Which court is considered the first appellate court?

The Circuit Court of Appeals is deemed the first appellate court because it serves as the primary level of appeal for decisions made by lower courts, including District Courts. In the federal court system, after a case has been heard in the District Court, parties dissatisfied with the outcome can appeal to the Circuit Court of Appeals. This appellate court reviews the record from the lower court, examines whether there were legal errors, and determines if the decision should be upheld, reversed, or remanded.

The Circuit Court of Appeals does not conduct a retrial or take new evidence; rather, it focuses on the application of law and procedural correctness in the lower court’s handling of the case. This role as the first point of appeal establishes its function in the judicial hierarchy, differentiating it from the State Supreme Court, which typically hears appeals from the last level of state appellate courts and not directly from lower courts, and from the Federal Supreme Court, which serves as the highest court and primarily addresses cases of significant national importance or conflicting decisions in Circuit Courts. The District Court is the trial court level and does not function as an appellate body.