What is Petitioner?
[[File:Eo-scale2.png|thumb|right|200px]] A '''petitioner''' is a very specific [[legal]] [[Terminology|term]]. It is the [[person]] who presents a formal [[legal]] [[petition]] to a [[court]] or a [[legislature]] that requests a certain action be taken.<ref name=Farlex>{{cite web |url=http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/petitioner |title=Petitioner |website=The Free Dictionary |publisher=Farlex |access-date=17 April 2016}}</ref> A petitioner is also the person who files a [[motion (legal)|motion ]] or an [[appeal]] to a higher [[court]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.justanswer.com/criminal-law/4tc9m-does-mean-petitioner-court-ca.html |title=Petitioner |publisher=JustAnswer LLC |access-date=17 April 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> A party who petitions the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] to review a [[Legal case|case]] is known as either the petitioner or the appellant.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://scdb.wustl.edu/documentation.php?var=petitioner |title=Petitioner |publisher=The Supreme Court Database |access-date=17 April 2016}}</ref> The person or [[wikt:entity|entity]] (such as a [[corporation]] or [[government]]) who opposes the petition is called a [[respondent]].<ref name=Farlex/> In some cases a third party, an ''[[amicus curiae]]'' (friend of the court), may be heard. == Appeal process == In the case of an appeal, the petitioner is usually the party who lost in a lower court. This can be either the [[plaintiff]] or the [[defendant]] who files the petition to the higher court for [[judicial review]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/petitioner |title=Petitioner |publisher=Legal Information Institute, Cornell University Law School |access-date=17 April 2016}}</ref> If the petition is granted, the petitioner files an [[Brief (law)|appellate brief]] giving the legal arguments for filing the appeal.<ref name=LL>{{cite web|url=http://www.rotlaw.com/legal-library/what-is-a-petitioner/|title=What is a petition