A general update on where 's COA stands and what comes next.
1. Her appeal has been (randomly) assigned to Dept J, a panel of 3 judges.
2. The 3 judges will be/have been given the opening briefs written by 's appellate attorneys & the appellate attorneys representing the State.
3. Her appeal will be scheduled on the Court's calendar, and at least one month ahead of when the judge's meet to review her appeal. The COA's calendar through much of July is already posted online. Her case isn't on the calendar yet.
4. The judges will hear oral arguments on the same day they meet in conference to review/discuss her case.
5. BOTH THE AUDIO & VIDEO OF ORAL ARGUMENTS ARE MADE PUBLIC.
. (usually within 48 hours; videos are posted to YouTube & oral recordings online ).
6. Appeals are typically resolved/decided on the same day they are discussed.
7. The panel's chief judge drafts a decision, then gives it to the other 2 judges to review. Each can make suggestions etc. about the draft & sign off, or choose to dissent.
8. Complex cases often mean a looooong time passes between a panel's conference and a completed written decision.
If (please no) 's panel decides to use her case to establish new legal precedent/resolve existing conflicts in legal issues revelant to her appeal, the wait will be long indeed, as every single COA judge will be brought into the process of writing a formal opinion.
9. The COA has extended the time it sets as a goal to clear a criminal appeal (from filing date through written decision): their goal now is 600 days, and in 2018, that goal was met in 95% of their criminal appeals.
('s notice of appeal was filed 4/30/2015; the appeal itself was filed 5/7/2015. So, heck, the COA is running ahead of schedule on her appeal. Who knew?
).