Dedicated to Difficult Cases
We take on the appeals many firms turn away — cases with complex records, hard procedural histories, and long odds. Difficulty is the work, not a reason to decline it.
Recognized New York Appellate Counsel
Reversals Are Rare. We Get Them, and the Recognition to Prove It.
A unanimous reversal on all counts, People v. Williams. See what we do.
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (2025 & 2026)
Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2024)
National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 (2021)
RBJ Excellence in Law Award (2020)
Unanimous Reversal, People v. Williams
JD · MBA · DBA
Meet the Attorney
Hear From Gregory Salmon
A word from the attorney who will personally review your record and handle your appeal.
Notable Decisions
A Defense Was Taken From Him. We Won Him a New Trial.
Reversals in post-conviction work are rare and hard-earned. When an appellate court agrees, its ruling stands as precedent — and the outcome speaks for itself.
Appellate Division · Fourth Department · June 2026 · Unanimous Reversal — New Trial Ordered
People v. Williams
Keith Williams stood convicted in Monroe County of attempted aggravated murder of a police officer, and sentenced accordingly. The jury had convicted on all four counts. For most, that would have been the end.
We took the case up on appeal.
Five justices of the Appellate Division reviewed the record. Not one dissented. The court reversed the conviction, unanimously, on every count, and ordered a new trial.
5
Justices
0
Dissents
4
Counts Reversed
- Unanimous — All five justices reversed. Not one dissented.
- On All Counts — A total reversal, not a partial modification.
- Against the Odds — The vast majority of criminal appeals end in affirmance. This one did not.
- A Nearly Impossible Case — Attempted aggravated murder of a police officer, a conviction most would call unwinnable.
"This is what it looks like when the system fails a person — and we refuse to let that failure stand."
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case turns on its own facts, the governing law, and the court that hears it. Attorney advertising.
Why Choose New York CAA
We Don't Dabble in Appeals. It's the Only Thing We Do.
Trial and appellate work demand different instincts. We do not split our attention across practice areas. Criminal appeals and post-conviction relief are the entire practice, and we are recognized for it.
Post-Conviction Experience
Direct appeals, CPL 440 motions, and federal habeas petitions each follow their own rules and deadlines. We know the paths and how to move a case through them.
Willing to Challenge the State
A conviction is not the last word. We scrutinize the trial record for constitutional error, procedural mistakes, and evidentiary problems worth raising on review.
Practice Areas
Focused Exclusively on Appeals & Post-Conviction Relief
Representation across New York State and federal courts, from the first notice of appeal through collateral review.
01
Direct Appeals
Appealing a criminal conviction or sentence to New York's appellate courts.
02
Federal Habeas Corpus
Federal writs of habeas corpus challenging unconstitutional custody.
03
CPL 440 Motions
New York motions to vacate judgment based on facts outside the trial record.
04
Post-Conviction Relief
Collateral challenges to reopen and reexamine a closed conviction.
05
Constitutional Claims
Due process, confrontation, and other constitutional violations on review.
06
Ineffective Assistance
Claims that prior counsel's performance deprived you of a fair trial.
07
Evidentiary & Procedural Error
Identifying reversible error in how the trial was conducted.
08
Sentencing Challenges
Contesting illegal or excessive sentences and pursuing resentencing.
Gregory Salmon, Esq.
Lead Appellate Attorney
Meet Your Attorney
A Tireless Fighter for New York Inmates
Gregory Salmon leads New York Criminal Appeals Advocates with a disciplined, record-driven approach to appellate advocacy. His practice concentrates on post-conviction cases and the work of challenging convictions that never should have stood.
Before founding the practice, he served as a public defender in New York State and maintained a private criminal law practice handling both trial and appellate matters — experience that spans misdemeanor representation through serious felonies in state and federal courts.
- Former New York State public defender
- State & federal court practice
- Author of three books on appeals
- Trial & appellate experience
Published Works
Literature on New York Appeals
Gregory Salmon writes to make the appellate process understandable to the people it affects most.
Forthcoming · 2026
Stolen Time
Practitioner Guide
The 2026 Guide to CPL 440 Motions
Focused Practice
Overturning Sex Crime Convictions in New York
The Fight Isn't Finished
They Told You It Was Over. We've Made Courts Say Otherwise, Unanimously.
Time limits apply to appeals and post-conviction motions. The sooner we review your record, the more options remain. Speak with a recognized New York appellate attorney today.