Oli, I'm not a lawyer. But one of the things I've learned is that in our justice system, you may be considered "innocent until proven guilty" when you come to trial. But if you're convicted and file an appeal, you're guilty until proven innocent. Supposedly the only grounds for appeal are reversible judicial or prosecutorial errors, or new evidence that surfaced after the trial. But, your lawyer's failure to pick up on those errors at a trial, either by objecting or excepting, will enable the appellate court to let the conviction stand.