Criminal cases; information on hearings and decisions before the district court (appellate court)
The criminal divisions of the regional courts decide on appeals against the criminal judgments of the criminal judge and the court of lay assessors.
Description
Which court and which panel of judges is appointed to hear and decide a criminal case is determined by law. The criminal divisions of the Regional Court are responsible as the appellate body for hearing and deciding on appeals against the judgments of the criminal judge and the court of lay assessors. In these proceedings, the criminal divisions decide in the composition of one professional judge (chairman) and two lay judges (so-called "small criminal division").
The court of appeal reviews the first-instance judgment to the extent that it was appealed. If, for example, the defendant has limited his appeal to certain points (such as the sentence), only these points will be reviewed. If the appeal is found to be well-founded, the court of appeal shall rule on the merits of the case, setting aside the judgment of the court of first instance. The judgment may not be changed in the nature and amount of the legal consequences to the disadvantage of the defendant if only the defendant or the public prosecutor's office has appealed in his favor.
Deadlines
The appeal must be filed with the court of first instance (district court) within one week of the pronouncement of the judgment, either on the record of the court registry or in writing.
Fees
In criminal proceedings, court fees are calculated on the basis of the final sentence. The costs of an appeal that is withdrawn or unsuccessfully lodged shall be borne by the party that lodged it. The fees of the lawyer for the criminal proceedings are determined only according to the framework (so-called framework fees). The lawyers shall determine the fee in each individual case, taking into account all circumstances, in particular the scope and difficulty of the lawyer's work, the importance of the matter and the client's income and financial circumstances, at their reasonable discretion.
Remedy
The legal remedy against a district court judgment in a criminal case is an appeal.
Status:22.06.2023
Responsible for editing:Bayerisches Staatsministerium der Justiz
- Online transactions, Bavaria-wide
- Online transactions, locally limited
- Form, Bavaria-wide
- Form, locally limited
- Prefillable Form, Bavaria-wide
- Legal bases, Bavaria-wide
- Legal bases, locally limited
- Fees, Bavaria-wide
- Fees, locally limited
If you select a location under "Localization" the contact details of the responsible authority and, if applicable, locally valid information will be displayed.