Expungements & Appeals Attorney Los Angeles

Judgment in a criminal case may seem like the end of the road, but depending on the nature of the charges, you may be entitled to post-conviction relief. Appeals and Writs are available to those incarcerated following conviction, but are time sensitive and must be filed soon after judgment. You may also be entitled to have your record expunged upon completion of your probation.

Los Angeles Expungements Attorney

An expungement is a process by which a conviction or plea (of Guilty or No Contest) in a criminal case is set aside and the charge against you is dismissed. An expungement can relieve you of certain penalties and restrictions you may have suffered from having a criminal record. For example, an expungement may alleviate potential discipline from the State Board for your Professional License.

A petition for expungement can be filed after you have fulfilled all terms of your probation or have been discharged from the original term of probation, or have not been placed on probation and have completed all the terms of your sentence. Spiga & Associates have been successful in cleaning up the records of over 100 clients, and we would be happy to do the same for you.

Appeals Lawyer Los Angeles

The time to appeal your conviction is limited, so we strongly suggest you contact Spiga & Associates right away to file a notice of appeal on your behalf and begin the process of seeking the justice you were deprived of at trial.

If you or a love one has already been convicted of a crime, all hope is not yet lost. You have the right to appeal an unfair conviction, and Los Angeles Expungement attorneys Spiga & Associates are just the attorneys you need to put the criminal justice system in check and get your judgment overturned. Spiga & Associates are experienced appellate lawyers who will take your case all the way to the Supreme Court if that’s what it takes. We understand what’s at stake when a loved one has been locked up and the government seems to have thrown away the key.

A successful appeal can result in a new trial or sentence reduction due to the illegality or unfairness of the prior proceeding which led to the conviction. Appeals can be based on anything from jury misconduct to improperly presented evidence or evidence illegally withheld from the defense by the prosecutor. An appeal can also be based on misapplication of the law, inappropriate arguments by the lawyers, and unlawful sentencing. The process of appealing a judgment involves a great amount of time for things like research and transcript analysis, and many criminal law firms do not offer appellate work for that reason. At Spiga & Associates, we are committed to getting justice for not only the accused, but also the convicted because we believe that everyone deserves a fair shot and a zealous defense.

Writ of Habeas Corpus

Another way of attacking unfair imprisonment is to file a writ, such as the Writ of Habeas Corpus, which literally means “(we command) that you have the body.” Habeas Corpus is a legal action seeking release of someone who is unlawfully imprisoned, and like appeals, can be based on a number of injustices suffered by the defendant.

Other than Habeas Corpus, there are other “extraordinary writs” which may offer post-conviction relief in circumstances when other appeals have been exhausted or denied. A Writ of Mandate, for example, is used to is used to require the court to decide on an issue when it has failed or refused to do so, or to compel the court to reverse a ruling that was made in abuse or excess of the court’s discretion. Conversely, a Writ of Prohibition is used to prevent a court from taking some action that is beyond or in abuse of the court’s jurisdiction. Other extraordinary writs include: Writ of Coram Nobis, Writ of Certiorari, and Writ of Supersedeas.