Several counties in Georgia have established conviction integrity units (“CIU”) to examine cases when there is a potential claim of actual innocence, new evidence that undermines confidence in the verdict, prosecutorial misconduct, or when the sentence appears to be an extreme outlier. See here why it’s important to have a criminal defense attorney by your side when navigating the criminal justice system.
Understanding Conviction Integrity Review
The Conviction Integrity Review Units are not appropriate to attack a sentence that is within the normal sentencing range simply because you are unhappy with the sentence. For example, if you are convicted of murder and received a life or life without parole sentence, an approach to a Conviction Integrity Unit would only be appropriate if you have a potential claim of actual innocence, new evidence that undermines confidence in the verdict, or new evidence of prosecutorial misconduct as a life sentence is mandatory and a life without parole sentence after a murder conviction is not an outlier. On the other hand, if you are serving a life without parole sentence for a non-violent crime based on being sentenced as a recidivist, an approach to the CIU may be appropriate depending on several factors including, but not limited to, your past criminal history, the facts underlying the current conviction, and your institutional history. If the CIU believes that relief is appropriate in a case, it may recommend that the convicting court re-sentence you to a lesser term, re-sentence you to time served, vacate your conviction, and allow you to enter a plea to a lesser charge, or vacate your conviction in part or in its entirety.
How to Present a Case to The CIU
Before presenting a case to a CIU, the attorneys at the Law Firm of Shein, Brandenburg & Schrope will conduct a thorough review of the case to determine if it meets the strict criteria outlined by the appropriate CIU, including analyzing the evidence presented at trial, evaluating any potential new evidence or newly discovered prosecutorial misconduct, and analyzing the sentence based on the facts of the case and the sentences of other similarly situated individuals. At the end of the review, we will provide a detailed analysis regarding whether we think your case is an appropriate case to present to the CIU.
Our Experience with Conviction Integrity
The more experience your criminal defense lawyer has with conviction integrity, the better your chances of receiving relief. The attorneys of the Federal Criminal Law Center are highly knowledgeable in the complexities of Georgia state law, and have an excellent track record of negotiating relief for their clients.