Alabama Court Of Criminal Appeals

The appellate courts do not retry cases or hear new evidence. They do not hear witnesses testify. There is no jury. Appellate courts review the procedures and the decisions in the trial court to make sure that the proceedings were fair and that the proper law was applied correctly.

The Court of Appeal has jurisdiction to hear appeals from the High Court, the Environment & Land Court and the Employment & Labour Relations Court. It also has jurisdiction to hear appeals from any other court or tribunal as prescribed by an Act of Parliament. It also hears contempt of court as original jurisdiction.

The appellate court determines whether errors occurred in applying the law at the lower court level. It generally will reverse a trial court only for an error of law. Not every error of law, however, is cause for a reversal. Some are harmless errors that did not prejudice the rights of the parties to a fair trial.

What are three ways in which a case can reach the supreme court? original jurisdiction, appeals through state court systems, appeals through federal court systems.

1. Affirm and uphold the original decision. 2. Overturn the original decision.

An appeal is a review of the trial court's application of the law. There is no jury in an appeal, nor do the lawyers present witnesses or, typically, other forms of evidence. The court will accept the facts as they were revealed in the trial court, unless a factual finding is clearly against the weight of the evidence.

Affirm the decision of the trial court, in which case the verdict at trial stands. Reverse the decision to the trial court, in which case a new trial may be ordered. Remand the case to the trial court.