Each state has its own court system that operates according to state laws as well as federal, and within certain limits, these may be unique. Nevada is no different in imposing its own rules and regulations, particularly when it comes to appeals. In fact, according to the Las Vegas Sun, the Nevada Court of Appeals uses a model similar to only three other states.
In the recent past, there was no appellate court, and all appeals went directly to the state’s supreme court. However, the ever-increasing number of cases created a backlog that slowed the system down. Still, rather than appealing a decision directly to the appellate court, each case continues to be reviewed by the Nevada Supreme Court, and then deflected to the lower court. Most other state systems, and the federal appellate courts as well, require the case to first go to the court of appeals, with the supreme courts only becoming involved at the end of the process.
The website for the Supreme Court of Nevada notes that those cases that are not deflected to the Court of Appeals are reviewed by the high court’s panel of justices. These judges will examine the decisions made in the district courts for legal mistakes. When there is an error, or when the law requires affirmation or clarification, opinions are issued which explain why the decisions were made. The judges may also affirm the district court’s ruling if they determine that there were no mistakes made and evidence supports the original judgment.
