Appeals

When a trial occurs, the litigants present evidence to the judge regarding the facts of the case, who said what, who did what, etc. The evidence may include testimony, documents, videos, and deposition transcripts. After hearing all the evidence, the judge will issue a judgment that typically contains the judge’s findings of fact (what the judge believes to be true) and conclusions of law (what the judge believes should happen).

On rare occasions, the judgment will contain an error of law, or the judge will make a ruling during the trial that is out of line with the law. On these rare occasions, a litigant can submit an appeal to the Court of Appeals in Missouri, an entirely separate set of judges that review the judgment and record of the trial and determine if a legal error was made. The process is very technical and expensive, and it typically takes many months to obtain an opinion from the Court of Appeals. However, sometimes it is necessary to ensure that the laws are followed.

The outcome of the trial should be decided according to the evidence presented and the law, not the unfounded thoughts, opinions, or passions of a trial judge. Mr. Fredrick is one of the handful of attorneys who has argued before the Missouri Supreme Court. His extensive experience as a litigator and legal educator makes him uniquely qualified to argue the facts and the law in an appellate setting.