Most state and lower federal appellate decisions draw almost no public attention

Evidence

Few decisions of state appellate courts and lower federal courts attract the sort of public attention given to Supreme Court rulings. Indeed, some are of such minimal interest, even to the legal profession, that the court merely announces its decision without writing an opinion in the case. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1600

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Lower appellate courts decide most appeals on briefs rather than oral argument — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1596; State supreme courts vary widely in how readily judges dissent — Lawrence M. Friedman and Grant M. Hayden, American Law: An Introduction, 400; Federal courts shape state common law far less than institutional prominence suggests. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 3533 (+12 more)

Broader Connections

• Most cases stay within their initiating state or federal judicial system #corroborates (0.95) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 218
• Dissent rates vary widely across American appellate courts #complicates (0.92) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 961
• State supreme courts vary widely in how readily judges dissent #complicates (0.90) — Lawrence M. Friedman and Grant M. Hayden, American Law, 400
• Fewer than 13 percent of trial court decisions are appealed #complicates (0.87) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1461
• Federal courts shape state common law far less than institutional prominence suggests. #complicates (0.85) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 3533
• Judicial rulings often fail without compliance and political support #complicates (0.83) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 198
• Political pressure, not the court judgment alone, deterred an appeal #complicates (0.83) — Luke W. Cole and Sheila R. Foster, From the Ground Up, 84
• A discretionary state power stripped a poor community of appellate remedy #complicates (0.82) — Luke W. Cole and Sheila R. Foster, From the Ground Up, 257
• Judicial rulings often fail to secure compliance or resolve conflict #complicates (0.81) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 211
• Vague judicial mandates expand lower judges’ discretion to limit rulings #complicates (0.79) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 3188
• Appellate courts address legal questions rather than factual ones #complicates (0.76) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1247
• State legislatures sometimes openly defy Supreme Court constitutional rulings #complicates (0.75) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 3139
• Courts often make policy without information about situations their rulings affect. #complicates (0.72) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1472
• Fragmented Supreme Court majorities complicate lower courts’ interpretation of rulings #complicates (0.70) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1570