What is involved in appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court?

St. James has the opportunity to pursue an appeal to the United States Supreme Court, called a petition for a writ of certiorari. The Court typically considers three circumstances in deciding whether a case warrants its review: (1) when federal courts of appeals have reached different decisions on an important issue of federal law; (2) when state supreme courts have decided an important issue of federal law in conflict with other state courts or with federal courts; or (3) a state supreme court has decided an important issue of federal law that has not been, but should be, resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court. Circumstances 2 and 3 are both present in the St. James case.