court of appeals

SEE SYNONYMS FOR court of appeals ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Law.

(in the U.S. federal court system and some state court systems) an appellate court intermediate between the trial courts and the court of last resort.
the highest appellate court of New York State.
Court of Appeal, British. See under Supreme Court of Judicature.
Also Court of Appeals (for defs 1, 2).

Origin of court of appeals

First recorded in 1885–90

Words nearby court of appeals

court dance, court dress, court hand, court martial, court of appeal, court of appeals, court of chancery, court of claims, court of common pleas, court of domestic relations, court of equity

Cultural definitions for court of appeals

court of appeals

Courts, also called appellate courts, that are designed as part of the system of due process. Cases may be presented to these courts if a party is dissatisfied with the original court's decision. An appeal must demonstrate that a new decision is warranted, usually in light of new evidence or a persuasive argument that the Constitution was improperly interpreted. A case may be appealed to successively higher state or federal appellate courts until it reaches the United States Supreme Court. There are twelve federal courts of appeal, each covering a group of states called a “circuit.”