After a decision of the court of appeal, what may the aggrieved party file?

• A. A writ of mandamus
• B. A petition for a remand
• C. A motion for retrial in the Court of Appeal
• D. A petition for hearing in the California Supreme Court

Answer: (D)

When a decision comes from the Court of Appeal, the next step if you want the case reviewed is to seek discretionary review by the California Supreme Court by filing a petition for hearing. The Supreme Court has the authority to decide whether to hear the case, but its grant is not automatic; it depends on the significance of the issues, conflicts among appellate courts, or other important factors. Writs like mandamus address different procedural problems and aren’t the standard way to challenge an appellate ruling; remand petitions and motions for retrial in the Court of Appeal aren’t the mechanism for pursuing post-appeal review either—retrials happen in the trial court or through remand, not in the appellate court for another round of appeals. So the correct path is filing a petition for hearing in the California Supreme Court.