Final answer:
A group of several judges hearing a case together is referred to as an appellate court or a panel of judges, commonly seen in both federal and state judicial systems, such as the U.S. courts of appeals and state supreme courts.
Step-by-step explanation:
A group of several judges who hear a case together is known as an appellate court or a panel of judges. In the United States, appellate courts exist at both the federal and state levels. The U.S. courts of appeals, also known as the circuit courts, typically have a rotating panel of three judges who review the rulings of trial courts without conducting a trial themselves. These appellate courts serve as intermediate courts before matters may be escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court, which also hears cases as a collective body with all justices weighing in on decisions.
At the state level, similar structures exist, usually comprising trial courts, appellate courts, and a state supreme court. Appellate judges in these courts review decisions from lower-level state courts. The process is characterized by judges discussing cases and taking an initial vote in private, followed by an official public announcement of their decisions. For instance, in a typical state Supreme Court, state judges deliberate collectively and come to a conclusion on the cases presented before them.