<P> The phrase "court of appeals" most often refers to intermediate appellate courts . However, the Maryland and New York systems are different . The Maryland Court of Appeals and the New York Court of Appeals are the highest appellate courts in those states . The New York Supreme Court is a trial court of general jurisdiction . </P> <P> Depending on the system, certain courts may serve as both trial courts and appellate courts, hearing appeals of decisions made by courts with more limited jurisdiction . Some jurisdictions have specialized appellate courts, such as the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which only hears appeals raised in criminal cases, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which has general jurisdiction but derives most of its caseload from patent cases, on one hand, and appeals from the Court of Federal Claims on the other . </P>

How many judges hear a specific case on a federal circuit court of appeals