District Of Columbia Court Records Search
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the highest court in the state and the court of last resort. Congress established the Court of Appeals in DC in 1970. This court has exclusive jurisdiction to handle all civil, criminal, and administrative agency appeals. They can also hear appeals by permission for misdemeanors and small claims. They have exclusive jurisdiction over interlocutory appeals in criminal matters, all civil appeals from administrative agencies, boards and commissions. Their authority also extends to original proceeding writ applications, bar/judiciary issues, certified question matters, and other original proceedings.
The Court of Appeals has one Chief Judge and eight Associate Judges. Retired, “Senior Judges” also assist the Court of Appeals. Each appeal is reviewed by a randomly selected panel of three judges. On occasion, if the case is complicated or high-profile, the court will sit en banc (meaning all nine judges will review it). When the panel of three reviews a case, only two need to agree for it to be a majority vote. They review briefs and hear oral arguments then decide if any errors were made when applying the law during the original case. These courts do not hold jury trials and they do not examine or evaluate evidence to determine a verdict. Their decision is called an “opinion” and they are posted on the DC Courts website freely for public review.
The DC Court of Appeals created the District of Columbia Bar and has full superiority jurisdiction over it. They are in charge of attorney discipline and management as well.
The DC Clerk’s Office supports the Court of Appeals by maintaining dockets, filing cases, managing personnel, equipment, operations, technology, and other resources. They also serve the court by administering the bar exam twice a year, managing budgets, keeping the court calendar, coordinating schedules, and keeping all parties informed about each case.