Criminal Appeal Brief

CRIMINAL APPEAL BRIEF

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

APPEALS COURT [/ SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT]

Docket No. [________]

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

v.

[DEFENDANT FULL NAME]

ON APPEAL FROM A JUDGMENT OF THE [________________] [SUPERIOR / DISTRICT / BOSTON MUNICIPAL] COURT
[________________] COUNTY
DOCKET NO. [________________]

BRIEF FOR THE [DEFENDANT-APPELLANT / COMMONWEALTH-APPELLEE]

Submitted by:

[ATTORNEY NAME], BBO No. [________]
[FIRM NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY], Massachusetts [ZIP]
Telephone: [________________]
Email: [________________]

Attorney for [APPELLANT / APPELLEE]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

Cases

Statutes

Rules

STATEMENT OF ISSUES

1. [________________________________]

Standard of Review: [________________________________]

2. [________________________________]

Standard of Review: [________________________________]

3. [________________________________]

Standard of Review: [________________________________]

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

The defendant, [DEFENDANT NAME], was charged by [complaint / indictment] with [OFFENSE(S)] under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. [__], § [__], in the [COURT] for [COUNTY] County.

On [DATE], [a jury / the court] [convicted the defendant of / found the defendant guilty of] [CHARGE(S)]. (R.A. [__])

On [DATE], the court sentenced the defendant to [SENTENCE]. (R.A. [__])

The defendant filed a timely notice of appeal on [DATE]. (R.A. [__])

STATEMENT OF FACTS

[________________________________]

ARGUMENT

I. [ISSUE HEADING]

Standard of Review

[________________________________]

Argument

[________________________________]

II. [ISSUE HEADING]

Standard of Review

[________________________________]

Argument

[________________________________]

III. [ISSUE HEADING]

Standard of Review

[________________________________]

Argument

[________________________________]

CONCLUSION

For the foregoing reasons, the [Defendant-Appellant] respectfully requests that this Court:

☐ Reverse the conviction(s) and [set aside the verdict / order a new trial]

☐ Vacate the sentence and remand for resentencing

☐ Enter a finding of not guilty under Mass. R. Crim. P. 25

☐ [Other specific relief: ________________________________]

Respectfully submitted,

___________________________________________
[ATTORNEY NAME], BBO No. [________]
[FIRM NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY], Massachusetts [ZIP]
Telephone: [________________]
Email: [________________]

Attorney for [APPELLANT / APPELLEE]

Date: [__/__/____]

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

I hereby certify that this brief complies with the rules of court governing the filing of briefs, including Mass. R. App. P. 16 and 20. This brief contains [NUMBER] words, exclusive of the portions exempted by Rule 20.

___________________________________________
[ATTORNEY NAME]

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on [DATE], I served two copies of this brief upon the following by [hand delivery / first-class mail / electronic means]:

[OPPOSING COUNSEL NAME]
[OFFICE / FIRM]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY], Massachusetts [ZIP]

___________________________________________
[ATTORNEY NAME]

MASSACHUSETTS-SPECIFIC NOTES

• Appellate Court: Most criminal appeals go to the Appeals Court. First-degree murder cases go directly to the Supreme Judicial Court under G.L. c. 278, § 33E.
• Time to Appeal: Notice of appeal filed within 30 days of imposition of sentence or entry of judgment. Mass. R. App. P. 4(b).
• Record Appendix: Required under Mass. R. App. P. 18; must contain relevant parts of the record.
• Preservation: Issues must generally be preserved by timely objection. Unpreserved errors reviewed only for substantial risk of miscarriage of justice. Commonwealth v. Randolph, 438 Mass. 290 (2002).
• Gould Rule: Under Commonwealth v. Gould, 380 Mass. 672 (1980), the Appeals Court may, on its own motion, transfer a case to the full court for consideration.
• Section 33E Review: In first-degree murder cases, the SJC reviews the entire case to determine if the verdict was against the weight of the evidence or if justice requires a new trial.
• Briefing Deadlines: Appellant's brief due 40 days after docketing; appellee's brief due 30 days after service of appellant's brief. Mass. R. App. P. 19(a).