A good federal criminal appeal attorney is critical to having any chance of succeeding in one of the 11 Circuit Appellate Courts. is a legal proceeding in which the judgment or order of the court is challenged on some legal ground or grounds. It should be noted that a federal criminal appeal is not a retrial or a rehearing of the evidence. Rather, it is a proceeding in which defendant’s appellate counsel and counsel for the government file briefs raising and responding to legal errors alleged to have taken place in the district court. These briefs and any attachments provided allow the appellate court to determine whether any legal error occurred at the lower court level.
Filing an Opening Brief
An opening brief is the brief filed by the appellant. It is a written document that provides the court with a rendition of the facts of the case, followed by a persuasive argument of the specific legal errors that have allegedly been committed by the lower court. Before, a brief can be filed, we will have to request transcripts of the lower court proceedings. After reviewing the transcripts of record, we identify key issues that can be raised at the appellate level and discuss any potential issues our client believes are applicable. We then draft the initial brief.
Filing an appeal requires a great deal of time, preparation, and skilled legal research. Our federal appellate lawyers have drafted numerous federal appeals, and have years of experience arguing substantial legal issues in state and federal appellate courts. Here at The Mace Firm, we have top appellate attorneys that are ready and willing to bring you vindication for an error at the lower court level. Contact our federal criminal appeal attorney today at 1-800-94-TRIAL if you are interested in filing a state or federal appeal.
Time Limitations
When a person is convicted or sentenced at the trial level and would like to appeal, notice of this intent must be filed within 10 days after the sentencing. Fed. R. App. P. 4(b)(1)(A). A notice of appeal is a short document that notifies the district court and appellate court of a party’s intention to appeal. Otherwise, you are considered to have given up your right to appeal. Due to the time constraints in filing an appeal with a Circuit Court of Appeals, it is vital to contact an federal appellate attorney as soon as possible to discuss your options. However, if you have missed the deadline, do not give up. We may still be able to initiate your appeal based on excusable neglect or some other exception. If you are interested in filing a federal criminal appeal or need to file a notice of appeal of a district court judgment, contact one of our federal appellate lawyers for a free consultation. We want to make sure that all your issues are preserved.
United States Courts of Appeal
Federal criminal cases begin in the district court. When errors are made, our appellate attorneys appeal to the applicable circuit court depending on the jurisdiction in which you were charged and sentenced. South Carolina federal cases are appealed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. If you are seeking an appeal from any one of these jurisdictions, contact The Mace Firm at 1-800-94-TRIAL to speak with one of our federal appellate lawyers.
For a list of circuit courts and their corresponding states, click here.
