Those facing criminal charges have many legal rights and opportunities. The right to an attorney, for example, helps ensure that someone receives advice about the decisions they make before going to court. The right to discovery means the ability to plan a defense...
Aggressive And Experienced Defense Counsel
Could a biased juror give you grounds for an appeal?
As someone in the United States accused of a criminal act, you have certain rights. One of the most important rights for a criminal defendant is the right to a trial by jury. A jury of your unbiased peers makes a decision based on the evidence presented in court and...
Did ineffective counsel impact the outcome of your trial?
One of your most basic rights as someone accused of a criminal offense is the right to defend yourself against those pending charges. Your criminal defense attorney is in a position of both trust and power. You have to trust in their decision-making and intelligence...
Appealing a case? Work with an appellate attorney
You were tried for a crime, and you ended up being convicted. Your initial response was that you wanted to appeal the case, because you didn’t feel like the outcome was fair or appropriate based on what really happened. When you spoke with your trial attorney, they...
Commutations and pardons in Tennessee
If you have been wrongly convicted of a criminal offense, you may be resigned to the sentence handed down. Recent events have served as a timely reminder that this need not be the case. The president’s recent decision to commute a former advisor's sentence has thrown...
How is an appeal different from a criminal trial?
You refused a plea deal and took your criminal case to court, confident that a jury would acquit you -- but that’s not what happened. The best way to manage your expectations moving forward is to understand what happens during an appeal. Perhaps the biggest thing you...
Illegally obtained or mishandled evidence and your appeal
The evidence that law enforcement officers collect is one of the most important parts of a criminal case. Without evidence, ranging from physical evidence like DNA or fingerprints to testimony from witnesses, or even a confession from the person accused, it is...
How do criminal appeals work?
After a criminal conviction, you might be wondering where to turn. If you did not get a fair trial or if something else happened that subverted the justice system, there is a possibility that you could find recourse through the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals....
What to know about Tennessee’s Sergeant Daniel Baker Act
Tennessee's Sergeant Daniel Baker Act sheds some light on the appeal process for defendants who are convicted of an offense that results in capital punishment. I am attorney Patrick T. McNally, and I understand how this Act, which went into effect on August 1, 2019,...
When is it possible to appeal after making a guilty plea?
Sometimes, pleading guilty might seem like the easy way out of criminal charges. And there are plenty of attorneys who might encourage their clients to plead guilty, claiming that there will be fewer consequences. However, pleading guilty waives an individual’s right...