5 key updates in the appeals of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey

Over the past several months, there have been a series of key developments in cases involving Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey, who were convicted in the 2005 killing of Teresa Halbach.

Here are five updates on the appeals of the men who are featured in the Netflix docu-series “Making a Murderer.”

RELATED: New motion asks judge to reconsider ruling that denied Steven Avery a new trial

RELATED: Brendan Dassey faces crucial hearing Tuesday before federal appeals court

1.Where do the cases stand?

Dassey: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago will have a large say in determining the future of the 28-year-old man who was 16 when he confessed to his role in killing Teresa Halbach. In late September, the Seventh Circuit heard arguments on whether Dassey’s admissions to detectives were voluntary or coerced. A split three-judge panel previously upheld a lower court’s ruling that Dassey’s conviction be overturned, but this time the full panel of judges is considering the case.

Avery: In early October, Sheboygan County Judge Angela Sutkiewicz rejected Avery’s bid for a new trial. The Wisconsin Department of Justice praised the decision, but Avery’s attorney, Kathleen Zellner, vowed to continue the fight. Shortly after the judge’s ruling, Zellner asked the judge to reconsider, basing her request on “manifest errors of law and fact, and the development of new evidence.” That new evidence includes claims that Halbach was alive when she left the Manitowoc County salvage yard — where authorities say she was killed — in her vehicle.

2. What’s next?

Dassey: The Seventh Circuit is under no deadline to issue a ruling. Some observers speculate that a decision could come before the end of this year, but others believe it will take many more months. Regardless of which way the federal appeals court rules, the losing side is expected to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court is not obliged to take the case.

Avery: Zellner has submitted motions that have yet to be ruled on by Judge Sutkiewicz. She can appeal, sending her lengthy filings to the Wisconsin appellate court and file a habeas petition in federal court.

3. What’s the best-case scenario for the defendants?

Dassey: The Seventh Circuit rules that his confession was improper, and orders the state to retry or release him. Without the confession, the state faces an uphill battle in getting a conviction at a second trial.

Avery: Zellner convinces the circuit judge — or the appeals court — that Avery deserves a new trial in the interests of justice, and the new evidence she has cited convinces a jury that someone else was responsible for Halbach’s murder.

4. What’s the worst-case scenario for the defendants?

Dassey: The Seventh Circuit rules that his confession was voluntary and his conviction is reinstated, leaving the U.S. Supreme Court as a last resort.

Avery: The Wisconsin appellate system and the federal system reject his bids for a new trial and he remains mired in the prison system to serve his life-with-no-parole sentence.

5. Is it likely that either defendant will be released from prison in 2018?

Dassey: It’s possible, depending on the ruling by the Seventh Circuit. But it’s not likely because the state would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court and, if the high court declines to hear the case, the state still has the option of retrying Dassey for Halbach’s murder.

Avery: Not likely, given the number of issues that have been raised — and have yet to be raised by his defense team. This is not a process that happens overnight in the legal system.