The Court of Appeals held that counsel's representation, when viewed as a whole, did not constitute ineffective assistance. Applying for assigned counsel in a family court case when determining eligibility.If you are looking to challenge a conviction, call a Fulton County appeals lawyer today to discuss your options for your case. Criminal Defense Attorney Page Pate walks through the steps of a criminal appeal in Georgia and explains how the process works, from start to finish. The first problem is that the. You need to tell the court that your public defender has not talked to you and ask the court to relieve the PD's office and appoint other counsel. 1. trial counsel was ineffective for failing to move to sever the cases of Lamont. Fulton and Marty Armstrong;. 2. To make this claim, you will need to file a motion for postconviction relief with the court that handled your case. Appeals: The defendant can file an appeal to a higher court based on the ground that the lower court performed legal errors in the trial.