Maryland Criminal Appeals Lawyer

A criminal conviction or adverse ruling does not necessarily end when the trial court enters judgment. Legal errors made before or during trial may provide grounds for appellate review. An experienced Maryland criminal appeals lawyer can examine the record, identify preserved errors, research the governing law, and present the strongest available arguments to the appellate court.

Appealing a Criminal Conviction in Maryland

Jason Ostendorf has approximately 20 years of litigation experience and represents clients in criminal appeals before Maryland’s appellate courts. A criminal appeal may involve challenges to evidentiary rulings, constitutional violations, jury instructions, suppression issues, sentencing decisions, sufficiency of the evidence, or other rulings that affected the proceedings below.

An appeal is not a new trial. Appellate courts generally decide cases based upon the record developed in the trial court and the legal arguments presented by the parties. Effective criminal appellate representation therefore requires a careful review of the record to determine what occurred below, which issues were preserved for appellate review, what standard of review applies, and which errors provide the strongest basis for challenging the judgment.

Constitutional Issues in Criminal Appeals

Criminal appeals frequently involve constitutional questions. Issues involving unlawful searches and seizures, due process, the admissibility of evidence, the right to counsel, and other constitutional protections can become central to determining whether a conviction or other ruling should stand.

Mr. Ostendorf’s experience with constitutional litigation and appellate practice provides a strong foundation for evaluating these issues. When a criminal appeal presents a constitutional question, the analysis must address not only the underlying constitutional right, but also preservation, the applicable standard of review, and whether the alleged error provides a basis for appellate relief.

Issues That May Arise in a Criminal Appeal

The issues available on appeal depend on what occurred in the trial court and what was preserved in the record. Criminal appeals may involve challenges to the admission or exclusion of evidence, suppression rulings, jury instructions, sufficiency of the evidence, sentencing decisions, prosecutorial conduct, or constitutional violations.

Identifying an error is only part of the appellate analysis. The court must also consider the applicable standard of review and, in many circumstances, whether the error affected the outcome of the proceeding. Careful review of the record is therefore essential before determining which issues should be raised on appeal.

Our Broader Appellate Practice

Criminal appeals are one part of Mr. Ostendorf’s broader appellate practice. The firm represents clients in a range of matters before Maryland’s appellate courts, including civil, family law, constitutional, and consumer appeals.

Schedule a Consultation

If you are considering an appeal from a Maryland criminal conviction or other adverse criminal ruling, use our online scheduling system to secure our earliest available consultation.