The appeal process is designed to reverse decisions made on compromised legal grounds. If a legal outcome was reached on a questionable legal foundation, you can take action to pursue a remedy for yourself. In most cases, the remedy takes the form of an appeal. Only, the appeal is a daunting process.
The Appeals Process in Arizona
In Arizona, a person has 14 days from their sentencing to notify the court that they are appealing. The procedure to file the appeal is just as important as the appeal itself. To start with, there are vast and varied rules of appellate procedure depending on which jurisdiction you are coming from and what jurisdiction you are appealing to. The procedure quickly becomes complicated before the appeal is even filed.
Before a word is uttered in argument or a word written in protest, you must first contend with the procedure for filing the appeal. It is an obstacle you must deal with throughout the appeal. Plus, there are numerous parties involved when it comes to an unfavorable and unjust outcome. The opposing party is, of course, necessarily involved in the process. But, also inherent in the process is the lower court, the higher court, the judge or judges associated with the courts, multiple clerks of court, transcribers, court reporters, and possibly more. You need an experienced attorney who knows not only the grounds for an appeal, but how to file the appeal.
Whether your rights were violated, new evidence has been discovered, or you received an unfair sentence, an experienced appellate attorney is necessary to give you the best chance at reversing your conviction or bringing your sentence into proportion with what actually happened.