Post-conviction Appeals of Federal Convictions

Clifford J. Barnard, Attorney at Law

A court of appeals decision is usually the final word in a case. If you have been convicted of a federal crime, the appeals court is likely your last chance to have the conviction overturned or a sentence modified.

As a federal appeals attorney, I examine your case from your indictment through your trial and sentencing, in search of legal issues or errors that could support a successful appeal. I examine pretrial processes, review pertinent criminal statutes, scrutinize search and seizure issues in your case, as well as the appropriateness of your sentence and a wide array of other trial and constitutional matters.

The appeals process imposes unique demands on lawyers, requiring them to commit to long hours of focused review of court transcripts, as well as demanding that they be articulate and quick on their feet when presenting oral arguments. I've spent more than 30 years honing these distinct, crucial skills in a practice now spanning 10 federal circuit courts of appeal.

In many cases, it is wise for a person convicted of a federal crime to consider new counsel for an appeal. Too often, defendants are convicted because they had ineffective counsel at trial. This can mean that your original attorney failed to perform necessary pretrial investigation, failed to call key witnesses or did not perform adequately at trial or in post-trial motions. Any of these can, depending on circumstances, be grounds for a successful appeal.

The first thing I do when I begin an appeal is to get transcripts of the trial and any other legal proceedings, review them, and then meet and talk with you to determine what appeals claims exist. Then I begin my own investigation of the claims, including further review of transcripts and relevant statutes. I am licensed in the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh U.S. Courts of Appeals.

Clifford J. Barnard, Attorney at Law
1790 30th Street, Suite 280
Boulder, CO 80301
Telephone: (303) 449-2543
Fax: (303) 444-6349
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Clifford J. Barnard, Attorney at Law, serves clients in federal district courts and federal courts of appeal in Denver, Colorado, and across the United States.

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