Guest Blog
People who have been into a trial and convicted into a federal crime can appeal their conviction. Appellate courts are part of the USA’s judicial system that is responsible for hearing and reviewing case trials that have already taken place in the lower courts.
There are corporations, people, and entities that may seem unsatisfied with the verdict of the lower courts. They can file the appeal to the appellate court to have the decision reviewed and reversed if possible. The appellate court may include a judge or a panel of judges that often review the cases, but it does not include a jury.
In the federal level, there is 13 court of appeals. These 13 courts hold specific states and they have their system. For example, a person living in California may be part of the ninth circuit and it can take approximately 18 months for the convicted to receive a decision. On the other hand, people living in the fourth circuit that includes Maryland can receive a median time of about 8 to 9 months to receive a decision.
Other Things about Federal Appeals that you Should Know
- Appeal is not a Retrial
Other people have a misconception that getting a retrial can mean that the whole process of the trial will be repeated on the higher courts. This is not the case at all. In a retrial, the facts are re-open, the pieces of evidence are “set in stone”., and the district court where the trial happened can be attacked in some legal grounds. There are specific criminal retrials handled by expert attorneys. Know more about the crimes that are commonly raised in the federal courts by visiting this site: https://federalappealslawfirm.com.
The whole proceeding takes place in briefs or writing. The attorneys involved will file briefs that raise errors allegedly done in the district courts. There are no official reporters and witness stands in the appellate courts. The judges consider the case based on the records of the trial, the pieces of evidence, and the arguments on the briefs.
- Notice of Appeal is Different from an Appeal
Most people may be confused with the notice of appeal and the appeal itself. Know that the notice of retrial is just a document that consists of one to two pages. It contains a very short notice that the litigants will file an intention to reconsider. The deadline for this notice is 10 days. The people who have undergone trial should file this notice regardless if they want to follow it through since there is still a chance that their sentence will be removed.
Some panicked families and litigants may sometimes call their attorney’s office saying that the brief stating the plea should be filed within 10 days. This is not the case at all. The written text for the brief should be painstakingly done and it should be specific. While the notice of appeal can be searched online. People can even see on online websites and forums the forms that can work as notices.
- Briefs are the Major Ways Used to Resolve an Appeal
Most cases are resolved without the need for an oral argument. A principal brief is a written document filed by the convicted party that provides a non-argumentative record of what happened at trial. It then proceeds to the argumentative side where the attorney will point out several errors done in the lower courts. The facts asserted should be followed by an exact transcript and citation of the proceedings as well as a piece of evidence that there is an error.
The appellee or the government will file a response after the brief that contains the objective facts and an answer to each of the arguments that were written in the lawyer’s brief. The attorney will then file a response to the appellee’s argument until such time that a decision is made. The quality of research that goes into the retrial is of the utmost importance to any case as many judges only consider an argument with solid support or evidence.
These are just some of the facts that you should know about appellate courts. Some lawyers are not only good in research, but they are also excellent in knowing how these courts work. They can craft arguments, read pages of transcripts and argue convincingly to make sure that the conviction is fair. Contact one of them today and see how they can help you.
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