@Walter Hinteler,
Walter Hinteler wrote:oralloy wrote:First there will be the en banc panel of the appeals court.
First of all, the appeal court sends the matter back to the District Court level for "further proceedings consistent with this opinion".
I think further proceedings in district court is an unlikely next step. Most likely next step is an en banc hearing. Second most likely next step is an appeal to the Supreme Court if an en banc hearing is refused.
In any case, you were asking about
higher courts. Even if they did actually return to district court proceedings, that would not count as a higher court.
Walter Hinteler wrote:The en banc panel of the appeals court isn't a "higher court" in the US federal courts three level system.
Well, they outrank a three judge panel.