General Information
Oregon has two appellate courts, the Oregon Supreme Court and the Oregon Court of Appeals. The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest court in the Oregon judicial branch. The court has seven elected justices. They choose one of their own to serve a six-year term as Chief Justice. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the United States Supreme Court.
The Oregon Court of Appeals is Oregon’s intermediate appellate court created by statute in 1969. With the exception of a limited number of appeals that go directly to the Oregon Supreme Court--most notably death penalty cases, ballot title cases, lawyer discipline matters, and tax court cases--the Court of Appeals receives every appeal or judicial review taken from Oregon's trial courts and administrative agencies.
The Oregon Supreme Court and Court of Appeals are supported by a single records office. The Appellate Court Records office is responsible for processing all documents filed in those courts, calendaring all oral arguments, distributing opinions, and issuing appellate judgments.