PRACTICE AREAS

Appellate Advocacy

Alessandra DeBlasio is an experienced appellate advocate with an outstanding record of successful appeals before federal and state courts, in both criminal and civil matters. In addition to upholding trial court victories, she has a proven record of reversing adverse judgments.

Ms. DeBlasio began her appellate career in 1994, clerking for two years for a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. She later spent several years as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Appeals Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, before eventually opening her own appellate and trial practice in 2009.

In her current appellate practice, she represents criminal defendants, civil rights and immigration petitioners, and both plaintiffs and medical doctor defendants on personal injury appeals.

Successful appeals reversing adverse decisions include:

• Won Second Circuit appeal, reversing the District Court’s dismissal of a prisoner’s § 1983 civil rights complaint of assault by a guard. Ceara v. Deacon, 916 F.3d 208.
• Won New York Appellate Division appeal, reversing a jury verdict that had gone against a physician and his cardiology practice in a medical malpractice and wrongful death case; the Appellate Division dismissed the civil case in its entirety. Dentes v. Mauser, 91 A.D.3d 1143.
• Won Third Circuit appeal, reversing the Board of Immigration’s denial of an asylum application by a Colombian refugee whom FARC terrorists had kidnapped. Gomez-Zuluaga v. Attorney General of the United States, 527 F.3d 330.
• Won Fourth Circuit appeal, reversing the District Court’s order suppressing evidence seized from defendant’s vehicle after a traffic stop in a case where defendant was indicted on charges of possession of crack and powder cocaine. United States v. Porter, 49 F. App’x 438, 2002 WL 31415486.
• Won Fourth Circuit appeal, vacating defendant’s criminal sentence on grounds that the record lacked any factual basis to support a determination that defendant possessed a firearm only for lawful sporting purposes and collection. United States v. Solomon, 274 F.3d 825.
• Won Fourth Circuit appeal, reversing the District Court’s order suppressing evidence seized during a search of defendant’s apartment in a case where defendant was indicted for possession of crack cocaine and of a firearm by a convicted felon. United States v. Cephas, 254 F.3d 488.
• Won Fourth Circuit appeal, reversing the District Court’s order suppressing evidence obtained during a Terry stop in a case involving two co-defendants charged with illegal possession of handguns. United States v. Williams and Dourdoumis, 215 F.3d 1323, 2000 WL 718395.
• Won Fourth Circuit appeal, vacating defendant’s criminal sentence on grounds that the evidence did not support a reasonable inference that defendant was only a minimal participant in the offense and that his decision to commit the crime was spontaneous or rash. United States v. Whitney, 215 F.3d 1323, 2000 WL 718445.
• Won Second Circuit remand to Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA); on remand to the BIA won reversal of prior ruling denying Convention Against Torture (CAT) claim; and on subsequent remand to the Immigration Court to consider new evidence, won CAT claim and client’s right to remain in the United States. In re Harris, No. [A-file number] (BIA Dec. 10, 2019) (IJ Feb. 27, 2020).
• Won reconsideration of a decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals, reversing its earlier adverse ruling that upheld the permanent removal from the United States of a Jamaican-born U.S. resident on account of his alleged status as an aggravated felon, acknowledging that its earlier decision had been “mistaken” as to his criminal status. In re McDonald, No. [A-file number] (BIA July 30, 2008).

Ms. DeBlasio is admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third and Fourth Circuits, and the state appellate courts of New York, New Jersey, Florida and Washington, D.C.

 

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