Paul appealed to Caesar, so Festus agreed to that.

Acts 25:6-12

6 After Festus had been in Jerusalem eight or ten days, he went back down to Caesarea. Several of the Jewish leaders also went there. The next day Festus commanded that Paul be brought {someone to bring Paul} to him in the assembly hall so that he could judge him. 7 After Paul was brought to the assembly hall, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around him to accuse him. They told Festus that Paul had committed many crimes. But they could not prove that Paul had done the things about which they accused him. 8 Then Paul spoke to defend himself. He said to Festus, “I have done nothing wrong against the laws of us (exc) Jews, and I have not disobeyed the rules concerning our Temple. I have also done nothing wrong against your government [MTY].” 9 But Festus wanted to please the Jewish leaders, so he asked Paul, “Are you (sg) willing to go up to Jerusalem so that I can listen as these men accuse you there?” 10 But Paul did not want to do that. So he said to Festus, “No, I am not willing to go to Jerusalem! I am now standing before you, and you (sg) are the judge whom the Roman Emperor [MTY] has authorized. This is the place where I should be judged {where you should judge me}. I have not wronged the Jewish people at all, as you know very well. 11 If I had done something bad for which I should be executed {concerning which the law said that they should execute me}, I would not plead with them that they not kill me. But none of these things about which they accuse me is true, so no one can legally surrender me to these Jews. So I formally request that the emperor [MTY] should judge me at Rome.” 12 Then after Festus conferred with the men who regularly advised him, he replied to Paul, “You (sg) have formally requested that I should send you to the emperor in Rome. So I will arrange for you to go there in order that he can judge you.”