We do the same for 1st degree murder cases in NM. It's a relic of capital sentencing here, I'm guessing less of a relic in GA. Courts don't want to waste time in intermediate courts in capital cases for some reason.
That's wild; the Court of Appeals here doesn't have any jurisdiction over factual disputes, so you couldn't raise a fact- based appeal if you skipped the Appellate Division.
Except in a capital case! We have the same rule for appeals from a death sentence and COA is authorized to review facts on a capital appeal. It’s just that we don’t do those anymore, so it’s kinda moot.
Yeah but a criminal contempt would be a new case with Mr Steele as the defendant. That would presumably go to the Court of Appeals. But it would also have a stay done essentially immediately, I suspect.
The appeals court came out today or yesterday with an order punting it directly to the state supremes.
I’m a bit murky on the deets, but I believe Steel filed at the Supreme Court first, then at the appeals court just in case.
