Rule 8-702 Advising defendant of right to appeal.

When a judge decides your case and hands down a sentence, the judge has to tell you about your right to appeal. This means the judge must explain that you can get a brand new trial in district court if you don't agree with the outcome.

The judge also has to tell you exactly how to appeal. You need to file a notice of appeal in district court, and you only have 15 days from the day the judgment and sentence are entered to do it. If you miss this deadline, you could lose your chance to appeal, so it's important to act quickly if you want to challenge the decision.

This rule exists to make sure defendants know their options right away, instead of finding out too late that time has run out. If you're not sure how to file a notice of appeal or what the process involves, it's a good idea to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible after your case ends.