How Erin Patterson’s appeal could backfire spectacularly: WAYNE FLOWER on mushroom chef’s final roll of the dice… and why, in his view, it’s doomed to fail
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Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Those who believe the appeal has genuine merit would argue that the right to challenge a criminal conviction is a fundamental safeguard of justice, existing precisely to catch errors in long, complex and emotionally charged trials. They would point to specific legal grounds an appellate court must take seriously, such as contested jury directions, disputed admissibility of evidence, or arguments about how expert testimony was presented, and would caution that public revulsion at a crime should never be allowed to substitute for rigorous scrutiny of the legal process that produced a verdict.
The case against
Those confident the appeal will fail would note that Patterson was convicted by a jury that spent weeks weighing extensive forensic, medical, digital and circumstantial evidence before reaching a unanimous verdict, and that appellate courts intervene only where a genuine legal error is shown, not simply because a defendant disputes the outcome. They would argue that the trial was conducted with experienced counsel and judicial oversight, that the evidentiary case was described by legal observers as unusually strong, and that this combination makes it likely the conviction will withstand appellate review.