Appeals
Trial result gone against you? You may have options…
Trials can be difficult and unpredictable — often the result may not go the way you wished. Sometimes, there can be complicated or unusual issues that can arise at the trial where there could be questions about whether the trial was fair or if the judge made an error of some kind. The end of the trial may not be the end of the case, though, because often the result can be appealed. Santos & LaLima has success and experience in both civil and criminal appeals, and frequently handles appeals before both the Connecticut Supreme Court and Connecticut Appellate Court. The firm can also handle federal appeals to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
Some Santos & LaLima Appeals*
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*DISCLAIMER
The cases noted here are not necessarily representative of the typical case, and do not guarantee any similar future results or outcomes. All cases are different - you should not assume a similar result in your case. The outcome of a case is complicated and subject to many factors.
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Michael Skakel v. Commissioner of Correction
On motion from Santos & LaLima, the Connecticut Supreme Court reconsidered its 2016 decision reinstating Michael Skakel’s 2002 conviction for a murder in Greenwich. For its new ruling, the Court added a 7th member to the panel. In the reconsidered decision, the Court held that Skakel’s trial attorney was deficient in failing to obtain helpful evidence, and that the deficiency prejudiced Skakel at trial. The Court ordered a new trial for Skakel. 329 Conn. 1 (2018).
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State of Connecticut v. Eddie A. Perez
Eddie Perez, the Mayor of Hartford, was convicted of bribery and extortion charges, and Santos & LaLima appealed, claiming the cases should not have been tried together. In 2013, the Appellate Court agreed, and vacated Perez’s conviction. In 2016, the Connecticut Supreme Court agreed with the Appellate Court, saying Perez’s right to testify on his own behalf was impacted. The Supreme Court affirmed the Appellate Court decision vacating the convictions. 322 Conn. 118 (2016).
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State of Connecticut v. Manuel T.
Manuel T. was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Santos & LaLima appealed. After the Appellate Court affirmed the conviction in 2018, the firm petitioned to the Connecticut Supreme Court, which granted the petition to hear the case. In 2020, the Supreme Court held that Manuel T.’s rights were violated when he was prevented from offering texts messages into evidence at trial that would have helped his defense. The Court determined the appeal had shown the messages’ exclusion was harmful, and so it reversed the Appellate Court, and ordered the defendant’s conviction be vacated and sent back for a new trial. 337 Conn. 429 (2020).
