The Missouri Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court. It handles appeals from the circuit courts. That is, if a party loses at the circuit court and believes a mistake was made, that party may file an appeal. The Court of Appeals handles all appeals except those in the Supreme Court's exclusive jurisdiction. (The Supreme Court has exclusive jurisdiction of challenges to the validity of a United States statute or treaty, the validity of a state constitutional provision or statute, cases requiring construction of revenue laws, the title to state office, and cases where the death penalty is imposed.) Cases initially decided by the Court of Appeals may be transferred from the Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court. Historically, less than ten percent of appeals are transferred to the Supreme Court. Thus, for the vast majority of appeals, the Court of Appeals decision is final.
