Criminal Appeals

Peoria, Illinois, Criminal Appeals Attorney

I am Arthur J. Inman, a criminal defense attorney in Peoria, Illinois. I handle appeals for criminal defendants throughout Illinois, including the counties of Woodford, Marshall, McDonough, and Tazewell, and the cities and surrounding areas of Springfield, Decatur, Bloomington, Galesburg, Rock Island, and Macomb.

Every person convicted of a crime in Illinois has a right to appeal his conviction to the appellate court. I am licensed to practice in all of the appellate courts in Illinois, as well as the Illinois Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers all federal courts in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana), and the United States Supreme Court. I filed petitions in all of these courts and have argued extensively before the Illinois Supreme Court and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. I also handle post-conviction and sentencing motions.

There are five appellate courts in Illinois, including the First District (Cook County), the Second District which covers much of northern Illinois, the Third and Fourth Districts which cover central Illinois from Interstate 80 down to Interstate 64, and the Fifth District which covers the southernmost portion of the state.

Appellate court hearings in Illinois are held before a panel of three judges, and a majority of two is necessary for a successful outcome. When a lawyer petitions this court for an appeal in a criminal case, he is not retrying the case. Rather, the appeals lawyer is simply taking the court record of your criminal trial and attempting to show the appellate court that the trial court made a mistake.

Appellate court decisions can be appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court by filing a petition for a Leave to Appeal. The Illinois Supreme Court consists of seven justices elected from the all five appellate districts, including three judges from the First District, and only takes those appeals it wishes to take.

The federal Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals exists to hear appeals from the federal trial courts in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. As with appeals in the state of Illinois, three justices will hear the arguments, with a majority of two required for any successful outcome. These decisions can be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court by filing a petition for Writ of Certiorari. With very few exceptions, the U.S. Supreme Court hears only those cases it wishes to hear.

Criminal appeals are a specialized area of law which requires a lawyer who understands what the court requires in the written briefs they read prior to oral arguments. Your appellate lawyer also needs to know what the justices expect in terms of personal conduct and presentation during oral arguments. I have appeared in appellate courts numerous times and know what is required in terms of well-written briefs and effective oral arguments.

If you are in need of representation for a criminal appeal, please contact me at the Law Office of Arthur J. Inman at 309-673-9711. I offer assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.