If you have been convicted of a felony crime it is expected that the light of hope you have clung to may falter. But it is important that you do not let it extinguish.
There are several reasons why your future is still yours to take back. If you are innocent, you are all too familiar with seeing the justice system make mistakes, otherwise you wouldn’t be in the position you are in. If you are guilty of a crime, perhaps not quite the crime in your conviction, you may have realized your counsel was less than competent and that may or may not be why you were dealt a harsher punishment than your crime warranted. The objective should always be justice and any proven and substantial misstep on that mission may be grounds for a new trial.
If there exists no new evidence to present on your behalf, but substantial errors were made, or your confession was coerced, you may decide to appeal. This essentially means your attorneys will file a brief and the court will review the record of the court proceedings, including witness testimony, transcripts and evidence administered then. The prosecution can issue a statement as well as to why an appeal is not necessary. The judge will sometimes listen to arguments made by both your defense as well as your prosecutors before making a decision. Should the judge decide in your favor, this is the first major benchmark toward a reversal or reduced sentence.
Post-conviction dealings should be taken very seriously by your attorneys because they must realize that things have not gone their client’s way and this may be the last chance anyone has to make things right for you. It is important you have complete faith in the legal team you have working on your behalf, as they may be the difference between your freedom and your incarceration.