Information on: Public Appeals

Appeals Matters
How do I...
appeal a DC Superior Court judge’s ruling?

• File a Notice of Appeal in the branch office where your case started:
- Civil Division
  A Notice of Appeal from a final order or judgment of the Civil Division must be filed within 30 days in the Civil Actions Branch in Room 5000 of the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue, NW, or in the Landlord and Tenant Branch in Court Building B, Room 110, 510 4th Street, NW. An Application for Allowance to Appeal of a Small Claims judgment (rather than a notice of appeal) must be filed within 3 days in the Court of Appeals Clerk’s Office, 430 E Street, NW.
- Family Court
  A Notice of Appeal from a final order or judgment of the Family Court must be filed within 30 days in the Family Court’s Central Intake Center on the JM level of the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Ave., NW.
- Criminal Division
  A Notice of Appeal from a final order or judgment of the Criminal Division must be filed within 30 days in room 4001 on the fourth floor of the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Ave., NW., except that in cases where the penalty imposed is less than $50 and no incarceration was imposed (even if it was suspended), an Application for Allowance to Appeal must be filed within 3 days in the Court of Appeals Clerk’s Office, 430 E Street, NW.
- Domestic Violence Unit
  A Notice of Appeal from a final order or judgment of the Domestic Violence Unit must be filed within 30 days in the Domestic Violence Unit Clerk’s Office in room 4400 of the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Ave., NW.
- Probate Division
  A Notice of Appeal from a final order or judgment of the Probate Division must be filed within 30 days in the Legal Branch of the Register of Wills’ Office, Court Building A, Room 312, 515 5th Street, NW.
Note Info
- If a motion is filed and approved, parties can have an additional 30 days in which to file.
appeal a DC Superior Court judge’s ruling? - part 2
- Tax Office
  A Notice of Appeal from a final order or judgment of the Tax Office must be filed within 30 days in room 3131 of the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Ave., NW.
- • Emergency motions – If you are trying to stop an order requiring immediate action, for example a landlord eviction, you must (1) file a notice of appeal, (2) call the Clerk’s Office at 879-2700 and tell a staff attorney that you plan to file a motion to stay, (3) bring a copy of the notice of appeal and a motion to stay the action to the Clerk’s Office of the Court of Appeals, and (4) hand-serve the landlord’s attorney. File as soon as the writ or other order is issued.
- • You may be given an additional 30 days in which to file an appeal if you file a motion for an extension of time and the Notice of Appeal within 60 days of the order that is being appealed.
- • You do not file your Notice of Appeal with the Appeals Coordinator's Office or with the D.C. Court of Appeals directly.
- • The filing fee is $100 unless you are determined to be indigent (either you have an attorney compensated by Criminal Justice Act funds OR you have been approved to file In Forma Pauperis by a judge). A motion to proceed in forma pauperis should include a copy of the Notice of Appeal.
- • If you have any questions once you have filed a Notice of Appeal, you may contact the D.C. Superior Court’s Appeals Coordinator’s Office at (202) 879-1731 to obtain additional information.
  
  Also see the Appeals Coordinator’s Office Self Help Brochure.
ask that a DC Superior Court magistrate judge’s ruling be reviewed by an associate judge?
- Civil Division
  A review of a Civil Division Magistrate Judge’s order may be requested through filing a Motion for Review. A Motion for Review is a written… request of the court asking that the magistrate judge’s order, judgment or part of a judgment be reviewed by an Associate Judge of the Superior Court. The motion should specify the grounds for review (that is, state why you think the decision should be reversed) and include a written summary of any evidence presented before the Magistrate Judge relating to your claim. The Motion for Review should be filed in the Civil Clerk’s Office, Room 5000 of Moultrie Courthouse, for cases involving claims over $5000 in damages (those with a CA in the case number), or in the Small Claims’ Clerks Office (Room 120, of Court Building B, 510 Fourth St, NW) for cases involving claims for less than $5000 in damages (those with an SC in the case number). The Motion for Review must be filed in the courthouse, and a copy delivered or mailed to the opposing party or parties, within 10 days of the date the order or judgment that you are appealing is entered into the case docket (you can confirm that date in our Court Cases Online database).
- For small claims cases, once an associate judge decides the motion for judicial review a party has 3 days to file a motion for leave to appeal to the Court of Appeals. For other civil cases, once an associate judge decides the motion for judicial review a party has 30 days to note an appeal to the Court of Appeals.
- Criminal Division
  Your attorney may file a Motion for Review of a Magistrate Judge Order within 10 days after a final order or judgment has been entered. The motion should include the order or judgment that is being appealed, and a written summary of the evidence that was originally presented. The motion must be filed in the Criminal Division’s Criminal Information Office, Room 4001 of the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Ave., NW. The D.C. Public Defender Service may be able to advise you on the process of filing such a motion.
- Domestic Violence Unit
  Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) - You must file a motion requesting the review of the Magistrate Judge’s decision with the presiding judge of the Domestic Violence Unit within 10 days of the final decision. Orders granting and orders denying CPOs are considered final decisions. Note: You cannot request review of a Magistrate Judge’s Temporary Protection Order (14 day order) because it is NOT considered a final decision.
- Paternity and Support Cases - You must file a Motion to Review a Magistrate Judge’s Order within 30 days of the final decision with the Central Intake Center which is located in Room JM-540 of the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Ave., NW. Note: Temporary Child Support Orders are not considered final decisions, you must wait until the final/permanent Child Support Order is entered before you can request review.
- Domestic Violence Misdemeanor cases - When a Magistrate Judge enters a final judgment, the defendant cannot appeal to the DC Court of Appeals until he or she has first appealed to a judge of the Superior Court. The defendant must file a motion for review with the presiding judge of the Domestic Violence Unit. The motion should include the order, judgment or part thereof that is being appealed, and a written summary of the evidence that was originally presented. The motion must be filed and served upon the other party within 10 days after service of the order or judgment upon the party.
- Family Court
  A review of a Family Court Magistrate Judge’s order may be requested by filing a Motion for Review of Magistrate Judge’s Order, along with a copy of the order being appealed, with the Central Intake Center which is located in the Moultrie Courthouse, Room JM-540, 500 Indiana Ave., NW. The Motion must be filed within 10 days from the date the Order is issued in all family cases other than Paternity & Support. For those seeking review of orders issued by Magistrate Judges in Paternity & Support cases, a Motion to Review must be filed within 30 days from the date the order is issued. Motion forms are available in the Family Court’s Central Intake Center for you to complete and file.
appeal a DC agency ruling?
- Appeals of DC agency decisions go to the DC Court of Appeals or the Superior Court, depending on whether or not you have had a hearing before the DC agency.
  
  NOTE: If you had a hearing before a DC agency, in most cases you appeal that decision or order to the D.C. Court of Appeals. If you have not had a hearing, you appeal the agency’s decision or order to the D.C. Superior Court’s Civil Division. Generally, the agency order or decision will direct you how and where to file an appeal.
appeal a decision of the DC Board of Real Property Assessment and Appeals?
- File your appeal with the Tax Office of DC Superior Court
find forms to use in my appeal?
- Visit the D.C. Court of Appeals forms page.