The automatic appeal to the state's Supreme Court will be just the first phase of an appeals process that could take four years or longer.

No execution date was set because state law provides for an automatic appeal of the conviction and death sentence.

As in all jurisdictions, a sentence of death results in an automatic appeal.

Because of the automatic appeals in progress, Moore has been able to stave off execution for over 20 years.

But the appeals court was split 2 to 1 in the case, which provided for automatic appeal to the state's highest court.

Due to the sentence, as of March 2013, his case is still proceeding through automatic appeals.

Because of California law, there were several automatic appeals.

A death sentence or life imprisonment generates an automatic appeal.

It has an automatic appeal to the Court of Appeals, the state's highest court.

Under Jordanian law, anyone sentenced to five years or more gets an automatic appeal to a special high court.