Dismissal of Appeal Definition and Legal Meaning

Last updated on April 24, 2023

Our product recommendations are made independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions if you use a link on this page.

What is a Dismissal of Appeal?

1. Concluding an appealed case by either the court or other parties involved.
2. Refusal to hear a case in the court of appeals, thereby letting the judgment of the lower court stand.

Purpose and Meaning of a Dismissal of Appeal

When it comes to criminal court cases, the judgment does not always go in the direction that you may think it should. This is why the right of appeal belongs to the defendant if they think they can get a different ruling from the appellate court.

Once the case has been appealed, it is up to the attorneys in the case to present the case in a way that justifies the purpose of the appeal. This is because the appellate process relies more on the technical side of the law in the case to decide.

Because of this, there are many reasons that a case can be issued a dismissal of appeal including all the technicalities involved. If the court documents are not in order or if the court sees that something is missing, it could be grounds for dismissal.

It is important to note that in most cases, the dismissal of an appeal motion can come from either party in the case. This means that if the appellant changes their mind due to knowing they do not have enough evidence, they can file a motion to voluntarily dismiss the case. On the other hand, the other party involved can also file a motion to dismiss the case based on various technicalities.

When a court declares a dismissal of the appeal in a specific case, it means that they are upholding the judgment that was given in the lower court. This can happen for various reasons, but the bottom line is that the judge in the court of appeals has deemed the case to be tried and judged fairly, therefore, no reason for appeal exists.

Overall, a dismissal of appeal can be filed in any court case, unless it was deemed to be with prejudice, which means that the case is complete and cannot be appealed. When the case is appealed, if the court of appeals deems the case does not have enough new evidence, they may dismiss the appeal with or without prejudice.

Examples of Dismissal of Appeal

• When a case is brought to the Court of Appeals and the judge decides there was no wrongdoing in the judgment, they may dismiss the case on appeal with prejudice. This means that the case is finished and can no longer be appealed.
• If a case is brought to the Court of Appeals but then an agreement is reached by both parties in the case, the complainant can file a motion to dismiss the appeal. This is deemed to be a voluntary dismissal of the appeal.
• The Court of Appeals may dismiss the appeal if it finds that certain procedures were not followed when filing the motion. This type of dismissal of the appeal based on a technicality is done only in rare circumstances and is typically done so without prejudice.
• The appellee, or the responding party, can also file a motion to involuntarily dismiss the appeal for various reasons. Many times this is done when they feel the other party does not have enough evidence to appeal or if they learn that a certain procedure was not followed.

Legal Terms Associated with a Dismissal of Appeal

• Voluntary Dismissal of Appeal is when the party who filed for the appeal voluntarily withdraws their motion. This could be based on the party's admission of not having the evidence to prove their case, or when an agreement was reached with both parties involved.
• Involuntary Dismissal of Appeal can be filed and ruled upon by the court of appeals based on a technicality. This means that if the filing party neglects any procedure that should be followed, the appellee can file an involuntary dismissal of the appeal.
• Dismissal With Prejudice: This term refers to a case that has been dismissed by the court with the judgment that it cannot come back to court for any reason. This is a permanent judgment that keeps the complainant from filing or appealing the case again.
• Dismissal Without Prejudice: This term is used by courts that ultimately leaves the door open to appeal the case at a later time. This is typically used if the case is being referred to a trial or if the proceedings of the case are deemed to be needing more evidence.

Reference Legal Explanations

If you use any of the definitions, information, or data presented on Legal Explanations, please copy the link or reference below to properly credit us as the reference source. Thank you!