Galveston, Texas Criminal Appeals

Experienced Galveston Criminal Appeals Attorneys

A defendant’s criminal case doesn’t end with a conviction. Instead, defendants often have the right to appeal their conviction or sentence to a higher court, pointing out mistakes made by the trial judge or the lack of evidence.

If you are seeking an appeal, you need a lawyer with the right experience before appellate judges. This is a unique type of lawyer who can perform in-depth research into Texas criminal law and analyze how it impacts your case.

Contact Tad Nelson & Associates to discuss your case. Our lawyers have experience before appellate courts and can represent you. We are prepared to vigorously request a new trial or even a judgment of acquittal, depending on the circumstances, and we would be happy to talk with you.

Tad Nelson is a Board-Certified* Criminal Defense Attorney in Texas

Our founder, Tad Nelson, is a board-certified criminal defense attorney in Texas. He has deep experience in post-trial matters, including criminal appeals, and will review your case to help you understand your options.

Schedule an initial consultation with our Galveston criminal appeals lawyers today. We are a results-driven law firm that can present effective appeals for criminal defendants in Galveston.

Our Criminal Appeals Experience

We have helped criminal defendants with a wide variety of post-trial matters. A fraction of our experience includes the following.

Direct Appeals

After a conviction, you can appeal to the next highest federal or state court. We typically point out mistakes the judge made with respect to the admission of evidence, jury instructions, sentencing, and other issues. The appellate court might set aside the guilty verdict and order a new trial. Your attorney should draft a brief, explaining how recent court decisions impact the analysis and may present oral argument to the judges

Motions for a New Trial

We can ask the trial judge to set a new trial after a conviction. Some reasons include the unfair withholding of exculpatory evidence, jury tampering, juror intoxication, and similar grounds. You must file this motion within 30 days.

Motions to Vacate

This is a request to a judge to withdraw a previous judgment or verdict.

Writs of Habeas Corpus

We can challenge whether you are being lawfully held in prison. If your constitutional rights were violated, or if the government has no reason to hold you, then a judge should order your release. We can also challenge a state conviction in federal court if the Texas courts blatantly misapplied the law.

Forfeiture Proceedings 

The state might have seized your property as part of a criminal case. We can request that the state return the property to you instead of keeping it or selling it. Asset forfeiture is common in drug cases, where police might seize any motor vehicle involved in drug trafficking or sale.

Post Sentencing Motions

We can file this motion within 10 days of your sentencing to challenge an unfair or unconstitutional sentence. Although you won’t get a new trial, you could see your sentence cut or even set aside in favor of a new sentencing hearing.

Tad Nelson Will Protect Your Rights

You have the right to a fair trial before an impartial judge and jury. Sometimes, judges violate these rights, intentionally or unintentionally. The appellate process is designed to correct mistakes so that no one is convicted in an unfair proceeding.

Some errors judges make include:

• Denied you the right to put on a defense
• Denied you the right to remain silent
• Violated your right to effective assistance of legal counsel
• Allowed the prosecution to submit unfairly prejudicial or irrelevant evidence to convict you
• Allowed the government to submit evidence it collected in violation of your Constitutional rights, such as your Fourth Amendment right to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures

Your appellate lawyer will need to review the trial transcripts, pre-trial motions, and other related information to determine the best way to attack a conviction. This process takes time, so please contact Attorney Tad Nelson as soon as possible.

Why Hire Tad Nelson?

Criminal appeals and other post-trial matters require a unique skill set. Instead of presenting evidence to a jury, we make legal arguments to judges. Generally, no new evidence is introduced on a direct appeal; instead, we rely heavily on legal research to find out what the Texas Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court have said about an issue. For example, they might have found that evidence of a relative’s criminal conviction is unfairly prejudicial “guilt by association” evidence. If your trial judge let that evidence in, we can request a new trial.

Tad Nelson brings the following skills to his criminal appeals work:

• Knowledge of recent changes in the law. Criminal law is constantly evolving. New decisions come down from appellate courts at the state and federal level which impact your rights at trial. Tad Nelson stays abreast of all changes and can use his knowledge to your benefit.
• Resources to perform in-depth legal research. Appellate work takes time and commitment. We have the right resources available so that you will get the representation you need. We can often bring an appeal for a client we represented at trial or for new clients who want to switch their legal team.
• Decades of experience writing legal briefs. Legal briefs are different from other legal writing. They require solid reasoning and the ability to tell a story in a clear manner. Tad Nelson has brought many appeals and knows how to draft a compelling brief.
• Passionate commitment to justice. Appellate work is often lonely. However, when our clients have been denied justice, it’s our job to explain to the court how and why. We are committed to getting our clients a fair trial.

To learn more about how we can help, contact our firm.

Speak to Our Experienced Galveston Criminal Appeals Lawyer Today

Tad Nelson and his team provide the highest level of legal representation to those looking to challenge their conviction or sentence. If you contact us today, we can review your chances of success and talk more about the timeline for an appeal or other post-trial matter.

Major Credit Cards Accepted. Evening, Weekend, and Off-Site Appointments Available

*The Texas Board of Legal Specialization certifies attorneys in 20 specific areas of law; certification in any of these areas requires substantial demonstrated experience and skill, positive peer evaluations, ongoing legal education commitments, and the passage of a rigorous test.