Individuals denied a fair trial can sometimes appeal the outcome of their legal proceedings. In scenarios where the court proceedings do not adhere to best practices or there is a questionable application of the law, people may have the option of appealing the outcome...
Criminal appeals
Mistakes in applying state law can justify a criminal appeal
The Maryland criminal justice system is relatively complex. As a result, laypeople can easily make mistakes when trying to defend themselves based on state statutes or their understanding of cases that set precedents. Therefore, lawyers and judges help with the...
Is an appeal just a second trial?
Say that someone goes to court and they are convicted of committing a crime. They decide to appeal that decision. You’ll often see news reports about an appeals process when there is a high-profile criminal case taking place. Even after the case ends, the defendant...
3 points to remember about criminal appeals
A defendant in a criminal matter trusts that their attorney is going to do what’s in their best interests. While most criminal defense attorneys do exactly that, there are times when things may happen that have a negative effect on the defendant’s case. You can’t...
Could your lawyer’s poor performance lead to a criminal appeal?
If you hired an attorney and decided to fight your criminal charges, you likely wanted to prove your innocence. Rather than pleading guilty to quickly put the issue behind you, you chose instead to fight back. Sometimes, your chances of success will diminish because...
Youth on trial: Cases often include false confessions, false witness statements
No one enjoys admitting that they made a serious mistake. But when that reluctance is part of the criminal justice system, errors can mean that people who are not guilty of crimes spend years of their lives behind bars. One such case began in November 1983, when a...