Appeals and PCRs

In many cases, a defendant who has been convicted files an appeal with the Supreme Court, claiming the lawyers or the judge made errors in interpreting the law in ways that violated the defendant's rights.

A PCR is a request for "Post Conviction Relief," filed by the defendant, which claims that the defendant's attorney provided ineffective assistance which made the case unfair for the defendant.

Both are requests from the defense that the higher court review the case. The processes may last several years. Witnesses do not usually have to testify. You have the right to be promptly informed by the prosecutors' office about the status of the case throughout these proceedings, and to be told what the different issues mean.