Court of Appeals

The Arizona Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for the state of Arizona. Twenty-two judges sit on the court: 16 in Division One, located in Phoenix, and six in Division Two, located in Tucson, Ariz. In a recent year, Division One of the court received more than 2,500 appeals and special actions. It decides appeals in many types of cases. It has jurisdiction to consider appeals in civil cases from superior court. It decides appeals in criminal matters from superior court, except when a death sentence has been imposed. The Court of Appeals also reviews juvenile and domestic relations matters from the superior court, workers compensation and unemployment benefits decisions, tax court decisions, and certain corporation commission decisions. The court may also decide "petitions for special action," which is Arizona s term for petitions for special writs, such as certiorari, mandamus and prohibition.