Article VI. Appeals in Criminal Cases, Post-Conviction Cases, and Juvenile Court Proceedings · Last amended 2008 · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceRule 602 makes appeal the only way to seek review of an Illinois criminal judgment entered on or after January 1, 1964, and fixes the party labels used once review begins.
Full Text of Ill. S. Ct. R. 602
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The only method of review in a criminal case in which judgment was entered on or after
January 1, 1964, shall be by appeal. The party appealing shall be known as the appellant and the adverse party as the appellee, but the title of the case shall not be changed. Review of cases in which judgments were entered before January 1, 1964, shall be governed by the time limitations in effect on December 31, 1963, and the procedure shall be as provided by the rules then in effect, or as provided by these rules, at the option of the appellant.
Plain-English Summary
For any judgment entered on or after January 1, 1964, appeal is the sole route to review in a criminal case — no separate writ, no alternate proceeding. The party who appeals becomes the appellant, the other side the appellee, though the rule is careful to note the case’s title itself doesn’t change.
Judgments entered before that date sit in a different category. Those cases follow the time limits that were in place on December 31, 1963, and the appellant gets to choose whether the older procedure or the current rules apply.
The rule is short, but it does real work: it closes off any argument that some other form of review — outside a direct appeal — remains available for a post-1964 criminal judgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the only way to get appellate review of a criminal judgment today?
By appeal — Rule 602 forecloses any other method of review for judgments entered on or after January 1, 1964.
Does the case name change once an appeal is filed?
No, the title of the case stays the same even though the parties are now called appellant and appellee.
What happens with a judgment entered before January 1, 1964?
It’s governed by the time limits in effect on December 31, 1963, with the appellant choosing between the old procedure and the current rules.
Who is the appellant in a criminal appeal?
Whichever party is appealing — either the defendant or, where allowed, the State.
Why does the date January 1, 1964 matter here?
It’s the effective date of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963, marking the line between old and new appellate procedure.
Amendment History
Amended May 30, 2008, effective immediately.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Committee Comments, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Supreme Court Rules,
promulgated by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:method of review Illinois criminal caseonly way to appeal a convictionappellant appellee criminal appealrule 602 Illinois