The fight for justice reform has been going on since before the days of the bombing of the MOVE family. So happy to be on the front lines in this fight for justice reform and even happier to be part of Philadelphia National Action Network, those #NoFearAdvocates getting the policy changes much needed to feel free in our society.
The fact that Robert Miller aka Meek Millz a well established rap star has decided to use his platform to bring attention to the corrupt philadelphia justice system is welcomed by me and those of us in this fight who understand the magnitude of his advocacy. Robert isn't fighting this battle for himself, he is raising the voice of so many who are not able to reach the media and lawmakers because they fear retaliation. Robert's advocacy is perfect timing with all the work NAN has been doing to address the use of deadly force by Philadelphia police. A high power influential personality who is a victim of black cop black cop as KRS1 rapped about, otherwise known as police brutality is just what is needed to bring light and change to the injustice so many have been dealing with in Philadelphia.
What i really like about what Robert Miller is doing is the petition created by #ReformPhilly for all who have been convicted under corrupt police to released. Why is this PCRA petition important? The petition educates us about how to correct the injustice done to our love ones. Please sign the PCRA petition today!!
Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA)
Assisting individuals wrongly convicted of a crime in Philadelphia
An experienced criminal appeals attorney knows there are different types of appeals possible following a conviction. Pennsylvania state law and federal laws both give a convicted defendant the right to file appeals based on a variety of reasons. One such method of appeal is to file a petition under the Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA).1 This type of appeal generally occurs after an initial appeal with the Pennsylvania courts is not successful. However, the PCRA petition is completely separate from a direct appeals with its own rules, deadlines, and regulations.
What is PCRA?
The Act provides a method for individuals who were wrongfully convicted of a crime or who believe that their sentence is unlawful to pursue collateral relief. You are eligible to file a PCRA petition if you have been convicted of a criminal offense and you are on probation or parole, you are currently serving a prison sentence, or you have received a death sentence. In order to obtain post-conviction relief, you must provide sufficient information that one of the following occurred in your criminal case:
Your Constitutional rights were violated in such a manner that no reliable verdict could have resulted.
You received ineffective assistance of counsel that prevented a reliable verdict from occurring.
You were unlawfully induced or coerced into pleading guilty when you were actually innocent.
Your right to direct appeal on a certain issue was unlawfully obstructed by a government official.
Exculpatory evidence2 that was not available at trial is now available and would likely
change the result of your case.
You received a sentence that was improper and unlawful for your offense (i.e., above the statutory maximum).
The criminal court that entered your conviction did not have proper jurisdiction to do so.
As you can see, an appeal under the PCRA can have many complex legal issues, so it is always highly important to have an attorney handling your appeal who has a thorough understanding of Pennsylvania criminal appeals laws. Additionally, you only have one year (under most circumstances) to file a PCRA petition, so you do not want to delay in discussing your case with a criminal appeals lawyer as soon as possible.
Contact an experienced criminal appeals attorney for assistance today
If you have been convicted of a crime, you have a number of options on the appellate level. Post-conviction relief is only one method of attempting to fight your wrongful conviction. Discussing your case with an experienced criminal appeals lawyer in Philadelphia can help you explore your options and put together a quality, well-argued appeal for the best possible chance at having your conviction overturned. Please do not hesitate to contact the Zeiger Law Firm at (215) 825-5183 to discuss your case today.
1http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/LI/consCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&ttl=42&div=0&chpt=95
2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exculpatory_evidence
Did you know that our city takes 30% of a person bail money and gives the other 70% back? #FollowTheMoney Please sign the petition to end cash bail!!
What i really like about what Robert Miller is doing is the petition created by #ReformPhilly for all who have been convicted under corrupt police to released. Why is this PCRA petition important? The petition educates us about how to correct the injustice done to our love ones. Please sign the PCRA petition today!!
This 18-page roster puts the officers into three categories to provide guidance for prosecutors:
*“Do Not Call” as a witness in court unless approved by a high-ranking DA.
*May use as a witness but first inform the defense attorney of the officer's alleged misconduct.
*Use without restriction but be aware of the noted misconduct.
In some cases, background information for officers on the list. 
