St. Louis Criminal Appeal Attorney

Do you need to appeal a criminal conviction in or around St. Louis, Missouri?

If you have been convicted and sentenced for a crime by a local court and wish to appeal your case, you need to contact the Whiteley Law Firm immediately. Once your trial or criminal proceeding is over, you have 10 days to file a petition to appeal. As a St. Louis criminal defense attorney who focuses on this field of law exclusively, Attorney Whiteley can review your case and evaluate it in terms of the appeal process. He can advise you on the steps involved, the likelihood of winning in such an action, and represent you in an appeal should it be in your best interests to do so.

In an appeal, you will be asking a higher court to review the lower court's decision. The higher court will evaluate all of the evidence and trial procedure to determine if any prejudicial mistakes or legal errors occurred which might invalidate the verdict or sentence. In an appeal, juries and witnesses are not involved. The opposing parties submit briefs to the court, stating their arguments for or against the case and their legal basis for such. In court, they may argue their side before the judges, who determine the outcome.

Appeal Cases in Missouri

The Missouri Court of Appeals handles all appeals from district courts. If the appeal is lost at this level, the individual may file a petition with the Missouri Supreme Court, which may or may not take the case for review, based on its merits. Legal errors which may justify an appeal include such things as lack of adequate evidence, allowing evidence into the proceeding which was obtained unlawfully or is in some other way inadmissible, errors on the part of the lower court's judge in instructing the jury, misconduct or mistakes made by the jury, and more.

To find out more about how your case may warrant an appeal and the process involved, it is advisable to arrange for a consultation as soon as possible.

Contact the St. Louis criminal appeal lawyerat the firm if you believe you were convicted in error today.