appeals court

Direct appeals of district court decisions have become less frequent than in the past. They usually now occur only in matters where such direct review is required by statute in special areas such as those covered by the federal Voting Rights Act. In extremely rare cases, a United States court of appeals may certify an issue of great public importance for immediate review by the Supreme Court. Consideration of certified questions of this kind is mandatory, but a variety of technical grounds allow the court to dismiss the certification as improper. Unlike appeals and cert petitions, the circuit court alone, and not the parties, decides when an issue deserves to be certified.

in reference to: Appellate jurisdiction: Definition from Answers.com (view on Google Sidewiki)