Text version:
Scroll for more >
| Name | Rank | Date of Misconduct | Summary of Facts | PBI Finding/Arrest | Penalty | Disclosure | Limit on Testimony | Notification to Trial Division | Lean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abrams, Anthony | PO | 6/1/15 | PO lied during a departmental investigation and aided and abetted his live-in girlfriend in a prostitution/escort business | PBI: 5/16/2017 Found guilty of Lying during a Departmental Investigation, Conduct Unbecoming, and Unapproved Outside Employment | Dismissed | Disclose, if called | Do not call without Deputy approval | No Notices | Yes |
| Buzzone, Paul | PO | 5/26/17 | PO charged with DUI | Arrest: 5/26/2017 PO charged with DUI and accepted into ARD program for 6 months probation beginning 8/25/2017 | n/a | Disclose Arrest | None | CW v. Cooper CW v. Bennett | Yes |
| Cartagena, Jose | PO | 3/11/15 | PO assaulted complainant with his fist causing a fractured facial bone, and 5 days later activated his ECW on the same complainant | PBI: 8/29/2017 Pled Guilty to Conduct Unbecoming, Unauthorized and/or Excessive Use of Force in Official Capacity, and Neglect of Duty | 3 day suspension | Disclose in all pending and future cases | None | CW v. Correra CW v. Green CW v. Fratticelli- Aponte CW v. Hall CW v. Robinson CW v. Williams | Yes |
| Jones, Melville | PO | 10/19/15 | PO filed retaliatory EF.00 complaint | PBI: 2/20/2017 Found guilty of Unspecified Conduct unbecoming | 2 day suspension | None (No evidence of intentional deceit. Personal dispute) | None | n/a | |
| King, Sean | PO | 9/18/14 | PO changed portions of his patrol log | PBI: 2/20/2017 Found guilty of Making false entry in departmental report | 3 day suspension | None (No intent to materially deceive) | None | n/a | |
| LaSalle, Anthony | Lt | 8/25/14 | Lt made false entries in DAR and misused 16 hours of time | PBI: 4/7/2017 Found guilty of Unspecified Neglect of Duty, and Unspecified Failure to Supervise | 7 day suspension | None (No material misreprese ntation) | None | n/a | |
| Livingston, Chris | PO | 10/9/16 | PO engaged in physical fight with another male outside of a wedding reception | PBI: 3/30/2017 Plead guilty to Unspecified Conduct unbecoming | 5 day suspension | None (Isolated Incident) | None | n/a | |
| Choudri, Hashaam | PO | 10/29/16 | PO solicited a prostitute | PBI: 4/23/2017 Found guilty of Association with Person of Ill Repute and Conduct Unbecoming | Dismissed | Disclose, if called | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. Stanton CW v. Labrador | Yes |
| Cummings, Colin | PO | 2/22/17 | PO charged with DUI in Tioga County | Arrest: 2/22/2017 PO charged with DUI in Tioga County and placed on ARD probation for one year beginning 3/13/2017 | n/a | Disclose open ARD/proba tion until 3/13/2018 | None | CW v. Goldwire CW v. Seldon CW v. Leach CW v. Kegler CW v. Coleste CW v. Burton CW v. Williams CW v. Jones CW v. Bolling | Yes |
| Davis, Stanley | PO | Pending | PO is subject of Federal Investigation an likely to face Federal charges | Arrest: Pending | n/a | Disclose if/when arrested | Do not call without Deputy approval | Yes | |
| Esack, Robert | PO | 1/26/16 | PO used his knee to strike complainant in the face twice causing broken facial bones | PBI: 7/14/2017 PO found Guilty of Conduct Unbecoming and Unauthorized and/or Excessive Use of Force in an official capacity | 5 day suspension | Disclose in all pending and future cases | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. Haskins CW v. Evans CW v. Berry CW v. Dennis CW v. Armstrong CW v. Bryant CW v. Delvalles CW v. Jackson CW v. Moreno CW v. Trush CW v. Freeman | Yes |
| Folly, Emmanuel | PO | 4/25/17 | PO was arrested and charged with sexual abuse of children (Child Pornography) | Arrest: 4/25/2017 Arrested and charged with sexual abuse of children (child pornography) NL: 1/30/2018, PTC | n/a | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. Mayfield | Yes |
| Graham, Reginald | PO | 11/1/13 | PO investigated by Federal authorities for several alleged acts of corruption | PBI: Retired before hearing | n/a | Disclose, if called | Do not call without Deputy approval | No Notices | Yes |
