What does it mean to appeal a conviction?

An appeal of a conviction is an action taken by a person who has been found guilty of a crime in a court of law. In other words, the person is submitting a request for a higher court to review the decision and rule on whether or not the conviction should be overturned. In Maryland, an appeal must be filed within ten days of the conviction in order to be heard by the Court of Appeals. In the appeal process, a lawyer will present arguments to the court, in favor of overturning the conviction. The arguments presented might challenge the decision on the basis of lack of evidence, application of wrong principles of law, or if the judge was misinformed or made an erroneous decision. If these arguments are successful, the court might overturn the conviction and either find the defendant not guilty or order a new trial. In many cases, the court will issue a written opinion on the appeal, explaining why it came to the decision that it did. The outcome of an appeal can be quite different from the original conviction. A successful appeal can mean that the defendant will not have to serve a sentence, or that the sentence will be reduced. On the other hand, an unsuccessful appeal could lead to an increase in the sentence, and sometimes even a harsher sentence than the one imposed originally. The outcome of an appeal is entirely dependent on the facts of the case and the arguments presented by the appeal lawyer.

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