The criminal justice system is designed in such a way that those accused of serious crimes are given a lot of protections. Juries are carefully screened for biases, evidence is carefully scrutinized for its admissibility and the defendants are entitled to both adequate representation and the ability to rely on their right against self-incrimination.
Ideally, those steps are all designed to make sure that nobody is ever wrongfully convicted. After all, the law operates on the premise that it’s “better for a guilty man to go free than to have an innocent man go to prison.”
That system doesn’t always work, however. Wrongful convictions can and do happen.
A wrongful conviction is not the end of the road
If you’ve been wrongfully convicted, you cannot give up. You have to act quickly to file a notice of appeal within a very short time following the verdict and also take every step in the appeals process carefully.
Wrongful convictions can take years to overcome. Take, for example, the case recently in the news about a Tennessee man who served 15 years for a murder he didn’t commit after a witness mistook him for the actual murderer. When the witness recanted and others stepped forward with new information, he was finally able to secure his release.
Speak with an attorney right away about your situation
The appeals process is not the same as the trial process. You need experienced guidance and advocacy from beginning to end. Everything from evidentiary issues to the legality of your sentence must be examined. Please continue viewing our page to learn more about what happens during a criminal appeal to learn how we can help.
