Most Courts of Appeals have strict rules concerning the color of appellate brief covers. Although briefs filed with the wrong color cover may still be filed, the court may also decide to return the brief for correction. If you are filing your brief close to the deadline, a returned brief may have damaging consequences. For […]
Category Archives: Criminal Appeals
Written by Managing Attorney Kimberly Alderman and published in the June 2014 edition of Wisconsin Lawyer: A trial attorney may have good reasons for wanting to handle appeals for his or her own cases. It’s only natural to want to finish what one started, and it may seem impossible to get an appellate attorney up […]
One of the most frequently asked questions that courts receive concerning appeals is also one of the most simple, “Did the court get my brief?” Most states provide free online access to public court records. For example, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals has a website wherein anyone can search for a case using a multitude […]
Sometimes, after everything is said and done in a particular case, a piece of extremely relevant — yet somehow undiscovered — evidence comes to light. If the newly discovered evidence is persuasive enough, a the losing party may be able to convince the court to grant him a new trial. In order to successfully request […]
UPDATE: Due to the short deadlines involved and the significance of our own caseload, we are no longer taking probation revocation appeals. We have left this post up for informational value only. Individuals who are placed on extended supervision often face confusing rules and procedures that make it difficult to successfully complete their term of probation. […]
Just came across this chart on the Wisconsin Court System website. It’s a great visual aid for understanding how cases move through the courts procedurally, and how they get to the State Supreme Court.
Although rare, a party who loses at the circuit court level may ask the State Supreme Court to hear the case, directly, without the case first being heard by the Court of Appeals. This request is referred to as a petition to bypass. In Wisconsin Courts, for example, Wis. Stat. § 808.05 outlines the three […]
From our most recent article in the Wisconsin Lawyer Magazine, on Wisconsin’s expedited appeals program: It is not uncommon for a year or more to pass between the conclusion of a case at the trial level and the final opinion being handed down by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. To shorten this typical timeframe, any […]
Often, the stress of a criminal case can cause a defendant to hastily enter an ill-advised guilty plea. Sometimes, they are pressured by their attorneys, the State, or families to enter a guilty plea, even if they don’t want to do so. Defendants who enter guilty pleas hastily or against their better judgment may come […]
Those who are unable to afford appellate legal services may hope to find an appeals attorney who is willing to handle their appeal pro bono. Pro bono attorneys provide their services on a voluntarily basis either without payment or at a reduced fee to those who are least able to pay for them. However, because […]