not available at the time of the trial. Additionally, the appellate court cannot review errors that were harmless or that did not affect the outcome of the case. This is because it is the trial court’s decision that is binding, not the errors that may have been committed in the course of the trial. In California, the courts of appeal are divided into six geographic districts, each with a presiding justice. Decisions made by the appellate court are binding on all lower courts in the district, and the court may issue writs to enforce its decisions. These courts also have the power to issue stays of execution or proceedings, which serves to stop the enforcement of the trial court’s decision until the appellate court reaches its own decision.

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What is the appellate court’s jurisdiction over a case?

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