What is the difference between an appeals court and a trial court?
In California, an appeals court and a trial court are both types of courts, but they are different from each other. A trial court, also known as a “lower court”, is where a person is tried for a crime and judged by a jury and/or a judge. A trial court is where the initial hearing of a criminal case takes place. An appeals court, on the other hand, is a court that reviews decisions from trial courts. An appeals court reviews the proceedings of the trial court and decides if the trial court committed any mistakes. If any mistakes are found, the appeals court can overturn the trial court’s decision. An appeals court does not conduct a trial and does not hear witnesses or receive evidence. The primary difference between an appeals court and a trial court is that a trial court handles legal proceedings from the very beginning while an appeals court can only review a case after it has been tried in a trial court. The appeals court can decide whether or not to accept a case for review, and can, if necessary, overturn the trial court’s decision. As a result, it is important to understand the difference between an appeals court and a trial court.
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