For many people, the legal terminology involved in a criminal case can be confusing or overwhelming. When your freedom is at stake, you might feel frustrated by an unfamiliar process and all the new words and phrases that go along with it. One area that can spark confusion is the difference between being acquitted of a crime and filing an appeal after a conviction. Navigating the criminal justice system is difficult for most people, which is why it's important to discuss your case with an experienced Texas criminal appeals lawyer as soon as possible. Acquittal vs. Appeal In … [Read more...]
Texas State and Federal Criminal Appeals: What Is Circumstantial Evidence, And Can It Support a Criminal Conviction?
This blog will discuss direct and circumstantial evidence and how experienced state and federal criminal defense lawyers can use and attack them. In popular culture, the term “circumstantial evidence” tends to be associated with questionable or weak evidence. Is this true in courts in state and federal criminal cases in Texas? The answer is that the law generally does not distinguish between direct and circumstantial evidence as far as whether the evidence is admissible in court or how much weight it should be given. “Direct” evidence means evidence that directly proves something. … [Read more...]
Criminal Appeals in Texas: What is an Appeal Brief And Why Are They Important?
As a criminal appeals lawyer in Texas, writing appeal briefs is the most important thing I do, but understandably, many clients who hire me have never seen an appeal brief and do not know what they are. This blog will explain what an appeal brief is. Hopefully, it will help people who may be hiring a criminal appeals lawyer better understand what we do and why it is important to hire someone who is experienced at criminal appeals in Texas. A brief is the name lawyers use for a written legal argument. An appeal brief is one that is used in appeals. The Texas Rules of Appellate … [Read more...]
Criminal Appeals In Dallas, Texas: What Winning Arguments Can An Appeals Lawyer Make?
You or a loved one has been convicted of a crime in Dallas, Texas, and received a prison sentence. Now, what do you do? Unless the defendant has given up the right to appeal as part of a plea bargain, a criminal defendant in Texas has the right to appeal to the court of appeals for the region serving the county where the trial court was located. For example, cases from Collin, Dallas, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, and Rockwall Counties are appealed to the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas. In my experience as a criminal defense attorney, most people do not understand what a criminal appeal … [Read more...]
Top Dallas Criminal Appeals Attorney Explains the Appeals Process
I will take it all the way to the Supreme Court: misconceptions about appeals to Texas' highest criminal court debunked by a Dallas criminal appeals attorney You have probably heard someone on television say that they plan to take their case "all the way to the Supreme Court." This has become a cliché that means that the person is determined, rather than a true indication of a legal strategy, says John Helms, top Dallas criminal appeals attorney. Most people who say it probably have very little idea what is involved in "taking" their case to the Supreme Court. This article will provide a … [Read more...]
Dallas Criminal Lawyer Helms Wins Acquittals Before Texas Highest Criminal Court
John Helms a Dallas criminal lawyer was successful in getting his clients’ bribery convictions reversed on appeal before Texas’ highest criminal court. On December 14, 2016, Texas' highest criminal court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, reversed the convictions of a husband and wife who were convicted at trial of bribery of a judge, reports Dallas criminal lawyer John Helms. In State of Texas v. David Cary and State of Texas v. Stacy Stine Cary, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals held that the evidence at trial was insufficient to prove bribery under the Texas bribery statute. The trials … [Read more...]
Top Criminal Appeals Attorney Answers The Question Can I Appeal?
A guide for people looking for a criminal appeals attorney who can handle their criminal appeal, whether it’s a conviction or a sentence. I get a lot of calls from people who understandably want to help their loved ones who have been convicted of a crime, says John Helms a top criminal appeals attorney based in Dallas, TX. For most people, criminal appeals are a complete mystery. Not surprisingly, most people have no experience with them and know very little about them. This is a basic guide for people who are interested in hiring a criminal defense lawyer to appeal a conviction or … [Read more...]
Dallas Criminal Appeal Lawyer Offers Lessons From the Tom Brady Appeal
The decision on the Brady appeal offers important lessons to anyone who is a criminal defendant, explains John Helms Dallas criminal appeal lawyer. On April 25, 2016, by a 2-1 decision, the United Stated Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed the trial judge's ruling in Tom Brady's "Deflategate" case and reinstated the four-game suspension imposed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, reports Dallas criminal appeal lawyer John Helms. A lot of people probably think that a decision about the penalty to an NFL quarterback for being involved in deflating footballs used in a playoff game … [Read more...]
