If you have been convicted for a crime that you did not commit, you may not know where to turn for help. Although the entire system seems like it is set up against you, you do have options and resources available to you to help you fight to clear your name, secure your release from incarceration, get back on your feet after having spent time in prison, and pursue justice and accountability when official misconduct resulted in your wrongful conviction.
Why Are People Wrongfully Convicted?
Unfortunately, some people are wrongfully convicted because of honest mistakes made during the criminal justice process, such as:
- Eyewitness misidentification
- Errors in forensic analysis
- Inadequate legal representation
- Judicial errors
However, some people are wrongfully convicted due to intentional or reckless misconduct by law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and other individuals, including:
- Withholding or destroying exculpatory evidence or evidence favorable to the defense
- Fabricating or planting evidence
- Coercing false confessions or false witness testimony, or improperly coaching or influencing witness testimony
- Fabricating false testimony from co-defendants or jailhouse informants
- Perjury by law enforcement officers
- Offering “expert” testimony based on untested or disproven scientific principles
How to Find a Wrongful Conviction Attorney
Pursuing a wrongful conviction claim after securing your exoneration and release from prison is incredibly difficult. Law enforcement departments and prosecutors’ offices, unfortunately, have a strong incentive to conceal evidence of their misconduct, while police and prosecutors also enjoy broad legal immunity from civil suits. That’s why you need a wrongful conviction attorney who:
- Has extensive experience litigating wrongful conviction claims
- Has the time and resources to thoroughly investigate and fully pursue your claims
- Has a personal interest in fighting to get you the justice you deserve
- Can offer you the personal attention and prompt communication you deserve
- Can offer you compassion to help you deal with this difficult process
- Will pursue full compensation for all the financial and personal/emotional losses that you have suffered
What to Do If You or a Loved One Have Been Wrongfully Convicted
If you or a loved one have been convicted for a crime that you or your loved one did not commit, there are many organizations in Pennsylvania and across the country that are set up to help wrongfully convicted people obtain justice and recovery, including first overturning their wrongful conviction and obtaining a release from prison, getting back on their feet after being released from incarceration, and then pursuing financial accountability from the state where their conviction was obtained due to misconduct by police and prosecutors.
If you are pursuing release and/or exoneration from a wrongful conviction, organizations that may be able to help you include:
- After Innocence
- Equal Justice Initiative
- Exoneration Project, University of Chicago School of Law
- Innocence Project
- Project for the Innocent, Loyola University Law School
- PA Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union
- Pennsylvania Innocence Project, Temple University Beasley School of Law
Once you have secured a release from prison after overturning a wrongful conviction, you may be facing many financial and logistical challenges to getting back on your feet and returning to regular society, especially if you don’t have family and friends to help you. The Pennsylvania Innocence Project provides reentry support resources for individuals released from prison. Witness to Innocence, an organization started by individuals exonerated from capital crimes, provides financial resources and other support for wrongfully convicted persons released from incarceration. Healing Justice also offers resources and support services for released individuals, including medical and mental health care, crisis hotlines, and peer support programs.
Once you have secured an exoneration and release from prison from a wrongful conviction, the attorneys of Marrone Law Firm, LLC can help you pursue a wrongful conviction claim against the commonwealth of Pennsylvania when your conviction resulted from intentional or reckless misconduct of police officers, prosecutors, or other officials. Our firm represents Walter Ogrod, an individual who was wrongfully convicted for the murder of a four-year-old after later DNA analysis exonerated him from the crime. Ogrod is pursuing claims against the city of Philadelphia that the police officers and prosecutors in his case engaged in intentional and reckless misconduct that led to his wrongful conviction.
Contact an Experienced Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer About Your Wrongful Conviction Charges
Were you wrongfully imprisoned in Pennsylvania for a crime you didn’t commit? The aftermath of such a traumatizing experience can be overwhelming. However, with the right attorney by your side, it doesn’t have to be. The attorneys at the Marrone Law Firm, LLC actively represent those who are wrongfully convicted of a crime they didn’t commit. Our firm is dedicated to holding the individuals responsible for this gross negligence accountable. We represent clients in Philadelphia, Center City, University City, and throughout Pennsylvania. Call 215-607-2626or fill out the online contact form to schedule a consultation with a member of our legal team. We have an office conveniently located at 200 South Broad Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.
