Filing Criminal Appeals, You have 7-10 days to file criminal appeals after final judgment of your trial, known as the final judgment rule.

Steps your attorney may take to help you file an appeal.

  • Get a copy of the trial transcript for the criminal appeal
  • File the Notice of Appeal.
  • Write or draft the appeal.
  • Do all the necessary legal research
  • Help with your appeal bond, if possible, to keep you out of jail awaiting the outcome of your appeal.

Generally, an appeal asks a higher court to review the verdicts and decisions made by the trial court judge. Criminal appeals proceedings and decisions are made by three judges. In criminal appeals, the higher court court will decide if mistakes were made in procedure or law, rather than looking at the facts of the case. An appeal must be filed in a timely manner(see below) if you hope to overturn a guilty verdict.

What can be appealed?

  • a guilty verdict
  • the actual sentence imposed

When can criminal appeals be filed?

An appeal cannot be filed until the final judgment of your trial, known as the final judgment rule.

Can I remain free on bail awaiting an appeal decision if I am found guilty at trial?

The court decides this. In some cases a person is allowed to remain free on bail pending the appeal if the defendant does not pose a danger to the community.

How long do I have to decide if I want to file a legal appeal?

The legal appeal or notice of appeal must be filed within 7 to 10 days after the final judgment.People sometimes are not sure whether or not they want to file a notice of appeal. We recommend filing since the window is limited. You can always withdraw your notice without penalty. Better to file if you are ambivalent because you will not be allowed to do so after the 7-10 time frame.

Criminal Appeals Information: How long does the appeal process take?

It can take several months for an appeal. It is a time consuming process to put together appellate briefs. Both defense attorneys and prosecutors draft their written arguments and respond to each other’s brief (sometimes more than once). This process can go on for months.

What can I expect after filing an appeal?

After you file an appeal, the appellate court will usually set a schedule to let both defense attorney and prosecutor know when their briefs must be filed and when (and if) they have to attend court proceedings to present their case.

How does a guilty verdict get overturned?

Usually an appellate court will overturn a guilty conviction if they find an error of procedure or law that resulted in the guilty verdict. Only errors that resulted in the guilty verdict can lead to the appellate court overturning the verdict (which means harmless errors will not lead to overturning the conviction).

So how does it work with sentencing appeals?

Regarding sentencing, the appellate court will usually not interfere with sentencing unless the judge did not adhere to the sentencing standards required by law. When this happens the appellate court will usually send the case back before the courts to be sentences again.

A person convicted of a crime at trial has many options to challenge the guilty verdict. Your criminal appeal attorney can explain details about the many post convictions options (such as appeals and writs) some of which can only be used in certain situations. Here is a list of the some of the ways a defendant can get some post conviction help (depending on the circumstances):

  • Appeal to State Appellate Court
  • Motion for Acquittal
  • Motion for a New Trial
  • Petition for Rehearing to State Appeals Court
  • State Supreme Court Appeal
  • U.S. Supreme Court Appeal

Can a defendant remain free on bail during the appeal process if he or she was found guilty at trial?

If the defendant is not deemed a threat or danger to the community or other people, the court may allow the person to remain free on bail pending the outcome of the appeal.

 

Need help with a criminal appeal? Contact us now for a free consult.