The "Direct Appeal" Process. Part Two - Appellate Briefs

In Part One earlier this month, the "direct appeal" process was defined and briefly - no pun intended - explained.  In this entry, we will now focus on "direct appeal briefs."

At this level, your appellate attorney should first dissect your entire case to find any and all errors made by the judge or the prosecutor (from start to finish). Those errors must then be artfully explained in your “Appellant’s Brief” wherein your lawyer presents separately numbered arguments (called "Issues" in Kansas or "Points Relied On" in Missouri).  Each argument should begin with a short sentence or paragraph identifying the premise, i.e., "Appellant Jones was denied a fair trial when the trial court refused his evidence that the prosecution's main witness has been using drugs for over ten years."  The initial premise must then be followed by a concise statement of just those facts relevant to the premise.  Then the argument, itself, follows.  The argument features a combination of persuasive and rational propositions, each supported by citation to prior appellate decisions where previous courts have ruled in the manner being advocated by your lawyer.

There are no shortcuts to effective legal writing.  Appellate advocacy like this is an art.  And, it takes an inordinate amount of time, and much editing.

Sessions, to hone the brief into the best written work product espousing your position, arguing for your freedom!

Your appellate advocate must lodge legal arguments to convince the Court of Appeals (a panel of three judges) to send the case back to the trial level for a new trial, or in some cases, a lower sentence. If the first appeal is unsuccessful, then your lawyer should press forward to convince the state supreme court, or in federal cases, the United States Supreme Court, to accept transfer for another review.

At any point in the “direct appeal” process, if a panel of judges rules in your favor, the case is transferred back to the trial court for a new trial or new sentencing. However, if you do not prevail in the “direct appeal” phase, your case is far from over. The next level up on the pyramid is called “post-conviction,” and will be featured in our next entry.

In the meantime, when seeking an appellate or post-conviction attorney, do not be afraid to ask for a few writing samples.  Take time to read the writing style used by your lawyer.  Choose the lawyer whose writing seems to best reflect what you want to communicate about your case.  After all, he or she will be your voice on paper and in the courtroom!

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.

The "Direct Appeal" Process. Part One - Overview:

Each state and the federal district court answers to a court of appeals which presides over the lower-level trial courts. All of these appellate courts implement similar processes to administer cases from filing through the final decision. Within a certain period of time after a final judgment is entered in the lower court, the litigants most always may file a "notice of appeal" which transfers the case up to an appellate court. In the weeks that follow, the party initiating the appeal (the "appellant") must see to it that the trial court's staff collect and deliver to the appellate court all relevant transcripts from hearings and the trial, along with pertinent supporting documents (which altogether is known as the "record on appeal"). Simultaneously, appellant's counsel should begin formulating the arguments that will persuade the appellate judges to either order a new trial or a new sentencing (or in rare instances, an outright dismissal of charges). Once the "record" of the case has been sent to the appellate court, it will issue a briefing schedule instructing the parties when to file their respective briefs (which contain their arguments).

In the next entry, we will discuss specific aspects of appellate briefs.

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.