Areas of Practice
Constitutional Law
Civil appeals require appellate experience and a fresh perspective when reviewing a case and assessing the merits of an appeal. Having a fresh perspective allows us to objectively assess possible avenues of appellate relief – free of the emotion and theories of the case on the part of the trial lawyer and client who were unsuccessful at trial.
If your case was important enough to take to trial, it is important enough to be studied by someone acquainted with and sensitive to the particulars of the appeal. Contact us to discuss your legal options.
We accept civil appeals statewide in all civil cases, in state and federal court.
Lawyers who receive adverse decisions from lower courts might assume they are best qualified to appeal the decision because they “know the case better than anyone else.” But the case such lawyers “know” is the one that did not prevail. And because such lawyers have been so close to a case, they usually have difficulty “pulling back” to see significant problems with the lower court decision, which problems are often fundamental.
An appeal is not merely another stage of litigation or “another bite of the apple”; rather, it is a different arena with its own set of extensive rules. Therefore, an appeal needs the fresh, objective perspective of an experienced appellate lawyer who has good analytic skills and writes well. The Law Firm of L. Adam Bryson, PC has such qualifications.
If you have lost a criminal trial or received an excessive sentence following a guilty plea in South Dakota, we can help. Just because the judge or the jury reached the wrong decision does not necessarily mean your case is over. Our criminal appeals attorneys have the skill and expertise to help you fight to get back into court and undo a wrongful conviction or excessive sentence. A loss in the trial court can seem devastating at the time, but that does not mean it is the end of the battle. If you or a loved one lost or pleaded guilty in a criminal case at the trial level and are unhappy with the outcome, our firm will aggressively fight for you. Our firm is dedicated and understanding, and we can provide the skillful representation and experience it requires to win a criminal appeal and get you back into court.
We have the experience and expertise necessary to identify errors in the record that could help you get the justice you deserve and undo a bad outcome in your case. If your case was originally handled by another criminal law firm, we will carefully scrutinize the trial record, transcripts, evidence, and any other relevant documents for mistakes that could help you in the appellate court.
Winning a criminal appeal can help you get your life, freedom, and reputation back, and it’s important to move quickly. There are strict deadlines for filing an appeal which begin to expire within as few as ten days of sentencing. If those deadlines are not met, you could lose your appellate rights forever.
Our constitutional law practice is primarily focused on the following areas:
Voting rights and related litigation related federal and state elections, ballot access, discrimination, and similar issues;
First Amendment litigation including whistleblower protection, challenging unlawful arrests for participating in non-violent protests, religious rights litigation and appeals;
Second Amendment challenges to state gun permit laws, excessive taxation on gun or ammunition purchases, right to carry laws, bans and other regulation;
Eminent domain and other government overreach litigation relating to government officials who take private property without full and just compensation or who otherwise taken unlawful actions against business or property owners.
Civil Rights
Our civil rights practice is primarily focused on the following areas:
South Dakota Human Relations Act lawsuits; and
Section 1983 and Bivens lawsuits to recover damages for intentional civil rights violations by government officials, usually relating to First, Fourth, and Eighth Amendment cases.
Criminal Defense
The Law Office of L. Adam Bryson, PC can help you if you’re accused of the following:
Crimes Against Persons:
Simple assault, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, kidnapping, robbery, rape, and murder.
Crimes Against Property:
Petty theft, vandalism, grand theft, arson, burglary
Drug Crimes:
Possession of drug paraphernalia, marijuana, or a controlled substance (PCS), and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana or a controlled substance.