Terminology Service: SST: appeals

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appeals

In general parlance, an appeal is a solicitation, plea, or petition earnestly seeking something; but in the criminal justice system, the term has a much narrower and more precise meaning and refers to a review of a decision or a verdict by a tribunal such as a court other than the one that rendered it. While the right to appellate review is not one of constitutional dimension, once a review system is put into place, considerations of due process require that it be fair, so, for example, an indigent seeking to perfect an appeal is entitled to the assistance of effective appointed counsel paid for by the state. [Source: The Social History of Crime and Punishment in America: An Encylopedia; Appeals]

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