| Hall, Shawn | PO | 5/14/17 | PO charged with DUI | Arrest: 5/14/2017 PO charged with DUI on ARD probation for one year beginning 12/15/2017 | n/a _ | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | None | Yes |
| Harper, Nicholas | PO | 8/2/17 | PO arrested for DUI | Arrest: 8/2/2017 PO charged with DUI on ARD probation for one year beginning 12/1/2017 | n/a | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. McCorrishn CW v. Campbell CW v. Colon CW v. Shands CW v. Gaskin CW v. Andro CW v. Bollinger CW v. Farrell CW v. Adderly CW v. Reese CW v. Flowers | Yes |
| Kennedy, Michael | Sgt | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. Hatton CW v. Michell CW v. Flecha CW v. Irizarry CW v. Flores CW v. Davis, et al CW v. Strawberry CW v. Gonzalez | Yes | |||||
| Klein, Kevin | PO | 12/24/16 | PO charges with SA, DUI and Leaving the scene of an accident. | Arrest: 12/20/2017 PO charged with SA, DUI and Leaving the scene of an accident NL: 1/19/2018, Status | Disclosure in all cases | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. (not legible) CW v. Gillard CW v. Lee CW v.Breedon CW v.McCallum CW v. Anderson CW v. Taylor CW v. Snowden CW v. Davis CW v. Jorden CW v. Reed CW v. Wilson CW v. Norris CW v. Myers CW v. Kabba CW v. Williams CW v. Mosely CW v. Green CW v. Sims CW v. Briscoe CW v. McMillan | Yes | |
| Lewis, Deric | PO | 12/30/17 | PO charged with Simple Assault in Delaware County, PA | Arrest: 12/30/2017 PO charged with Simple Assault in Delaware County, PA | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | Traffic Court | Yes | |
| Linder, Eric | Crp | 7/23/17 | Crp arrested for DUI | Arrest: 7/23/2017 Crp arrested for DUI NL: 1/9/2018, Trial | n/a | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | None | Yes |
| Logan, Allen | PO | 12/27/17 | PO arrested for Simple Assault in Atlantic City, NJ | Arrest: 12/27/2017 PO arrested for Simplae Assault in Atlantic City, NJ | Disclose | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. Hines | Yes | |
| Long, Michael | PO | 3/23/17 | PO abused dog | Arrest: 3/23/2017 Animal Cruelty/PIC NL: 5/7/2018, Trial | n/a | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. Murphy CW v. Rose | Yes |
| Mayhew, Antonio | PO | 5/3/17 | PO charged with AA | Arrested 5/3/2017 PO charged with A.A. NL: 2/13/2018, PTC | n/a | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | ? | Yes |
| McAdams, Alex | PO | 10/23/16 | PO charged with multiple counts of SA, REAP, TT and Contempt of PFA | Arrest: 2/1/2017 PO charged with SA, REAP, TT and Contempt of PFA NL: 3/2/2018, Trial | n/a | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | ? | Yes |
| McFadden, Anthony | Lt | 2014-2015 | Lt engaged in sexual text communication with a prostitute on- duty, lied in an IAD interview, drank alcohol then drove city car on-duty, misused city time, and accepted gifts from news reporters | PBI: 1/10/2017 Entered into a plea agreement, and plead guilty to lying during an investigation, inappropriate sexual communication, drinking alcohol on duty, driving a city vehicle after drinking alcohol and improper use of department equipment | 30 day suspension and Transferred | Disclosure in all cases | Do not call without Deputy approval | No Notices | Yes |
| Nordo, Phillip | Det | 8/25/17 | Det suspended with the intent to dismiss | Suspended: 8/25/2017 Det suspended with the intent to dismiss | Suspended with the intent to dismiss | Disclose if/when arrested | Do not call without Deputy approval | - No Notices | Yes |
| O'Brien, Steven. | Lt | 5/26/16 | Lt lied in an IAD interview concerning a domestic assault incident with Lt's finance | PBI: 1/10/2017 Found guilty Lying during a investigation and Unspecified Conduct unbecoming | 15 day suspension | Disclose | None | n/a | Yes |
| Ortiz, Angel | PO | 9/1/11 | PO mishandled evidence in a narcotics investigation, made false entries in PARS and left out important information in communication with other officers | PBI: 3/8/2017 Found guilty of making False Entries in a police report, and Failure to follow procedures for handling narcotics | 5 day suspension and reprimand | Disclose if called | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. Forman CW v. Homes CW v. Booker CW v. Howard CW v. Sullivan CW v. Hargrove CW v. Abrams CW v. Merrick CW v. Palmer CW v. Robinson CW v. Marshall CW v. Blatch CW v. Grant CW v. Merrick CW v. Marshall CW v. Blatch CW v. Grant | Yes |
