Final answer:
Gabby can appeal her case to the Court of Appeals, and if her case involves significant federal or constitutional issues with national relevance or there’s a disagreement among lower courts, she could petition the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court hears a limited number of cases, with acceptance requiring agreement from at least four Justices.
Step-by-step explanation:
If Gabby lost her case at the trial court level, she does have the option of taking her case to the Court of Appeals. The appellate courts review the decisions of lower courts to determine if any legal errors were made that could have affected the verdict. If Gabby believes that legal mistakes were made during her trial, she can file an appeal. The appellate court then has the power to uphold the trial court's decision, reverse it, or remand the case back to the trial court for further proceedings.
In most cases, however, the Supreme Court is not the next step after the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court primarily hears cases that have broad national significance, involve constitutional questions, or contain inconsistencies in the interpretation of the law among different lower courts. Gabby can petition for a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court, but it is important to know that the Supreme Court selects very few cases to hear. If the case involves federal law or constitutional issues and there’s a disagreement among lower courts or if it’s of national importance, Gabby might consider petitioning the Supreme Court
A key to remember is that the decisions whether to grant certiorari are at the discretion of the Justices. At least four of the nine Justices must vote to hear the case. If the Supreme Court denies the writ of certiorari, the decision of the lower court stands, and that is often the end of the line for most cases. Alternatively, if the issue is grave enough and Gabby's case is wondering upon the interpretation of federal law or rights under the Constitution, her case may have a chance of being heard at the highest level.