Demystifying the Court System. Part Two - The General Structure by Diagram:

In Part One of this Blog, we considered the organization of the trial courts, appellate courts and post-conviction courts which comprise the criminal justice system.  When diagramed, it looks like this:

The Pyramid of Trial, Appellate and Post-Conviction Litigation

     Justice – The Goal

/                "newly discovered" claims                \

/                "federal habeas" for state inmates               \

/            state and federal post-conviction & appeal             \

/                      Direct appeal courts – state and federal                    \

/                                                        Trial courts                                                   \

In the next entry, we will closely examine the processes at work in the "direct appeal courts," which is where cases proceed if the defense loses at a trial.

Jonathan Laurans wants you to be educated as to what you may be facing.  If you or a loved one has been convicted of a crime in Missouri, Kansas or Texas, or in any federal court, contact him immediately.  Visit his website at www.kansascitymoattorney.com and then call him at (816) 421-5200 for a FREE initial legal consultation.