Riverside County Criminal Appeals Attorneys

Appellate courts are very different from a trial court where cases are heard, witnesses are called and jurors deliberate and deliver verdicts. In an appellate court, there are no jurors, no prosecutors or defense attorneys, no evidence, courtroom drama or arguments. A Riverside criminal appeal is a lengthy, multi-step process and the appellate court system has its own rules, procedures and decision-making process. There are no guarantees that even a notice of appeal filed in a timely manner will result in the Court of Appeal reviewing the trial judgment. That's exactly why it takes an experienced Riverside County criminal appeal attorney with highly specialized skills to help you navigate your request through the system to increase your chances of being heard in the Court of Appeal.

A criminal appeal can be filed in the Riverside County Court of Appeals when a convicted individual wishes to "appeal" or challenge a decision made by judge or jury in a trial court. Mistakes during trials happen almost on a routine basis. In some cases, evidence that may have helped or even acquitted the defendant of the charges may have been mistakenly or wrongly withheld at the time of the trial. There may have been "prosecutorial misconduct." When the defendant alleges prosecutorial misconduct, it means that the prosecution may have acted in an inappropriate or unfair manner. Such arguments could also involve allegations that the prosecution withheld evidence deliberately or knowingly permitted false testimony.

In some cases the wrong law may have been applied or the jury instructions may have been incorrect or confused the jurors. In certain other cases, the sentence may not have been appropriate for the crime. All these errors at the trial court errors may have been made unintentionally by attorneys, judges or the jury. A Riverside County criminal appeal basically gives the convicted individual a second chance to obtain justice. The appellate court has the authority to overturn or overrule the trial court's decision and reverse it based on the legal argument made by the defense attorney.

Filing a Riverside County criminal appeal is not a simple process and requires very specialized expertise. Under California law, a criminal appeal must be filed within 30 days after a misdemeanor conviction or 60 days after the sentencing in felony matter. The notice of appeal is filed in the court where a conviction occurred. Following that, a copy of all the criminal trial papers and testimony are gathered and filed with the Riverside County Court of Appeals. If it involves a federal crime, it is filed in the federal appellate court. The appellate process is complex and involves extensive research. It could take a year or more for the appeal to get resolved. If the appellate court reverses your conviction, then you will be entitled to a new trial. If the court upholds your conviction, then there are other options that may be available that you can discuss with your Riverside County appellate attorneys at Wallin & Klarich.

If you have been convicted of a crime in Riverside County, it is critical that you retain the services of a law firm that has years of experience, knowledge, expertise and a successful track record of filing and winning Riverside County criminal appeals. The Riverside County appellate attorneys at Wallin & Klarich have been handling criminal appeals for the last 30 years. We have the experience and understanding of the law to maximize your chances that your appeal will be a success. We make sure that you truly have that precious second chance.