What is the procedure for appealing a criminal sentence?

In California, criminal appeals are heard by the District Court of Appeal after a criminal conviction. After the criminal sentence has been handed down, the defendant and defense attorney have the right to file an appeal to the appellate court. The appeal process begins with the filing of the Notice of Appeal. This document is filed in the trial court that issued the original criminal conviction. The Notice of Appeal must list the defendant’s arguments for why the criminal conviction should be overturned. Once the defendant has filed the Notice of Appeal, the trial court will send the appeal to the District Court of Appeal. The District Court of Appeal will review the defendant’s arguments and take both parties’ briefs into consideration. The appellate court may then hear oral arguments from both parties. After considering all the evidence, the District Court of Appeal will issue a decision by either affirming, reversing, or modifying the original criminal conviction. If the appellate court affirms the criminal conviction, the defendant may still appeal the decision to the California Supreme Court. The California Supreme Court has the ability to review the lower court’s decision and reverse or modify the guilty verdict and sentence. The criminal appeal process is a complicated one and requires skillful legal representation. It is important that defendants understand their rights and the procedure for appealing a criminal sentence.

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