Criminal Appeals

For many people, the criminal conviction is still a beginning stage of the criminal proceedings. Every person convicted of a crime — whether in state or federal court — has the absolute right to appeal the conviction. There are several stages in the criminal appeals process, and at each stage there are strict and unforgiving deadlines.

If you do not meet the deadline at any specific stage in the criminal appeals process, you will be forever barred from bringing that appeal.

“I can count too many times when I could have done some good for a criminal appeals client, but I couldn’t do anything because the client waited too long and missed the deadline.” — Attorney Thomas N. Farrell, of Farrell Weaver & Okun, Attorneys at Law

At the Pittsburgh criminal defense law firm of Farrell Weaver & Okun, criminal appeals are a major focus of our practice. Thomas N. Farrell — who began his career with the district attorney’s office for Allegheny County — has decades of appellate experience.

We provide clear explanations of the criminal appeals process to our incarcerated clients and their families — always emphasizing the importance of being on time with every piece of paper.

Detailed information about each appeals stage in a criminal case is available on the Stages of a Criminal Case page of this Web site. At Farrell Weaver & Okun, we are available to file criminal appeals at any stage, whether or not we handled the original case, including:

• The immediate post-sentencing motions
• The immediate appeal by right to the Pennsylvania Superior Court or the Federal Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
• All later discretionary appeals, including petitions under the Post-Conviction Relief Act and petitions to the federal court for writ of habeas corpus

At Farrell Weaver & Okun, we offer a free and confidential initial consultation to all new potential clients. Our offices are in downtown Pittsburgh, one block from the Allegheny County Courthouse, near the First Avenue T stop. Ample parking lots are located in the area.

To schedule an appointment with one of our lawyers, call us at (412) 201-5159, or send an e-mail.