| name | notice-of-appeal-criminal |
| title | Notice of Appeal — Criminal |
| description | Drafts Notices of Appeal for criminal matters with strict compliance to FRAP 4(b) deadlines, jurisdictional statements, transcript requests, and service requirements. Use when filing a criminal appeal, initiating appellate review after conviction or sentencing, or preparing post-trial appellate filings. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/notice-of-appeal-criminal |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | criminal |
| language | en |
| tags | ["drafting","litigation","pleading"] |
Notice of Appeal — Criminal
Drafts a procedurally compliant Notice of Appeal initiating appellate jurisdiction in a criminal matter, preserving rights within strict filing deadlines.
Prerequisites
Collect before drafting — do not guess dates or case numbers:
- Judgment entry / sentencing order — clerk's file-stamp date (not oral announcement)
- Docket sheet — trial court case number in exact format
- Indictment / information — charges, statutory citations, counts
- Party names — as in official court records, including aliases
- Jurisdiction — federal circuit or state appellate court and local rules
- Appellant contact — facility name + inmate number, or home address
- Counsel info — or confirmation appellant is pro se
Deadlines
| Jurisdiction | Deadline | Authority |
|---|
| Federal | 14 days from judgment entry | FRAP 4(b)(1)(A) |
| State (typical) | 30–60 days | Varies by state rule |
Missing by one day = permanent loss of appellate rights. Always calculate and state the deadline explicitly.
Document Sections
1. Caption
- Appellate court full legal name per court rules
- Trial court case number (exact docket format)
- Appellate case number: "To Be Assigned"
- Title:
NOTICE OF APPEAL — bold, centered, all caps
- Reference line: trial court name, county/district, case number
2. Party Identification
Appellant (Defendant): Full legal name matching judgment exactly (suffixes, a/k/a). Incarceration details if applicable (facility, city, state, inmate number). Mailing address, phone.
Appellee (Prosecution): Formal designation as in trial court caption — "The State of [X]" / "The People of the State of [X]" / "The Commonwealth of [X]" / "United States of America." Prosecuting office address, assigned ADA/AUSA if known.
3. Statement of Appeal
Template:
Defendant-Appellant [FULL NAME] hereby appeals to the [APPELLATE COURT] from the [Judgment/Sentence/Order] entered by the [TRIAL COURT] on [DATE], in Case No. [NUMBER], the Honorable [JUDGE NAME] presiding.
Specify scope: conviction + sentence, sentence only, or specific counts. If limited, state what is not challenged.
