If you were just convicted of a crime and feel that the case was not tried properly or legally, you have options. The justice system allows convicted criminals opportunities to appeal convictions; however, this process is far from simple. If you are in these shoes right now and want to appeal your case, here are three things you need to know.
You Must Do It Quickly
To appeal a criminal conviction, you may have only 10 days to file your initial appeal request. This 10-day period generally starts on the day the ruling was made and you were found guilty. In other words, you do not have much time, so you should file your appeal quickly.
An Appeal Is Handled By A Higher Court
Criminal cases are usually handled in county courts, and the cases are generally handled in the counties where the crimes were committed. Once you are convicted of a crime, that same court cannot retry your case if the court determined a guilty verdict. In order for you to have another trial after asking for an appeal, your case will have to be taken to an appellate court. Appellate courts are higher than county courts, and the lawyer you hire to take your case should be an appellate practice lawyer.
You Will Need A Good Reason
Once you apply for an appeal, you will not automatically be given the right to another trial. In fact, getting another trial is not easy to do, but you will have a better chance of getting one if you have a really good reason and sufficient evidence to back it up.
There are a variety of grounds that can be used when requesting an appeal that may help you achieve it. One of these is called a plain error. If there was some type of mistake that led to your conviction, you could use this as your grounds. Another type of grounds you could use is that your attorney did not represent you well.
If you truly believe you are innocent and that the court did not have good reason to convict you, hire an appellate attorney. Appellate attorneys are experienced with handling appeals, and they will be able to review the evidence from your case to determine if you should go through with an appeal or not. To learn more, contact an appellate lawyer today. For more information about the process, visit websites like http://www.pedersonlawrc.com.
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