I either lost my trial or pleaded guilty in federal court, but I am not satisfied with the outcome. Is there anything I can do?

Following a trial, you may appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals provided you file a Notice of Appeal within 14 days of the judgment. Following a guilty plea, you may appeal if you did not waive your right to appeal.

If you lose an appeal in the Court of Appeals, you can ask the U.S. Supreme Court to consider your case. However, the U.S. Supreme Court gets to choose which cases it hears. It generally hears only those cases raising issues that might have an effect on many different cases.

After losing an appeal, you can file a post-conviction petition for a writ of habeas corpus if you believe you were denied a constitutional right or that your lawyer was ineffective. But make sure you did not waive your right to file such petitions as part of your plea agreement.