Aggressive Defense At The State/Federal Criminal Appeals Level

The Eversole Law Firm, located in Birmingham, Alabama, defends the rights of people from all walks of life in both state and federal criminal appeals. Our firm’s founder, Steven D. Eversole, is highly experienced and respected post-conviction relief attorney. Many of his peers’ clients have come to him, after their initial losses, hoping for a fresh, bold new take to win their round two for them. We are quite proud of our record of success, and of our clients’ everlasting gratitude.

The Indispensable State and Federal Criminal Appeals Process

The court system isn’t perfect; no institution made by men is. But the men who established that system were wise enough to know it wasn’t perfect and devised a means by which to catch people who fall through the cracks: the appeals process. Judges are human and can make bad decisions, defendants may receive inadequate representation for any number of reasons… whatever the cause, a court my settle on a final verdict that is inherently flawed and needs “a second opinion.” Hence the existence of the appeals process, through which you can ask a higher court to review that decision – onward and upward, in some cases all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. But you must act quickly: in the state courts, you 42 days to file notice of appeal from the day of sentencing, and in the federal courts, you have only 10 days.

To learn more about some of the grounds upon which you can appeal a case, and the many other options available to you, we encourage you to visit our general criminal defense website.

The Alabama State Appeals Process At-A-Glance

If you stand convicted in an Alabama trial court of a felony, misdemeanor or juvenile crime, your appeals journey likely begins with the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in Montgomery. Should that court not decide in your favor, you can take your case to the Supreme Court of Alabama. If there are matters concerning civil rights or federal law in your case, you could make an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Even if you exhaust your appeals, you seek other forms of post-conviction relief from your trial court or, in some cases, a writ of habeus corpus from the federal courts. It is indeed a complex and muddled process, one that requires a guide who is intimately familiar with the appeals process. Here at the Eversole Law Firm, we handle state and federal criminal appeals cases throughout the state, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Road From An Alabama Federal Trial Court Through Federal Appeals

The federal appeals process will be your avenue if your starting point is any of the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle, or Southern Districts of Alabama. In that case, you will ask for the trial court’s ruling to be reviewed by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (which is actually in Atlanta, Georgia). Even if the 11th Circuit denies your case, there are other options you can pursue, including an en banc rehearing and a writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. If you are interested to learning more about the details of the federal appeals process, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free in initial consultation.

Why You Need A Seasoned, Knowledgeable And, Dare We Say…
…Fierce Post-Conviction Relief Attorney

Judges on appeals courts don’t make their decisions based on the same criteria as those in the trial court you just went through, so you need a defense attorney with particular experience and a proven track record in the appeals process. Steven Eversole has earned himself a reputation as a hard-charging negotiator and litigator, and in his many years as a post-conviction relief attorney, he is hardly a stranger to either the state or federal criminal appeals systems. He is, in fact, the only attorney in the state to regularly publish a criminal defense blog, one of many ways in which he keeps himself up-to-date on developments ranging from the district courts to the circuit courts… all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. Steven Eversole is at equally at home in a trial court, but his versatility is on display when he represents clients on appeals. And that is exactly what you need at this stage in the game: someone with presence and stamina, yes, but also a keen understanding of the academics involved. Steven Eversole is truly well versed in legal theory, and that is why so many people throughout the state of Alabama come to him when it’s time to fight for their appeals.