Florida Appeals Attorney Bruce Committe.
Do you need an attorney to represent you in an appeal, in a civil or criminal matter, in a Florida state or U.S. federal court?
An appeal is a non-trial proceeding in which the appellant asks a court of appeals to review a trial court or administrative court decision and result. It begins with filing of a notice of appeal and payment of the appellate filing fee in the trial court or other lower tribunal. There are very strict time limits within which the notice of appeal must be filed if the right to an appeal is to be secured.
The most important matter for a party to litigation to keep in mind during a trial is that the time for starting an appeal by the filing of the notice of appeal is very limited and it varies from one type of case to the next. Many appeals are denied or not taken because the would-be appellant waited too long to contact an appellate attorney and to file in the trial court a notice of appeal. Some appeals must be started before the trial court case has concluded. These are called interlocutory appeals as opposed to appeals of final judgments.
Some attorneys practice only at the trial level, others at the appellate level, and others at both levels. Bruce Committe practices law at both levels. Two examples of appeals in which Bruce Committe was the appellate attorney are Whigum v. Heilig-Meyers , 682 So.2d 643 (Fla 1 DCA 1996) (debt collection abuse) and Household v. Laughlin , 969 So.2d 509 (Fla 1 DCA 20070) (debt collection abuse). Bruce Committe's extensive graduate level studies leading to the Masters and PhD degrees - in addition to his JD law degree - adds another dimension to his appellate work.
Although most persons do not think of hiring an appellate attorney until the lower court case or trial has reached its conclusion or final judgment, for your protection you should hire an appellate attorney at or near the time you hire your trial attorney. Because matters occur in the trial which have potential appellate significance, sometimes it is best to hire an attorney for the trial who also handles appeals. Ask your trial attorney if he or she also practices in the appellate courts. Some attorneys argue that it is best to have a different attorney conduct the appeal because he or she will bring a fresh look at the case having not been intimately involved in the trial, in the trial court or lower tribunal. There are pluses and minuses of employing the trial attorney to also bring or defend an appeal in the same case. A fresh look at the case is always preferred, but it requires much duplication of effort and thus increases the expense of the appeal.
If you would like to talk to Bruce Committe about an appeal of your case by you or against you by your opponent, please call Bruce Committe at 850-206-3756 or e-mail our Pensacola office to make an appointment.
