An unfavorable decision in the trial court is not the end of a case;
it can be just the beginning. Regardless of the type of case—whether
it is criminal, custody, protection from abuse, civil, insurance,
workers’ compensation, divorce, or any other type of case—there are
legal mechanisms to review the trial court or administrative agency’s
decision.
The Pennsylvania Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth courts are those
mechanisms in this Commonwealth. The federal courts have the Third
Circuit Court of Appeals, specialized circuit courts, and the United
States Supreme Court. You can use one or more of those courts to
review the trial court’s order.
These courts can review almost any decision in a case. Evidentiary
rulings, the propriety of a verdict, the weight of the evidence, and
several other issues are available as avenues to reversing the
initial decision. They also have broad power to grant appropriate
remedies—from a new trial to direct corrections.
The right lawyer is a critical part of a successful appeal. Each
court has its own set of rules and special requirements. Appeals in
Pennsylvania, for example, are governed by more than three hundred
rules of procedure, dozens of internal operating procedures, and
volumes of decisions interpreting the law and rules. An attorney who
has experience in the appellate courts knows those rules—and most
importantly, how to avoid the pitfalls.
At Pyfer Reese Straub Gray & Farhat PC, our appellate attorney, Daniel C. Bardo, Esquire, has handled over one hundred eighty cases before the appellate courts; he knows the rules and procedures, and has a proven track record that gives you an edge on appeal. If you received an unfavorable decision, we would like to review your case to determine whether it is a good candidate for appeal.
Trust Our Expert Lancaster County Appellate Advocacy Attorney
7 Reasons You May Qualify For Post Conviction Relief Post conviction relief laws in Pennsylvania, provide multiple opportunities for someone to attempt to overturn their crime conviction. But post-conviction practice is replete with pitfalls and packed with nuance. If a defendant can prove his claim for post-conviction relief, the court could throw out his case,…
(And why you need diligent counsel to represent you) The district attorney’s office has several advantages in any criminal case. They have immense discretion, vast resources, and the benefit of several evidentiary rules. Among those rules is Pennsylvania Rule of Evidence 404(b), which allows the limited use of “prior bad acts” evidence against defendants in…
The recent legal turmoil around the legal effect of a prior driving-under-the-influence (DUI) charge for which a driver completed the accelerated rehabilitative disposition (ARD) program continues. In this latest turn, the prosecutors’ attempted workaround catches the criticism of the Superior Court in Commonwealth v. Richards, 1673 EDA 2020 (memorandum decision).
A hot issue for injured workers in Pennsylvania and under the Workers’ Compensation Act has been the “IRE.” The IRE has been in place in PA since 1996. But the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania declared the entire IRE section of the Act (Section 306(a.2)) unconstitutional on June 20, 2017* and THEN… on October 24, 2018……
Ms. Gerencser has joined Pyfer Reese Straub Gray & Farhat PC and brings with her an excess of 30 years of legal experience. She will practice in the following areas: Social Security Disability, Unemployment Compensation, Workers’ Compensation, Wills and Estates, and Family Law. Linda F. Gerencser graduated from Boston College, Magna Cum Laude with a…
