§ 138.020 Who may appeal

Here's a plain English summary of this rule:

If you're involved in a criminal case, either side, the state or the person accused of a crime, can appeal a judgment. This is called an appeal "as a matter of right," which means the court has to hear the appeal if it's filed correctly. You don't need special permission to ask for this kind of appeal.

But there's a catch. You can only appeal in the specific situations that other Oregon laws (ORS 138.010 through 138.310) actually allow. If your situation isn't covered by one of those laws, you don't get to appeal. So before assuming you have the right to challenge a court decision, you need to check whether your specific circumstance is one that the law recognizes as appealable.

This rule basically sets the boundary lines for appeals in criminal cases. It confirms that both sides have equal footing to appeal when the law allows it, but it also makes clear that appeal rights aren't unlimited. They only exist where specific rules say they do.