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 […]
In jurisdictions where appellate briefs are considered to be part of the public record, any member of the public can go to the courthouse and ask to view the appellate record for a particular case. Some jurisdictions have streamlined this process by offering searchable databases of appellate cases online. Information on all appellate cases filed […]
A judgment of foreclosure is a final judgment within the meaning of Wis. Stat. § 808.03(1), which allows parties to appeal final judgments and orders as a matter of right. According to Wisconsin case law, “Judgment of foreclosure and sale is final judgment appealable as of right which must be appealed within time prescribed by […]
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 […]
The Court of Appeals took on a wide variety of criminal and civil cases last month, issuing more than fifty decisions. Following are summaries of three of the decisions. State v. Redmond – This case arose from Mr. Redmond’s convictions for kidnapping and false imprisonment. At trial, the jury did not reach a consensus regarding […]
Kimberly Alderman, managing attorney of the Alderman Law Firm, has authored an e-book called Foreclosure Defense: Litigation Strategies and Appeals. The description of the book explains: Foreclosure Defense: Litigation Strategies and Appeals is a nuts and bolts primer on foreclosure defense. It is an easy to read explanation of the various defenses raised in foreclosure […]
A party is not required to have an attorney in order to file a criminal or civil appeal in the state of Wisconsin. A party without counsel who independently files his or her appeal is known as a pro se litigant. If you choose to file an appeal pro se, you will want to consult […]
From our most recent article in the Wisconsin Law Journal, on the standards of review for Wisconsin trial court decisions: After a case has concluded at the circuit court level, losing litigants often consult their trial attorney concerning their chances on appeal. But many trial attorneys do not handle appeals, so are unfamiliar with the […]
Establishing a good record in the trial court is an enormous advantage to persons seeking to appeal a judgment. The record is all of the documents filed in the trial court that the appellate court will have access to when making its decision. In short, the record is the facts of your case. The person […]
The decision to undertake an appeal should not be made lightly. Although a loss in the trial court often emboldens litigants to seek justice at any cost, there are certain considerations that every litigant must make before investing time, money, and energy into an appeal. Paramount to these considerations is the likelihood of success on […]