What are the prerequisites to raising a legal issue on appeal?
Even though appellate courts have the power to review legal issues, it may not consider those arguments that were not preserved for appeal. Appellate courts rule on whether the trial court committed errors that justify a change in the trial verdict; however, the appellate court will not hear arguments regarding legal issues that the lawyers did not mention at the time they arose. To receive full appellate review, counsel must have objected on the record to whatever legal issue is later raised as error. If no objection was made, the appeals court will change the verdict only for plain or structural error. Plain error is a mistake so obvious and significant that no judge in his right mind would have acted in that way. The plain error must carry a real risk of a miscarriage of justice for appellate relief to be granted. Structural error affecting the fundamental fairness of the proceeding may also cause reversal on appeal even where the lawyer did not object. Even if counsel raises an obj
