Legal Question in Personal Injury in California

What's the next appeal step after a county's Superior Court?

I was the defendant in a Small Claims suit. The plaintiff, a former board member of the homeowners' association where I live, sued me for libel for $5,000. The trial judge, who is also the county's presiding judge, awarded plaintiff $200. I appealed (the case now supposedly in Superior Court) and lost again. It was obviously a setup between the presiding judge, who did not want to be reversed, and the ''visiting judge'' who didn't even listen to or read my testimony and who simply Xeroxed the previous judge's opinion. This is a travesty of justice; Calif code & case law and even U.S. Supreme Court cases law are all on my side. I want to appeal to a higher court. In researching my options, I found that the on-line notice of appeal to the Calif Ct of Appeals only applies to ''unlimited civil cases,'' viz., cases with judgments of $25,000. Is that true? Am I unable to appeal this decision further in Calif courts? Or is there a different notice of appeal form that I need to find and use? And if I can't go farther in the Calif system, how do I move my case over and make it a federal case? (Remember, we're talking about First Amedment freedom of expression protection here.)


Asked on 3/13/06, 12:26 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Terry A. Nelson Nelson & Lawless

Re: What's the next appeal step after a county's Superior Court?

Pay the money, you're done. Anything else you do will amount to malicious prosecution and abuse of the courts, resulting in adverse consequense to you.

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Answered on 3/13/06, 7:46 pm


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