Oklahoma Notice of Completion of Record for Appeals from District Court

There are a few things that can happen if you appeal your case: The court can keep the conviction the way it is ("affirming the conviction"). The judge can remand the case back to the trial court for additional proceedings. The judge can reverse the conviction and remand back to the trial court for a new trial.

The court excluded important evidence the defense wished to present at trial. Evidence that should have been excluded from trial was allowed. The jury received incorrect or confusing jury instructions. Misconduct by a juror or prosecutorial misconduct.

The record in an appeal is the official account of what went on at the hearing or the trial that is being appealed. A party designates the record by listing what items to include in a Notice Designating Record on Appeal form (Sample Form F).

Appeals are decided by panels of three judges working together. The appellant presents legal arguments to the panel, in writing, in a document called a "brief." In the brief, the appellant tries to persuade the judges that the trial court made an error, and that its decision should be reversed.

An appeal occurs when one party to a case asks a higher court to review the decision on a lower court, such as family court.When you appeal, the higher court reviews your entire case, meaning all of the documents and evidence presented to the family court. An appeal is not a re-do of your trial.

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.

An appeal to the Supreme Court of Oklahoma, if taken, must be commenced by filing a petition in error with the Clerk of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma within thirty (30) days from the date a judgment, decree, or appealable order prepared in conformance with Section 696.3 of this title is filed with the clerk of the

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

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.