After you’re convicted of a crime, you may still wish to fight for your freedom. You may be in a position where you don’t believe that you were given a fair trial or may be upset because you are, in reality, innocent of the crime you’ve been convicted of.
The best thing you can do is learn about post-conviction proceedings. A conviction isn’t the final step in a case; there are actually things you can do following the trial that help shorten or eliminate your sentence completely.
You are able to look into several post-conviction options including a retrial, appeal and clemency or expungement.
Retrials
A retrial is only done if a court makes a mistake that affects the outcome of the trial. It’s typical for an attorney to seek a retrial after each trial that results in a conviction.
Appeals
Appeals are another thing to look into. Appeals allow you to have the case reviewed for errors. Your attorney can file for the appeal, asking for clarification of the laws used in the case and other factors that could affect the outcome.
Clemency
Clemency is when your sentence can be erased completely. It might be common to issue clemency to someone who committed a federal crime but sought clemency from the president or other official.
Expungement
Finally, there’s expungement. Expungement is when you have your past conviction removed from your public records. Your civil rights are restored if you receive an expungement.
Our site has more on these and other options open to you. A conviction doesn’t have to be the end of your case.