What must happen for a court to hear a case on appeal?

• A. There must be a jury trial
• B. There must be legal grounds for the appeal
• C. There must be a unanimous decision
• D. There must be new evidence presented

Answer: (B)

For a court to hear a case on appeal, it is essential that there are legal grounds for the appeal. This means that the appealing party must demonstrate that there was some legal error that affected the outcome of the trial in the lower court. The appellate court does not reassess the facts of the case or retry it; rather, it reviews the procedures and decisions made during the initial trial to determine if there were mistakes that warrant a reversal or modification of the decision.

Without valid legal grounds, an appeal is often dismissed as a matter of course. The standard legal grounds include issues such as the incorrect application of law, violation of a constitutional right, or improper admission or exclusion of evidence. Thus, having legal grounds is foundational to the appeals process and determines if the appellate court will consider the case.