Which term refers to a court having jurisdiction to review cases and issues originally tried in lower courts?

• A. appellate court
• B. pre-trial proceedings
• C. diversion programs
• D. Summons

Answer: (A)

A higher court that reviews decisions from lower courts to correct legal or procedural errors. It doesn’t conduct a new trial or reweigh evidence; instead it examines how the lower court applied the law, whether due process was followed, and whether mistakes might have affected the outcome. Depending on what it finds, the appellate court can affirm, reverse, or remand the case for further action, such as a new trial or revised sentencing. The other terms refer to things that occur before trial (pre-trial proceedings), programs that divert offenders from traditional processing, or a document that orders a court appearance, none of which involve reviewing a lower court’s decision.