| Pownall, Ryan | PO | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. Lindsay CW v. Martinez | Yes | |||||
| Pressley, Shelia | Sgt | 5/22/14 | Sgt physically assaulted another Sgt, made false statement in a police report, and lied during an IAD investigation | PBI: 4/7/2017 Found guilty of Lying during an investigation, Engaging in Harassing Conduct towards a police officer and Failure to Properly Supervise | 32 day suspension | Disclose if called | Do not call without Deputy approval | No Notices | Yes |
| Pressley, Shelia | Sgt | 6/12/14 | Sgt lied in interview to IAD concerning an EEO complaint that she filed against another officer | PBI: 4/3/2017 Found guilty of Lying during an investigation | 30 day suspension | Disclose, if called | Do not call without Deputy approval | No Notices | Yes |
| Ricks, Edward | PO | 10/1/14 | PO made false statements in police report (entered wrong driver in accident report) | PBI: 8/22/2016 Plead guilty to making a False Entry in a police report | 5 day suspension | Disclose in all pending and future cases | None | n/a | Yes |
| Romero, Angelo | PO | 11/1/16 | PO lied in interview to PPD concerning shooting he witnessed | _ | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. Harvey CW v. Hall | Yes | ||
| Scott, Ross | PO | 5/18/17 | PO charged with AA | Arrest: 5/18/2017 PO charged with AA NL: 1/8/2018, FTC | n/a | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | ? | Yes I |
| Smith, Brian | Sgt | 8/25/17 | Sgt indicted by US Atty on bribery and lying to federal authorities | Suspended: 8/25/2017 Sgt suspended for 30 days with the intent to dismiss | Suspended with the intent to dismiss | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | ? | Yes |
| Smith, Gerald | PO | 3/5/16 | PO charged with Burglary and other related offenses | Arrest: 4/282017 PO charged with burglary and other related offenses NL: 1/4/2018, Trial | n/a | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | ? | Yes |
Note: The list compiled in 2017 by the DA’s Office misstated that Smith was charged with burglary.
Gerald Smith was charged with simple assault and related offenses in connection with 2016 incidents. He was acquitted at trial March 22, 2018. | |||||||||
| Snell, Eric | PO | PO arrested for conspiracy to deliver drugs in Maryland | Suspension with intent to Dismiss | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. Cooper | Yes | ||
| Soto, Adam | PO | 4/25/17 | PO charged with manslaughter and homicide by vehicle | Arrest: 4/25/2017 Arrested and charged with manslaughter and homicide by vehicle NL: 1/4/2018, SC | n/a | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | ? | Yes |
| Spicer, Michael | Sgt | Sgt arrested by Federal authorities for several acts of corruption | PBI: 9/10/2014 Dismissal based upon arrest by Federal Authorities. Reinstated after acquitted at Trial | n/a | Disclose Federal Prosecutio n | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. Glover CW v. Arnold CW v. Morales CW v. Saladana | Yes | |
| Sugan, Joseph | PO | 5/24/17 | PO charged with DUI in Montgomery County | Arrest: 5/24/2017 PO charged with DUI in Montgomery County NL: 11/28/2017, Trial PO to receive ARD for one year starting on 11/28/2017 | n/a | Disclose Arrest | None | CW v. Adino CW v. Easley CW v. Jones CW v. Ly | Yes |
| Williams, Sequeta | PO | 6/12/17 | PO charged for IT and SA | Arrest: 6/12/2017 PO charged with TT and SA NL: 1/9/2018 Trial | n/a | Disclose Arrest | Do not call without Deputy approval | CW v. Foster CW v. Hayes CW v. Smith CW v. Grant CW v. Thomas CW v. Gilmore CW v. Bell CW v. Gilmmore | Yes |
| Bonk, David | Lt | 2014 | Lt misused time by leaving work early, and taking pilot lessons while on duty | PBI: 2/23/2017 Plead guilty to Unspecified Neglect of Duty and Unspecified Failure to Supervise | 5 day suspension _ | None (No material misreprese ntation) | None | n/a | |
| Bullock, Erik | PO | 11/28/15 | PO harassed and threatened CWs by damaging front door, using inappropriate language, and pointing his gun in CW's direction | PBI: 4/7/2017 Plead guilty to Unspecified Conduct unbecoming, unauthorized absence, and unauthorized use of department equipment | 5 day suspension and reprimand | None (No clear evidence of intention deceit) | None | n/a | |
