Wisconsin Criminal Appeal Lawyers

A guilty verdict feels final. It is not. Trials are run by human beings under pressure, and legal error — an evidentiary ruling that let the jury hear what it should not have, an instruction that misstated the law, a prosecutor who crossed the line — can and does change outcomes. The appellate courts exist to correct those errors. But in Wisconsin, the right to pursue them can be lost fast.

At Strang Bradley, we keep our caseloads deliberately low so we can read every page of the trial record, identify the issues other lawyers miss, and brief them with the precision appellate judges expect. Most of our appellate clients come to us after trial with different counsel — fresh eyes on the record are often an advantage.

Grounds for a Criminal Appeal in Wisconsin

An appeal is not a second trial — the Court of Appeals reviews the existing record for legal error. Issues we regularly brief include:

• Evidentiary errors — improperly admitted other-acts evidence, hearsay, or unreliable expert testimony
• Erroneous jury instructions that misstated the elements or the burden of proof
• Insufficiency of the evidence to support the verdict
• Prosecutorial misconduct in argument, disclosure, or plea negotiations
• Denial of a suppression motion — unlawful searches, seizures, or coerced statements
• Errors in sentencing, including reliance on inaccurate information
• Ineffective assistance of trial counsel (raised through a postconviction motion)

How the Wisconsin Criminal Appeals Process Works

The process moves in defined stages, each with its own deadline:

1. Notice of intent to pursue postconviction relief
2. Ordering and review of the complete transcripts and circuit court record
3. A postconviction motion in the circuit court, a notice of appeal, or both — depending on the issues
4. Full briefing in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, and oral argument where granted
5. If necessary, a petition for review in the Wisconsin Supreme Court

Issue selection is important. Appellate judges are skeptical of briefs that throw every possible argument at the wall. Our approach is to find your strongest issues and brief them thoroughly, candidly, and persuasively.

Why Choose Strang Bradley for Your Criminal Appeal

Appeals are won on the record and in the briefs — a different craft from trial work, and one this firm was built around. Our attorneys have briefed and argued appeals in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States, including United States v. Booker, which reshaped federal sentencing nationwide. We will give you an honest assessment of your realistic prospects before you commit to an appeal.