Criminal Defense Overview

Criminal Appeals

State and Federal Criminal Appeals

Attorneys at our Miami, Florida, criminal law firm, Rothman & Associates, have a proven track record of providing clients with successful appellate representation in state and federal criminal appeals.

Contact our firm if you would like to discuss a possible appeal with a lawyer from our appellate practice.

Every person convicted of a crime, in general, is entitled to one appeal of their conviction (first appeal as of right). If there was an error in the way the court handled your case, and the outcome would have been different if the error was corrected, experienced criminal appellate counsel may be able to have your conviction reversed (overturned). Early consultation with appellate counsel is essential.

Guidelines for state and federal appeals:

• The notice of appeal must be filed within a short period of time following sentencing and the filing of the court’s final judgment (only ten days for federal appeals and thirty days for Florida state appeals) in order for the appellate court to consider your appeal.
  
  
• Before you are sentenced by the court, and even prior to receiving a verdict, if you feel there has been an error in the way the court has handled your case, it may help to consult with experienced criminal appellate counsel. If you do not object to the error and give the trial court the opportunity to correct it prior to entry of the final judgment, the appellate court may not consider your appeal. Experienced criminal appellate counsel can assist your trial counsel in ensuring that the error will be available for consideration on appeal.
  
  
• Due to the required time constraints and complicated procedural rules for initiating, presenting and arguing your appeal, it is important to have an attorney with experience to handle your criminal appeal.
  
  
• In certain situations, subsequent to the first appeal, there may be other means to appeal a conviction or sentence. However, there are time constraints and other limitations that are imposed on such subsequent appeals. Experienced criminal appellate counsel can help in pursuing all avenues for appeal.

Lawyers at Rothman & Associates handle all types of state and federal criminal appeals. We are committed to defending the rights of the accused, before, during, and after trial. Locally, we provide criminal defense and appellate representation to clients from the Middle and Southern federal districts of Florida, including Ft. Lauderdale, Miami Beach, West Palm Beach, Hollywood, Palm Beach County, and Broward County; we also serve clients throughout Florida and the United States.