How do appeals court work in Kentucky?
The state's constitution allows litigants in criminal and civil cases the right to appeal at least once. Rather than retry the case already heard in the lower court, the party who files the appeal (the appellant) must argue that the trial court made a legal error that affected their case's outcome and prepares a brief of legal arguments that the mistake signals that the case should be overturned. The opposing party (the appellee) in the case heard in court can file a brief that responds to the appellant’s arguments. Both sides cite their arguments and decisions from previous cases that...

