Federal Appeals

Practice in the U.S. Supreme Court and Court of Appeals

Mistakes of all kinds can occur at all stages of a federal criminal prosecution, from errors in the grand jury proceedings and the form of the indictment, to misinterpretation of the rules of evidence during trial, to improper application of the federal sentencing guidelines after a guilty verdict or negotiated plea. To learn how our team defense approach can help you on appeal of a criminal conviction or sentencing decision, please contact Houston appellate lawyers Stan Schneider and Ned Barnett.

We represent clients on appeal of federal criminal matters in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, other federal appeals courts across the country, and the United States Supreme Court. Stan Schneider has won twice in the Supreme Court and knows what it takes to perfect and present an effective case at any stage of the appellate process.

The following are examples of the kinds of issues we can analyze and handle on appeal:

• Jurisdictional issues
• Denial of a motion to suppress evidence in a drug or pornography case
• Jeopardy issues relating to repeated prosecutions for related or identical offenses
• Misconduct by a law enforcement officer or prosecutor
• Improper rulings on the evidence by the trial judge
• Improper instructions to the jury, such as failure to instruct on a lesser included offense or to consider an accomplice's testimony with caution
• Insufficient evidence to support a conviction on a given charge
• Errors in sentencing

With our experience, we understand that it is not enough to simply spot an appealable issue and present a well-crafted argument demonstrating that your trial or sentencing was marred by error. Our attorneys' objective is to show just how that mistake deprived you of the opportunity for a fair trial and, as such, warrants a reversal.

Our defense team also represents clients in federal habeas corpus proceedings involving such constitutional issues as ineffective assistance of counsel at trial. For a free evaluation of your prospective federal appeal, please contact Stan Schneider and Ned Barnett in Houston.