Appealing a Conviction: Your Complete Guide to the Appeals Process

Appealing a Conviction: Your Complete Guide to the Appeals Process

In the United States there are over 2 million people incarcerated and of those 2 million there are only about 53,000 cases that go into the appeal process each year. If this number seems low to you, you are correct but appealing a conviction isn’t impossible.

If you’ve had the unfortunate circumstance of being found guilty in a criminal court you do have options, even when it may feel as if you don’t. Hang in there and keep reading to find out what you can do to appeal your conviction.

What is the Appeals Process?

An appeal typically happens when a judge has made an error in the determination of the criminal case, as in you are not guilty. There is also quite a bit of legal jargon involved in the appeals process but the basics are as follows:

1. Your appeal begins when a notice of appeal is filed with a federal court and is filed typically filed by the attorney representing you
2. Just because you file an appeal doesn’t mean it’ll be approved, there are rules and strict timelines to follow which is another important reason you’ll want an experienced attorney to represent you
3. These are options that may happen when you file an appeal and depend on the judge to determine:
   • Sentence Reduction – the amount of time that you’ll have to spend behind bars
   • Acquittal or New Trial – Your conviction may be completely dismissed or you may earn the right to a new trial and have to start from scratch. Of course you’ll want to weigh out these options with your attorney.

Now that you understand what you are getting into by appealing a conviction, you need to know how to go about it.

Appealing a Conviction: Research and Hire an Attorney

The very first thing you want to do when attempting to appeal a conviction is:

• Research a qualified attorney, preferably one that has past success with appealing convictions
• Hire a Lawyer – When it comes to something as in-depth and serious as criminal appeals you will want the help of an experienced attorney.
• Stay positive – appealing a conviction can be a long and emotional process, the best thing you can do for yourself and everyone involved is to keep a positive outlook.

Now you Know Everything about Appealing a Conviction

You are one of the lucky ones! Now you know everything about appealing a conviction and you can get started living your best life. With this knowledge you’re equipped to select an experienced attorney to represent you.

Not everyone in life gets a second chance, so consider appealing a conviction a second chance and be grateful you have the opportunity.  Keep coming back to our blog to stay informed on similar topics.