Appeals

For you to count on a fair legal system, judges, jurors and lawyers must be able to handle their duties without undue bias. If any of these participants have a personal stake in your case that could call their objectivity into question, their service might be an...

After you receive your sentence for a criminal conviction, you may have the right to appeal your case to a higher court. An appeal allows you to ask the other court to review your case for accuracy. On appeal, you may receive the chance of a new trial. It is important...

DNA evidence changed how criminal prosecution works. However, it is not infallible and might lead to false convictions. According to the Innocence Project, both the District of Columbia and Maryland allow for post-conviction DNA testing for crimes of violence. Even if...

Everyone should have effective counsel when going up against criminal charges in court. Unfortunately, some people end up with a conviction because a defense attorney committed mistakes that contributed to the outcome. Additionally, sometimes a trial judge misapplies...

If you found a harmful legal error that led to your conviction, you may file an appeal and request that a judge review your case. Showing that a mistake in the court’s actions or processing occurred may compel a judge to overturn a conviction. According to the...

Getting a guilty verdict in a criminal trial is a grim moment for a defendant. Nonetheless, the verdict does not necessarily doom a defendant to serving a sentence. To ensure justice, convicted defendants in Maryland and the District of Columbia have the right to...

If you lost a trial and feel that your attorney did not do an appropriate job of defending you, you may be able to file an appeal due to ineffective assistance of counsel. As part of your right to have a fair trial, the actions of your lawyer play a role, whether the...

Sitting behind bars after a wrongful conviction can feel disheartening and hopeless. Despite your claims of innocence and the evidence presented at trial, a jury still found enough reason to convict you for the crime in question. Fortunately, you have the legal right...

Appealing a criminal conviction is not an automatic right. Many people do not understand how appeals work and that your case must qualify. According to the District of Columbia Courts, you do have the right to request an appeal in any situation. However, the court...