Choose Your Virginia Appeals Attorney Carefully
The prospect of facing criminal charges can be terrifying, and the situation becomes more difficult to bear if your criminal case is decided against you. However, you do not simply have to accept an unfavorable outcome if you can show that there were procedural problems with the original court decision or your legal rights were violated in some way. The laws of Virginia allow for cases to be appealed with justification.
There are explicit guidelines for appealing criminal convictions. At Randall & Bruch, PC, our Virginia appellate lawyers are standing by to help clients in and around the Southampton, Emporia, Brunswick, and Suffolk areas. Let us get to work on your appeal today so we can help you get back to living your life.
Are There Grounds To Appeal Your Conviction?
There are various grounds for filing appeals in the aftermath of a criminal case in Virginia. This can range from evidence that the jury was given incorrect instructions to claims that you had an ineffective lawyer on your case during the original trial.
For your case to be successfully appealed, your lawyer must show that there was some type of legal error, mistake or problem with the criminal proceedings. An appellate court judge is not going to simply decide the facts of the case or analyze on their own the decisions made by a jury. Rather, the appellate court may reverse bad decisions if filed appeals demonstrate errors in the previous procedures.
Appeals can be complicated. Your local Virginia criminal appeals attorney must identify technical problems occurring in the original trial, such as the following:
- The jury did not receive correct instructions or there were instances of misconduct by one or more jurors.
- Something was wrong with the way the evidence was presented.
- Your lawyer was incompetent.
It is crucial to work with a skilled appeals attorney who has specific experience handling cases in your jurisdiction. When you work with a lawyer who has a record of successfully handling appeals cases, you increase your chances of success.
Specific processes will determine whether an appeal will be heard. An appellate judge will decide whether or not to grant the appeal. If the judge denies the appeal, an attorney can request that a “writ panel” of three judges review the decision. If any one of those judges agrees to the appeal, then the appeal will be granted. If a person is still not satisfied with the outcome of the appeal, they will be allowed to appeal once again, but this time to the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Contact an Attorney About a Potential Appeal Today
If you or a loved one needs to appeal your criminal conviction, the time to act is now. At Randall & Bruch, PC, our appeals attorneys in Virginia understand the urgency of these cases. We have the resources necessary to handle every aspect of your case, regardless of whether or not our team was involved in your original trial.
Let our appeals attorneys get to work today. If you need help with your appeal and you live in or around the Southampton, Emporia, Brunswick or Suffolk areas, you can complete an online form to ask for a free consultation or call 757-742-6115.
Written By Jack T. Randall
As lifelong resident of Western Tidewater, Jack Randall is a local attorney who wants the best results for his clients. He is an experienced and aggressive attorney with focus on family law, criminal and traffic law, as well as personal injury law cases.