Sarasota Appeals Attorneys
An appeal is when you request a higher court to review a decision reached by a lower court. Appeal lawyers in Sarasota handle appeal cases when one party loses or is not satisfied with a decision passed by a lower court. The appeals court will review the records filed in the trial court. The Sarasota appeal lawyers will present their case before the appeals court to convince them to reverse the lower court’s decision. Here is a general overview of appeal cases. Return to our Florida appellate law firm page.
Contact our appeals attorneys in Sarasota Florida (941) 219-5212.
Criminal Appeals Lawyers in Sarasota Florida
The first reason for an appeal is when the trial court makes a mistake when gathering, using, or accepting critical evidence. The law requires that all evidence is gathered in a constitutional and ethical manner. For example, in civil cases, evidence such as documents, medical records, vehicles, and buildings can be evaluated using an approved motion for discovery. In cases where this motion has not been obtained or the place where such evidence is uncovered is not mentioned in the motion, then this evidence must be disregarded.
Secondly, where the judge wrongly instructs the jury and the jury is influenced by these instructions when making their verdict, then you should file an appeal. The instructions the judge gives the jury must accurately interpret the law. Mistakes with the interpretations of the law almost always lead to a reversal of the case.
Thirdly, if the trial court awards a verdict that is too large for you to pay, then it is enough to warrant an appeal. This mistake is common in trials that are presided by a jury. In such cases, the jurors get emotional and may award huge sums of money to punish the defendant. Your Sarasota criminal appeals attorneys will file a motion to relief the judgment. Though this might not reverse the court’s decision, it will lower the damage award to a legally realistic and equitable amount.
Contact our Sarasota appeals lawyers at (941) 219-5212
Finally, your lawyer may advice you to appeal a case. They may do this if they believe the case was not conducted according to the law and that the ruling is unfair. Since a Sarasota appeals attorney is trained in evaluating and arguing appeal cases, they will honestly tell you whether the chances of a ruling being reversed are high or not.
Appeals Lawyer Sarasota Florida
In your first meeting with appeals lawyers in Sarasota Florida, they will ask for a few papers. The first document they will ask for is the judgment. Your lawyer will determine whether the judgment is a final or appealable judgment.
Your Sarasota appeal lawyers will then review the records of your case. These include transcripts of the hearings and documents you presented before the court. These records will also help your lawyer determine whether this is an appealable case and if the judge mistakably made a federal court judgment that can be rectified on appeal. Connect with our Florida appeals attorneys to handle post conviction writs in Florida. The role of your appeals lawyer is to explain, based on the information given to the trial judge, how the court ruled incorrectly and how such a ruling should be reversed.
A Sarasota appeal lawyer will also help their client defend a trial court ruling. For example, if your opponent is the one who is not pleased with the court’s decision and files an appeal, an appeals lawyer will draft a brief on their behalf to support the decision.
The Process of Filing an Appeal in Sarasota Florida
The first stage of an appeal is where the court sets a schedule for presenting the appellate brief and when arguments will be presented in court. This brief refers to a written explanation where you detail how the lower court decision was wrong. The brief should not introduce new arguments or evidence that was not presented in the trial.
In the brief, your lawyer will highlight all the instances where your case was improperly handled. Your lawyer may cite portions of court transcripts or a written record of statements made in the original court trial.
When the brief has been submitted, the court will hear oral arguments by both sides. However, in the event that the court omits the oral arguments stage, the judge will make a ruling based on the written briefs. If the judge is convinced that the trial court made a mistake, they may overturn the ruling.
Tips to Consider When Hiring an Appeals Attorney
The first thing you need to understand is that the Sarasota appeal lawyers who represented you in the trial court are not the best person to take on your appeal case. The appeals process is more complex and requires much different expertise that is required in an ordinary civil appellate law or criminal law case.
While trial lawyers are usually concerned with a statute of limitations and negotiating with opposing counsel, appellate attorneys Sarasota lawyers are involved in a lot of writing, research, and arguing dense legal doctrines. Oral arguments where attorneys are thoroughly questioned by the judges require a different skill set than what trial lawyers possess.
Therefore, when hiring an appeals lawyers, ensure they are highly experienced in the appellate law. Secondly, look into the reputation of the attorney. Consider how long they have been dealing with appeal cases and their success rates. Last but not least, you need to find a lawyer who is honest with you from the beginning. While many professionals are motivated by monetary gain, there are some lawyers who will take you through all your legal options and honest advice you whether your appeal will be successful.
Before you consider appealing for a reversal of a trial court’s ruling, you need to consult widely with Sarasota appeal lawyers. Some cases are not worth going through the lengthy appeals process and you may be forced to be content with the trial court’s ruling. Consulting an appellate lawyer will help you determine whether you should appeal your case or not. As mentioned above, there are several grounds for filing an appeal. You should go through all of them to determine whether your case qualifies for an appeal. Finally, ensure you are thorough when searching for an appellate attorney. The success of your appeal will be dependent on the experience, track record, and personality of the lawyer you choose; therefore, be keen when selecting an attorney.
