CHAPTER VIII

APPEAL OF BISHOP

¶ 277. A Bishop shall have the right of Appeal to the ensuing General Conference, if he signify his intention to appeal within three months of the time when he is informed of his conviction. And in case of an Appeal, the record of the trial and all the documents relating to the case, including the charges and specifications, shall be transmitted to the ensuing General Conference, which record and documents only shall be used in evidence in the trial of the Appeal. The General Conference may, at its discretion, hear the Appeal by a Judicial Committee of its own number.

CHAPTER IX

APPEAL OF MEMBER OF CONFERENCE

¶ 278. In all cases of trial and conviction of Members of the Annual Conferences, an Appeal shall be allowed to a Judicial Conference, constituted as herein before provided, if the condemned person signify his intention to appeal within three months of the time when he is informed of his conviction.

¶ 279. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Annual Conference carefully to preserve the minutes of the trial, whether before a Select Number or before the Conference, and all the documents relating to the case, together with the charge or charges, and the specification or specifications; which minutes and documents only, in case of an Appeal

from the decision of an Annual Conference, shall be presented to the Judicial Conference as evidence in the case.

¶ 280. In all cases where an Appeal is made, and admitted by the Judicial Conference, after the charges, findings, and evidence have been read, the Appellant shall state, either personally or by his representative, the grounds of his Appeal, showing the reason why he appeals, and he shall be allowed to make his Appeal without interruption. After which the Representatives of the Annual Conference from whose decision the Appeal is made shall be permitted to respond in presence of the Appellart, who shall have the privilege of replying to such Representatives, which reply shall close the pleadings on both sides. This done, the parties shall withdraw, and the Judicial Conference shall decide the case. It may reverse, in whole or in part, the findings of the Annual Conference, or it may remand the case for a new trial. It may determine what penalty, not higher than that affixed by the Annual Conference, shall be imposed. If it neither reverse, in whole or in part, the judgment of the Annual Conference, nor remand the case for a new trial, the judgment of the Annual Conference shall stand. But it shall not reverse the judgment, nor remand the case for a new trial on account of errors plainly not affecting the result. Counsel on both sides shall be Members of an Annual Conference.

281. Appeals from an Annual Conference in the United States not easily accessible, may, at the discretion of the President thereof, be heard by a Judicial Conference selected from among the more accessible Conferences. Appeals from an Annual or Mission

Conference not in the United States may be heard at the discretion of the Bishop in permanent charge thereof, due reference being had to the rights and interests of all concerned, either by a Judicial Conference called by said Bishop from neighboring foreign Conferences, or by a Judicial Conference called by him to meet at or near New York, or by the General Conference through a special Judicial Committee appointed for the purpose.

¶ 282. When the case of any Minister who has been suspended or expelled is remanded for a new trial he shall be suspended from all Ministerial service until the next ensuing session of the Annual Conference.

283. Should a Member of an Annual Conference be accused of crime in the interval of the Conference session and be suspended by a Committee, and be subsequently found guilty by his Conference and expelled, his claims upon the Funds of the Conference shall cease from the time of his suspension. Should a Member of an Annual Conference be suspended and afterward be restored, he shall have no claim on the congregation nor upon the Funds of the Conference during the period of such suspension.

¶ 284. The General Conference shall carefully review the decisions of Questions of Law contained in the records and documents transmitted to it from the Judicial Conferences, and in case of serious error therein shall take such action as justice may require. The papers submitted shall be returned by the Secretary of the Committee on Judiciary in the next General Conference to the Chairman of the Delegation of the Annual Conference of which the accused is a Member.

CHAPTER X

RESTORATION OF CREDENTIALS

¶ 285. When any Member of an Annual Conference is deprived of his Credentials, by expulsion or otherwise, they shall be filed with the papers of his Conference; and should he, at any future time, give satisfactory evidence to the said Conference of his amendment, and procure a certificate of the Quarterly Conference of the Charge where he resides, or of an Annual Conference which may have received him on Trial, recommending to the Annual Conference of which he was formerly a Member the restoration of his Credentials, the said Conference may restore them.

286. When a Local Elder or Deacon shall be expelled, the District Superintendent shall require of him the Credentials of his ordination, to be filed with the papers of the Annual Conference within the limits of which the expulsion has taken place. And should he, at any future time, produce to the Annual Conference a certificate of his restoration, signed by the President and countersigned by the Secretary of the Quarterly Conference, his Credentials may be restored to him.

CHAPTER XI

APPEAL OF LOCAL PREACHER

T287. In case of condemnation, a Local Preacher shall be allowed to appeal to the next Annual Conference, provided that he signify to the District or Quarterly Conference his determination to appeal; in which case the President of the District or Quarterly Conference shall lay the minutes of the trial before the said Annual Conference, at which the Local Preacher, so appealing, may appear; and the said Annual Conference, as in the case of accused Members thereof, by a Select Number or in full session, shall judge and finally determine the case from the minutes of the said trial so laid before it.

CHAPTER XII

APPEAL OF MEMBER-COURT OF APPEALS

288. Any member of the Church against whom judgment is rendered by the Committee of Trial, as authorized in ¶¶ 256-272, may appeal from such judgment to the Court of Appeals, as hereinafter constituted, by giving notice in writing of his intention to appeal, which notice must be presented to the Preacher in Charge and to the District Superintendent within thirty days after said judgment is rendered.

289, § 1. The several charges composing a District Superintendent's District shall at the fourth Quar