Legal
If you are convicted of a crime in Pennsylvania, you have various methods of appealing your case:
1. Direct Appeal to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania
If you were convicted in the Court of Common Pleas, you have a right to appeal your case to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania for direct review of the legal rulings by the Judge in the Court of Common Pleas. You can appeal if a mistake was made during the trial by the Judge.
2. Direct Appeal to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Similar to appealing to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, except, this is the type of appeal you would take if you were conviction in federal court as opposed to state court. For example if you were conviction in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Federal District Court, your would appeal as a matter of right to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
3. An Appeal under the Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA)
A PCRA is usually taken in state court when your lawyer at your trial made a mistake and you have exhausted all of your direct appeal remedies. There are, however, many other ways to file a PCRA. Click the link above to learn more.
4. A Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Federal District Court
A Writ of Habeas Corpus, which some call a Habeas Petition, is filed in Federal District Court when you were convicted in state court and have exhausted all of your state remedies. Your challenge in the Habeas Petition is usually a federal constitutional issue, but similar to the PCRA type of appeal, there are many of ways to file. Click the above link to review the Writ of Habeas Corpus.
When filing a federal criminal appeal, it’s important to have an experienced appellate lawyer to continue your fight for justice. The offices of Brian J. Zeiger, Esquire are located just blocks away from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, at 601 Market Street in Philadelphia, PA. Brian is an experienced appellate advocate. He has argued in the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Our Clients
Contact us now for a free consultation with a Pennsylvania Criminal Appeals Attorney and discuss your criminal appeal. Whether the prosecution is in Philadelphia, State College, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Reading, Scranton, Harrisburg, Erie or any community in Pennsylvania, we can help.
We file appeals throughout Pennsylvania for people who were convicted in the smallest counties to the largest metropolitan areas. Our attorneys defend people’s rights in Common Pleas Courts throughout Pennsylvania, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals of the United States of America.
Whether your case is ripe for a direct appeal on you wish to file an appeal under the Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA), our experienced lawyers are ready to help you and your family today.
Time after time we get phone calls and emails from people who are unhappy with the system, unhappy with the results of their trial, and unhappy with the way the system treated them through the trial and sentencing process.
Once prospective clients meet with us, they become our clients for years to come because we believe that justice is an essential human value, and we never stop fighting for our clients, even when other lawyers tell people to give up.