Appellate and Post-Conviction Representation
Kent & McFarland is a boutique criminal appellate law practice that provides legal representation to criminal defendants in federal courts nationwide and Florida state court. Mr. Kent has, as of March 4, 2017, handled 773 criminal appeals, consisting of 374 federal criminal appeals and 329 state criminal appeals over the past 39 years. In addition, Mr. Kent has been trial court level counsel of record in over 500 federal district court cases. He is ranked in the top 5% of appellate attorneys by Super Lawyers. Our clients have included persons from all walks of life: lawyers, doctors, law enforcement officers, and ordinary citizens from all backgrounds.
Mr. Kent argued and won the precedent setting federal sentencing guidelines appeal case, Stinson v. United States before the United States Supreme Court, which has been cited by hundreds of courts in cases across the country, including having been cited by the Supreme Court in both Blakely v. Washington and United States v. Booker, two cases that revolutionized criminal sentencing. Mr. Kent is known for his sentencing expertise and is often retained expressly to represent clients in their federal sentencings.
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Feel free to use this form to contact us. It is helpful to include the potential client name, case number, and location of the court that adjudicated the underlying conviction. You may also email or call us to make an appointment. Initial consultations are free of charge.
Disclaimer
The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience.
The appellate and post-conviction relief wins cited above are not meant to indicate that if you retain Kent & McFarland that we will necessarily be able to win your case. Most appellate and post-conviction cases result in adverse decisions, meaning that the client loses, and the majority of appellate cases are decided by the court without a published decision, referred to as a per curiam affirmed decision often leaving the client with no further avenue of relief. However, this harsh reality makes it all the more important that a client choose his or her appellate or post-conviction counsel carefully, to insure that the best possible appellate or post-conviction brief or motion is presented to the court to increase the chance of success in what is in any event a difficult process. Kent & McFarland cannot assure any client of success in his or her appeal or post-conviction proceeding but can only assure the client that we will use our very best efforts to achieve the best possible outcome for the client. A U.S. Department of Justice study done in 2000 for all federal criminal appeals from 1985-1999 showed that defendant's had a substantially better chance of reversal on appeal if they had privately retained counsel than if they used court appointed counsel.