Criminal Appeal Lawyers Can Help You Appeal Your Conviction
If convicted of a crime, you have options. Criminal appeal lawyers can appeal your case to the court using different strategies that help secure you a new trial or even reverse the ruling. Here is how experienced appeals lawyers, like Rudolf, Smith, Griffis & Ruggieri, LLP can help you or a loved one in this position.
If you are in the Worcester, MA area, contact us today for a free consultation to discuss the specifics of your case:(508) 570-3037.
What Exactly Is an Appeal and How Does It Work?
An appeal is a specific procedure that takes place just after a ruling is made on a crime. The defendant, now found guilty, has the option to file the request to a higher court to review how the lower court and jury ruled on his or her case. The appeal attempts to illustrate to the higher court that errors were made in the original trial that undermined the concluding ruling and/or sentencing. There are multiple strategies that criminal appeal lawyers may choose that are most appropriate for your case.
Sometimes your criminal appeal lawyer is different than whoever represented you during your defense, however that should not matter. What does matter, and is even critical, is to acquire a lawyer that has a successful track record in the appeal process. The process is complex and very nuanced and relies a lot on comprehensive strategy. Regardless, you want to make sure that your attorney is capable of representing your appeal.
Beyond needing to know the current case laws and the specific rules of Massachusetts court law, Rudolf, Smith, Griffis & Ruggieri, LLP’s associates have extensive experience in representing clients as criminal appeal lawyers. This means that beyond knowing the laws, they know how to interpret the law and find the best way to frame an appeal for each specific case. With their experience, they can make sure their approach for your appeal has the best chance of being accepted.
A Few of the Ways Your Criminal Appeal Lawyer May Ground Your Appeal
Appeals try to prove something erroneous or faulty happened during the original trial that could be considered as grounds to order a retrial, revisit the sentencing, or overturn the ruling. Some examples of how your attorney can structure your appeal include:
- A problem with the jury. This can include misconduct on the part of the jury or maybe even that the jury received erroneous instructions
- Lack of evidence, meaning, the ruling itself was not based on enough evidence
- Miscounsel. If you had a different lawyer or firm for your defense, your new appeals attorney can claim ineffective counsel
- Legal errors. This can range anywhere from errors that occured pre-trial or during the trial itself
Act Fast, Time Is of the Essence
After a conviction, the defendant — now appellate — has 30 days to file an appeal on their case. The longer you wait, the less time your attorneys have to analyze and prepare your appeal. A solid appeal takes time to be properly detailed, analyzed and strategized. It’s important to keep in mind that though you may not hear from the court right after your appeal is filed, it is required to do so within the 30 days.
If you find that you are in need of a criminal appeal attorney due to a trial or any other legal proceeding, do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your case: (508) 570-3037.