Post-Conviction Relief

Despite their best efforts, police officers, prosecutors, judges and juries make mistakes. But a mistake should not put you in prison for a crime you didn’t commit or for longer than appropriate for your case. At Platt Hopwood Russell & Cole in Melbourne, we can represent you if you are trying to get your life back after a criminal conviction.

We help people pursue many types of post-conviction relief, including:

• Expungement — In certain cases, you may be able to seal or expunge your record to prevent potential employers, banks, landlords and others from seeing a past arrest. The sooner you do this, the better you can minimize the impact of your experience with the justice system.
• Ineffective service of counsel — Under Florida rule 3.850, you may be able to bring a post-trial motion to vacate your sentence or conviction if your criminal defense attorney failed to provide effective representation. Learn more about ineffective service of counsel.
• Appeals — If a legal error was made in your case but the facts were presented properly, you may be able to pursue an appeal. Appealing a criminal conviction takes extensive knowledge of the law, the original case and the unique appeals process. We can help.
• New facts — If new evidence is uncovered, or new technology allows existing evidence to be tested more accurately, it may be possible to request a new trial with a court motion. If you believe this may apply to you, a lawyer can help you review your case and determine what to do next.

Serving Time for a Wrongful Conviction? Contact Us for a Consultation.

If you have been unfairly sentenced after a criminal conviction, you deserve the chance to exhaust every opportunity for justice. At Platt Hopwood Russell & Cole, we don’t back down until we have gotten the best possible result for our clients. To learn more, please contact us at 321-725-5638 or 800-479-3032 toll free.