Utah has two appellate courts:  The Utah Court of Appeals, and the Utah Supreme Court.  The Federal Court system is separate from state courts, and includes regional Courts of Appeal, and the United States Supreme Court, which is the “highest court in the land.”

Appellate decisions apply and interpret current laws, and determine outcomes of specific cases.  Most of these decisions are published, and become “precedent,” or binding on future cases involving the same legal principles. ~ It should be remembered, however, that although the reasoning of a decision may apply in other matters with similar issues, each situation is still judged individually.  The specific fact situation of a matter often affects the approach taken by an appellate court.  Furthermore, laws may change, affecting how a decision may be applied; and new appellate cases may alter older interpretations.