| Conn, Robert | Det | 9/26/16 | Det improperly released to an attorney the interview of a sexual assault complainant | PBI: 12/13/2016 Plead guilty to communicating law enforcement information to unauthorized person | Reprimand | None | None | n/a | |
| DeLaurentiis, Mario | PO | 7/9/16 | PO posted an inappropriate image on his social media account (Facebook) that violated PD policy | PBI: 5/29/2017 Plead Guilty to Failure to Comply with Police Commissioners Directives | Reprimand | None | None | n/a | |
| Farrell, William | PO | 5/10/13 | PO made false statements in police report | PBI: 12/1/2016 Plead guilty to Unspecified Conduct unbecoming | 10 day suspension | None (No material misreprese ntation) | None | ||
| Fitzgerald, Rich | PO | 4/17/14 | PO used unregistered informant to make drug buy and input incorrect information on informant voucher form, and failed to record basic information | PBI: 4/7/2017 Found guilty of Failure to Comply with Commissioner's directives | Reprimand | None (No evidence of intentional deceit. No pattern) | None | n/a | |
| Green, Aaron | Sgt | 11/17/15 | Sgt left detail to take a promotional exam | Plead guilty to Unauthorized Absence and | 4 day suspension | None | None | n/a | |
| Gross, Michael | Lt | 12/1/14 | Lt arrived late to work on three occasions, and failed to properly document the approval of a subordinate's vacation | PBI: 7/23/2017 Plead guilty to neglect of duty and failure to supervise unspecified | 6 day suspension | None | None | n/a | |
| Jackson, Ronald | PO | 4/18/16 | PO, while off-duty, assaulted his GF by grabbing her neck, choking her and biting her left hand | PBI: 4/7/2017 Plead guilty to Unspecified Conduct unbecoming | 2 day suspension | None (No Pattern) | None | n/a | |
| Jean, Joel | PO | 7/24/17 | PO deployed ECW under circumstances where not justified | PBI: 2/23/2017 Plead guilty to Failure to Comply with Commissioner's Order | Reprimand | None | None | n/a | |
| Mazzoni, Steve | PO | 11/25/12 | PO conducted an illegal warrantless search, and made false statement to detective | PBI: 4/7/2017 Plead guilty of Unspecified Conduct unbecoming and Failure to Comply with Commissioner's directive | Reprimand | None (No intent to deceive) | None | n/a | |
| McClain, Lain | Sgt | 2015 | Sgt made sexual comments and touched officers inappropriately | PBI: 2/20/2017 Plead guilty to Course of Conduct which constitutes harassing behavior based on gender and sexual orientation | 15 day suspension and transfer | None (Behavior shows no evidence of bias) | None | n/a | |
| McCuem, Matthew | PO | 11/19/17 | PO deployed is ECW on a person who was not a threat | Plead guilty to Failure to Comply with Commissioner's Order and Unauthorized Absence from Assignment | Reprimand | None | None | n/a | |
| Montgomery, Rahim | PO | 10/15/16 | PO, while off-duty, destroyed property inside his home and assaulted his spouse | PBI: 6/14/2017 Found guilty of unspecified conduct unbecoming | 10 day suspension | No Disclosure | none | n/a | |
| Osisos, Earl | PO | 2/6/15 | PO forced open front door to apt. that he was evited from on the same date causing damage | PBI: 3/30/2017 Plead guilty to Unspecified Conduct unbecoming | 1 day suspension | None (Isolated Incident) | None | n/a | |
| Rashad, Tariq | PO | 9/24/14 | PO lied to IAD re: relationship to complainant | PBI: 9/15/2016 Found guilty of Lying during departmental investigation | 10 day suspension | None (Peripheral Issue) | None | n/a | |
| Sanchez, Natalie | Det | 1/17/17 | Det signed the name of another Det on a SW | PBI: 5/11/2017 Pled Guilty to Making False Entry in a Departmental Record | 1 day suspension | None | None | n/a | |
| Santiago, Rubben | PO | 1/10/14 | PO made false entries in his patrol log and misused 9 hours of his time | PBI: 1/23/2016 Plead guilty to Unspecified Conduct unbecoming, and Making a false entry in a departmental report | 5 day suspension and reprimand | None | None | n/a | |
| Schill, Frances | PO | 1/21/15 | PO tased, handcuffed prisoner | PBI: 8/22/2016 Plead guilty to Failure to comply with Commissioner's directives | Training and Counseling | None (Isolated Incident. No excessive force.) | None | n/a | |
