Alderman Law Firm represents clients in Colorado state appeals and federal appeals, including matters in the Colorado Court of Appeals, the Colorado Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

The firm handles civil and criminal appeals and helps clients evaluate whether a court ruling can be challenged.

An appeal is not a second trial. The appellate court usually reviews the existing record, the legal arguments, and the rulings made in the trial court. The question is not simply whether the result feels wrong. The question is whether there is a legal issue that can be raised on appeal, whether the issue was preserved, what standard of review applies, and whether an appeal is likely to provide a useful remedy.

Attorney Alderman Rufe helps clients evaluate appellate options, deadlines, legal issues, the record, and the practical value of pursuing an appeal.

When the Firm Can Help

Alderman Law Firm reviews appellate matters involving:

• civil appeals
• criminal appeals
• final orders or judgments
• appeal deadlines
• trial-court rulings that may have affected the outcome
• legal errors in motions, hearings, or trial proceedings
• sufficiency of the evidence issues
• jury-instruction issues
• evidentiary rulings
• constitutional or procedural issues
• evaluation of whether an appeal is realistic or worthwhile

The firm can review whether an appeal appears available, what issues may exist, and what steps would be required to move forward.

What an Appeal Is — and Is Not

An appeal is different from a trial.

The appellate court generally does not hear new witnesses, receive new evidence, or retry the case from the beginning. Instead, it reviews the record created in the lower court and decides whether legal error occurred and whether that error matters enough to justify relief.

That means the strength of an appeal often depends on:

• what happened in the trial court
• whether the issue was preserved
• what the record shows
• what standard of review applies
• whether the error affected the outcome
• what remedy the appellate court can actually provide

A careful appeal evaluation starts with the ruling, the deadlines, and the record.

What the Firm Does

In an appellate matter, the work usually begins with identifying the ruling to be challenged, the applicable deadline, and the possible appellate issues.

Depending on the matter, the firm may:

• review the order, judgment, or ruling
• identify appeal deadlines
• evaluate whether an appeal is available
• review the relevant record
• identify possible appellate issues
• evaluate preservation and standards of review
• assess the likely appellate arguments
• prepare appellate motions or briefs
• represent the client through briefing and related appellate proceedings

The goal is to determine whether there is a viable appellate issue and whether the appeal is likely to serve a practical purpose.

Deadlines Matter

Appeal deadlines are strict.

If a deadline is missed, the right to appeal may be lost. Anyone considering an appeal should seek review as soon as possible after the ruling, order, or judgment is entered.

The first questions are usually:

• What was entered?
• When was it entered?
• Is it appealable now?
• What deadline applies?
• What record exists?
• What issue would be raised?

A prompt review helps determine whether action is needed immediately.

Civil Appeals

Civil appeals may arise from disputes involving contracts, property, money judgments, civil claims, court orders, or other trial-court rulings.

Attorney Alderman Rufe reviews civil appellate matters to determine whether the issue can be raised, whether the record supports the argument, and whether the available remedy is worth pursuing.

Civil appeals often require close attention to preservation, procedure, standards of review, and the practical effect of any appellate ruling.

Criminal Appeals

Attorney Alderman Rufe also handles criminal appeals.

Criminal appeals may involve trial error, sentencing issues, sufficiency of the evidence, jury instructions, evidentiary rulings, constitutional issues, or other legal questions arising from the record.

A criminal appeal requires careful review of the proceedings, the record, and the legal issues that can properly be presented to the appellate court.

• the order, judgment, or ruling
• the date it was entered
• the court and case number
• any relevant motions or briefs
• any hearing or trial transcripts, if available
• key exhibits or pleadings
• any notice of appeal already filed
• any upcoming deadlines
• a short explanation of what you believe went wrong

After reviewing the intake, the firm determines whether the matter appears to fit the practice and whether a consultation should be scheduled.