Justice does matter

We are a law firm providing representation in criminal and juvenile appeals for indigent clients in the San Jose area
(we are not the court of appeal)

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    Sixth District Appellate Program

The SDAP Way

A Passion for Justice

SDAP’s attitude toward the representation of indigents is that expressed in Von Moltke v. Gillies (1948) 332 U.S. 708:

“Undivided allegiance and faithful, devoted service to a client are prized traditions of the American lawyer. It is this kind of service for which the Sixth Amendment makes provision. And nowhere is this service deemed more honorable than in case of appointment to represent an accused too poor to hire a lawyer, even though the accused may be a member of an unpopular or hated group, or may be charged with an offense which is peculiarly abhorrent.” (Id., at pp. 725-726, fn. omitted.) Read more.

San Jose Historic Courthouse

News From The Director

New Panel Payment System

The Judicial Council has announced that effective September 28, 2024, panel payments under the Court Appointed Counsel Program will be made through ADP, rather than coming from the State Controller’s Office (SCO). Panel attorneys need not take any action. Existing systems, such as the eClaims ...

Become a Panel Attorney

Learn about the benefits of handling court-appointed appeals, including greater work-life balance and the opportunity to shape the law. Represent indigent parties in criminal, juvenile, or civil commitment appeals. Enjoy the support of appellate project mentors and a robust community of over 600 panel attorneys ...

Upcoming Webinar

SDAP and CCAP will present a remote training on adverse consequences. It will be Wednesday, October 30 from noon to 1:30. The presentation will answer some questions such as "what is an adverse consequence?" and "what should appellate counsel do when we find one?" SDAP ...
augment

Mandatory Form for Augment Motions

There is now an updated form proposed order for augment motions. All motions to augment the record filed in the Sixth District Court of Appeal must be accompanied by the court's fillable standard order form that can be found here. For civil cases, use this form. The ...

Proofs of Service With No-Issue Briefs

SDAP has been informed by the Court of Appeal that in several, recent cases – particularly in juvenile cases – the Court has had difficulties getting the client’s address to send the client the standard letter advising them of their rights when a no-issue brief ...

File Omission Letter in 6DCA

When filing an omission letter in the superior court, the Sixth District Court of Appeal requires the letter be filed and served on the Court of Appeal through TrueFiling. It is not enough to just serve the Court of Appeal. If the letter is only ...

Mandatory Forms for EOTs

Parties are required to use the Judicial Council’s standardized forms when requesting extensions of time in the Sixth District. Attorneys might have their EOTs rejected if the form is not used. If you have any questions, please reach out to your staff attorney buddy. An ...

New Panel Payment System

The Judicial Council has announced that effective September 28, 2024, panel payments under the Court Appointed Counsel Program will be made through ADP, rather than coming from the State Controller’s Office (SCO). Panel attorneys need not take any action. Existing systems, such as the eClaims program and panel attorney direct deposit elections will remain in […]

Become a Panel Attorney

Learn about the benefits of handling court-appointed appeals, including greater work-life balance and the opportunity to shape the law. Represent indigent parties in criminal, juvenile, or civil commitment appeals. Enjoy the support of appellate project mentors and a robust community of over 600 panel attorneys statewide. Join us Thursday, October 17 at 12.15 via Zoom. […]

Upcoming Webinar

SDAP and CCAP will present a remote training on adverse consequences. It will be Wednesday, October 30 from noon to 1:30. The presentation will answer some questions such as “what is an adverse consequence?” and “what should appellate counsel do when we find one?” SDAP has been approved by the California State Bar as an […]

Mandatory Form for Augment Motions

There is now an updated form proposed order for augment motions. All motions to augment the record filed in the Sixth District Court of Appeal must be accompanied by the court’s fillable standard order form that can be found here. For civil cases, use this form. The court has given us the following guidance regarding three aspects […]

Proofs of Service With No-Issue Briefs

SDAP has been informed by the Court of Appeal that in several, recent cases – particularly in juvenile cases – the Court has had difficulties getting the client’s address to send the client the standard letter advising them of their rights when a no-issue brief has been filed on their behalf. In a few cases, […]

Committed To Helping Our Panel Succeed

SDAP Resources

  • SDAP Manual

    SDAP Panel Manual, Compensation Manual, and Updates.

  • Research

    A comprehensive collection of key resources collected for SDAP panelists.

  • Practice Tools

    Filing Requirements, Directory, Appellate Practice, Motions, Briefs and Petitions.

  • News

    Stay current with news related to issues impacting SDAP.

  • Compensation Manual

    Statewide compensation policies and procedures

  • Samples

    Letters, Motions and Briefs in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

  • Claims

    General Information, Rates and Guidelines, Forms, E-Claim Login.

  • CCAP MCLE Website

    Central California Appellate Program MCLE Training and Events.

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