| Smith, Warren | PO | 9/3/14 | PO deployed OC spray and kicked a handcuffed prisoner in the Sally Port at CFCF | PBI: 2/22/2017 Plead guilty to Excessive Use of Force | 5 day suspension | None (Isolated incident) | None | ||
| Soto Jr., David | PO | 2014 | PO failed to notify supervisor of his uncertainty if he was needed for court hearings | PBI: 5/15/2017 Plead guilty to Failure to Comply with Commissioner's directives | Reprimand | None (No material misreprese ntation) | None | n/a | |
| Soto Sr., David | PO | 2014 | PO incorrectly listed his son as arresting officer in PARS report | PBI: 5/15/2017 Plead guilty to Failure to Comply with Commissioner's directives | Reprimand | None (No material misreprese ntation) | None | n/a | |
| Torres, Ceasar | PO | 5/22/16 | PO physically assaulted his girlfriend | PBI: 1/10/2017 Plead guilty to Unspecified Conduct unbecoming | 4 day suspension | None | None | n/a | |
| Vallette, Charles | PO | 2/10/16 | PO lied during a departmental investigation | PBI: 5/25/2017 Found Guilty of Lying during an investigation | 10 day suspension | None | None | n/a | |
| Wardlaw, Khalif | Sgt | 1/24/16 | Sgt. Used the term 'faggot' during an altercation with a Crp | PBI: 9/27/2016 Plead guilty to Unspecified Conduct unbecoming | 2 day suspension _ | (No pattern of discriminat ory | None | n/a | |
| Waters, Brian | PO | 5/10/13 | PO made false statements in police report | PBI: 8/22/2016 Plead guilty to Unspecified Conduct unbecoming | 5 day suspension | None (No material misstateme nt) | None | n/a | |
| Young, Tremayne | Sgt | 1/10/14 | Sgt made false entries in his patrol log and misused 28 hours of his time | PBI: 1/23/2016 Plead guilty to Unspecified Conduct unbecoming, and Making a false entry in a departmental report | 5 day suspension and reprimand | None | None | n/a | |
Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA)
Assisting individuals wrongly convicted of a crime in Philadelphia
An experienced criminal appeals attorney knows there are different types of appeals possible following a conviction. Pennsylvania state law and federal laws both give a convicted defendant the right to file appeals based on a variety of reasons. One such method of appeal is to file a petition under the Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA).1 This type of appeal generally occurs after an initial appeal with the Pennsylvania courts is not successful. However, the PCRA petition is completely separate from a direct appeals with its own rules, deadlines, and regulations.
What is PCRA?
The Act provides a method for individuals who were wrongfully convicted of a crime or who believe that their sentence is unlawful to pursue collateral relief. You are eligible to file a PCRA petition if you have been convicted of a criminal offense and you are on probation or parole, you are currently serving a prison sentence, or you have received a death sentence. In order to obtain post-conviction relief, you must provide sufficient information that one of the following occurred in your criminal case:
Your Constitutional rights were violated in such a manner that no reliable verdict could have resulted.
You received ineffective assistance of counsel that prevented a reliable verdict from occurring.
You were unlawfully induced or coerced into pleading guilty when you were actually innocent.
Your right to direct appeal on a certain issue was unlawfully obstructed by a government official.
Exculpatory evidence2 that was not available at trial is now available and would likely
change the result of your case.
You received a sentence that was improper and unlawful for your offense (i.e., above the statutory maximum).
The criminal court that entered your conviction did not have proper jurisdiction to do so.
As you can see, an appeal under the PCRA can have many complex legal issues, so it is always highly important to have an attorney handling your appeal who has a thorough understanding of Pennsylvania criminal appeals laws. Additionally, you only have one year (under most circumstances) to file a PCRA petition, so you do not want to delay in discussing your case with a criminal appeals lawyer as soon as possible.
