Appeals From Los Angeles County Superior Court

Two Appellate Paths in Los Angeles County

Matters within Court of Appeal jurisdiction, including unlimited civil and felony appeals, generally proceed to the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District.

Limited civil, misdemeanor, and infraction appeals generally proceed to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.

These are separate reviewing courts with different jurisdiction, rules, filing systems, forms, and procedures.

• Los Angeles Appeals Before the Second Appellate District
• Los Angeles Superior Court Appellate Division

Appeals to the Second Appellate District

The Second Appellate District serves Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties. Divisions One through Five, Seven, and Eight are located in Los Angeles and handle matters arising from Los Angeles Superior Court. Division Six handles matters arising from Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties.

Whether a particular judgment or order is actually appealable remains a separate legal question.

• California Civil Appeals
• White-Collar Criminal Appeals

Appeals to the Los Angeles Superior Court Appellate Division

The Los Angeles Superior Court Appellate Division reviews limited civil, misdemeanor, and infraction appeals within its jurisdiction and exercises writ jurisdiction in specified matters arising from those case types.

Los Angeles has a dedicated chapter of Local Rules governing Appellate Division procedure.

Los Angeles Superior Court Appellate Division

• Los Angeles Superior Court — Chapter 9 Appellate Division RulesSuperior Court of California, County of Los Angeles lacourt.ca.gov

The Appellate Process Often Begins in the Superior Court

Even when the reviewing court will be the Second Appellate District, the notice of appeal is ordinarily filed in the Superior Court, and significant record-preparation functions occur there.

Los Angeles Superior Court maintains Civil Appeals operations responsible for preparing and certifying appellate records for appropriate matters proceeding to the Second District and the Superior Court Appellate Division.

• Filing a Notice of Appeal in Los Angeles County
• Preparing the Appellate Record in Los Angeles County
• Clerk's and Reporter's Transcripts in Los Angeles County

Local Rules Matter

Statewide statutes and California Rules of Court provide much of the governing appellate framework, but local rules and court-specific procedures can materially affect a Los Angeles appeal.

For that reason, this site's local resources identify both the statewide authority and the current Los Angeles or Second District procedure where the local implementation matters.

• Los Angeles Superior Court — Local RulesSuperior Court of California, County of Los Angeles lacourt.ca.gov
• Second Appellate District — Local Rules and OrdersCalifornia Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District appellate.courts.ca.gov

Writ Proceedings

Extraordinary writ proceedings follow a related but different jurisdictional path. The appropriate reviewing court depends upon the underlying proceeding and the relief sought.

California Writ Petitions