Criminal Appeal Brief - Massachusetts
CRIMINAL APPEAL BRIEF
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
[APPEALS COURT / SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT]
Docket No. [________]
| Party | Role |
|---|---|
| COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS | Appellee or appellant, as applicable |
| v. | |
| [DEFENDANT FULL NAME] | Appellant or appellee, as applicable |
ON APPEAL FROM A JUDGMENT OF THE [________________] [SUPERIOR / DISTRICT / BOSTON MUNICIPAL] COURT
[________________] COUNTY
DOCKET NO. [________________]
BRIEF FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT
Submitted by:
[ATTORNEY NAME], BBO No. [________]
[FIRM NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY], Massachusetts [ZIP]
Telephone: [________________]
Email: [________________]
Attorney for Defendant-Appellant
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Section | Page |
|---|---|
| Table of Authorities | [__] |
| Statement of Issues | [__] |
| Statement of the Case | [__] |
| Statement of Facts | [__] |
| Summary of Argument, if required by Rule 16(a)(8) | [__] |
| Argument | [__] |
| Conclusion | [__] |
| Addendum | [__] |
| Certificate of Service | [__] |
| Certificate of Compliance | [__] |
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
Cases
| Case | Page(s) |
|---|---|
| [________________________________] | [__] |
| [________________________________] | [__] |
| [________________________________] | [__] |
Statutes
| Authority | Page(s) |
|---|---|
| Mass. Gen. Laws ch. [__], § [__] | [__] |
| [________________________________] | [__] |
Rules
| Authority | Page(s) |
|---|---|
| Mass. R. App. P. [____] | [__] |
| Mass. R. Crim. P. [____] | [__] |
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
[FACT AND RECORD REFERENCE: ________________________________________________]
SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT
[SUMMARIZE EACH ARGUMENT AND GIVE ITS BRIEF PAGE REFERENCE.]
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
☐ [Other specific relief: ________________________________]
Respectfully submitted,
___________________________________________
[ATTORNEY NAME], BBO No. [________]
[FIRM NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY], Massachusetts [ZIP]
Telephone: [________________]
Email: [________________]
Attorney for Defendant-Appellant
Date: [__/__/____]
ADDENDUM
| Addendum item | Page |
|---|---|
| Judgment or order and relevant written reasons | [__] |
| Authorities or other items required for the issues | [__] |
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on [DATE], I served this brief on the following by [HAND DELIVERY / FIRST-CLASS MAIL / AUTHORIZED ELECTRONIC METHOD], using the number of copies required for this appellate court and recipient under Mass. R. App. P. 19(d) or a controlling court order:
[OPPOSING COUNSEL NAME]
[OFFICE / FIRM]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY], Massachusetts [ZIP]
___________________________________________
[ATTORNEY NAME]
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE
I certify that this brief complies with the applicable rules for filing briefs, including Mass. R. App. P. 16(a)(13), 16(e), 18, 20, and 21.
Length calculation — select and complete one:
☐ Monospaced font: [NAME], [SIZE] point, [CHARACTERS PER INCH]; [NUMBER] non-excluded pages.
☐ Proportionally spaced font: [NAME], [SIZE] point; [NUMBER] non-excluded words, counted with [WORD-PROCESSING PROGRAM AND VERSION].
___________________________________________
[ATTORNEY NAME]
About this template
- Last updated
- November 10, 2026
- Citations checked
- November 10, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Massachusetts
- Category
- Criminal Law
Legal authority
- Mass. R. App. P. 16 (Briefs)
- Mass. R. App. P. 19 (Filing and serving briefs, appendices, and certain motions)
- Mass. R. App. P. 4 (Appeal — When Taken)
- Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 278, § 33E (Review of defined capital cases)
- Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 278, § 28 (Appeals in Criminal Cases)
Criminal law paperwork covers every stage of a criminal case, from the first appearance and bail motion through pretrial motions, plea agreements, sentencing, and appeals. Deadlines in criminal cases are short and often unforgiving, and constitutional rights can be waived just by missing a filing. Using the right motion at the right time can mean the difference between evidence getting suppressed, charges getting reduced, or a case getting dismissed entirely.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on November 10, 2026.
Mass. R. App. P. 4(b)(1) (checked November 10, 2026): "the notice of appeal required by Rule 3 shall be filed with the clerk of the lower court within 30 days"
Mass. R. App. P. 11(f) (checked November 10, 2026): "If any 2 justices of the Supreme Judicial Court vote for direct appellate review"
Mass. R. App. P. 16(a)(13) (checked November 10, 2026): "An addendum, contained within the brief, shall consist of the following:"
Mass. R. App. P. 16(k) (checked November 10, 2026): "The last page of each brief shall include a certification by the party"
Draft your Criminal Appeal Brief in the editor
Answer a few questions, let the AI editor draft each section from your answers, review it, and download Word and PDF. $99 one time, or $249 per month for every document and every Ezel app.