Contact an experienced criminal appeals attorney for assistance today
If you have been convicted of a crime, you have a number of options on the appellate level. Post-conviction relief is only one method of attempting to fight your wrongful conviction. Discussing your case with an experienced criminal appeals lawyer in Philadelphia can help you explore your options and put together a quality, well-argued appeal for the best possible chance at having your conviction overturned. Please do not hesitate to contact the Zeiger Law Firm at (215) 825-5183 to discuss your case today.
1http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/LI/consCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&ttl=42&div=0&chpt=95
2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exculpatory_evidence
Please join Philadelphia National Action Network phillynanoffice@yahoo.com and if you know of anyone who is trapped and abused by the Philadelphia police department please reach out to Philadelphia NAN to help address the issue. You can also contact Mike Mellon 215.568.3190 with names of corrupt police. He is with district attorney's office and they have created a special unit for dirty police
Did you know that our city takes 30% of a person bail money and gives the other 70% back? #FollowTheMoney Please sign the petition to end cash bail!!
We must end cash bail if we want to significantly decrease Philadelphia's over reliance on incarceration. Every day, there are thousands of people held in Philadelphia's jails solely because they cannot afford to pay for their release. Over 75% of people in Philadelphia's county jails are being held pretrial, often for many months, denying their fundamental right of the presumption of "innocent until proven guilty". Removing this barrier of cash bail allows a person to pursue their own legal defense while minimizing potential collateral consequences of their arrest.
As bail reform sweeps the country, we want to see our city step up and put an end to the human rights violation of cash bail. The Department of Justice has already announced that our nation's current money bail system is unconstitutional, and our neighbors are leading the way for us -- New Jersey recently passed comprehensive bail reform policies, and Washington DC ended their use of cash bail years ago. Other cities have successfully changed their pre-trial detention process without an adverse impact on public safety, while at the same time protecting the rights of the accused and providing accountability to ensure appearance in court. Cash bail only serves as a tool of oppression against the poor and against Black and Brown people who are disproportionately impacted, and perpetuates the machine of mass incarceration.
We believe nobody should have to pay for their freedom, and we urge Philadelphia City Council, Mayor Kenney and the District Attorney's Office to take action now to put an end to cash bail.
More than anything we need a citizen commission in each neighborhood to help inform our communities about what is going on with all these reforms.
Prison slave labor today can be seen in wild lands firefighters, disaster clean-up from hurricanes and oil spills, massive contracts with cities, counties and universities, and the running of the prisons themselves.
While prisons no longer provide the same scale of labor that chattel slavery and convict leasing did, they maintain the slave relation of captivity for another primary purpose: the warehousing of populations that pose a threat to a profit-obsessed society. This includes the unemployed or those in underground economies, the mentally ill, and those most likely to challenge the status quo.
Talking points on the goals
End slave labor
This means the prisoners around the world who do industrial work for little-to-no pay in kitchens, laundries, on road crews, in fields or in factories must get a fair wage for their labor, or the prisons must pay outside workers to do this work. One way or another, the true cost of prison operation must be known and the broken system of mass incarceration must no longer be subsidized through slavery. The US acts appalled by other countries like China exploiting its prisoners for free labor, but tolerates the practice at home.
Stop profiteering off prisoners
All across the country, federal, state and municipal agencies contract with profit-driven companies for goods and services (on top of the prisons and detention centers where operations are handed over to private companies in attempt to cut costs.). In most every instance of these contracts for healthcare, commissary, phones and money transfers, prisoners are price-gouged because they are captive customers.
Reduce prison populations
State and federal officials can use re-sentencing, parole and clemency to drastically bring down the number of people held in cages. We know this can be done, as many other countries have shown by example that the U.S. practice of absurdly long prison sentencing contributes nothing remotely resembling rehabilitation.
Demand environmental justice
There is a nationwide effort to expose prisons as industrial operation with chronic conditions that are not conducive to health and safety. The Environmental Justice (EJ) movement has spent the past three decades developing an analysis that applies the need for environmental protections to all areas of our society, including places like prisons, and begun writing those protections into laws, such as Executive Order 12898, developing EJ through the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In this analysis, the maintaining of warehouses for caged humans must be viewed as incompatible with environmental justice.
A list of organizations in support of #OperationPUSH and#Juneteenth2018 can be found here
[Please contact FightToxicPrisons@gmail.com to add your organization to this call to action]
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